THE upcoming Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale of select event horses sees a slight increase in the number of lots due to come under the hammer and, running from Monday, November 14th to Wednesday, November 16th, reverts to a three-day format last used in 2017.

However, there is a bit of a twist to this year’s popular sale with the final day being dedicated to the auction in the Amber Springs Hotel, Gorey where the gala dinner has, for the moment, been consigned to history and selling is to due to commence at the much earlier time of 1pm.

As ever, all 90 horses catalogued have come through an extensive selection process and here hosts Martin and Mary Frances Donohoe have once again relied on the services of the long-standing trio of Sally Parkyn, Chris Ryan and Clare Ryan backed up by Nicky Roncoroni and Bridget Speirs.

Each lot will have been examined by a member of the Goresbridge Veterinary Panel prior to the sale and will be sold with a set of digital X-rays which can be emailed to prospective purchasers on request. Videos of all lots are available for viewing on the sale’s website.

Unless otherwise stated, all lots mentioned in this preview have been registered as Irish Sport Horses on CapallOir, the Irish Horse Register.

Popular

Last November’s top-priced lot was a three-year-old filly by Sligo Candy Boy and this year the ISH stallion has three representatives in the sale, viz Ronnie Smyth’s home-bred five-year-old mare Prairie Falcon (Lot 9) who is out of a Jacomar half-sister to the Beach Ball gelding Hawk Eye (CCI4* 8&9yo horses-S); Higgins Sporthorses and Alice Martin-Jones’ Doonaveeragh Candy (Lot 10), a four-year-old dark bay gelding whose dam, Tullig Diamond Clover (by Le One), previously bred the Chacoa gelding Monarts Matisse (CCI2*); and Trade Horse Ltd’s Lot 42, a three-year-old unnamed gelding out of a Radolin mare from the family of Brownstown Remi (CCI3*-L).

The same vendors are also consigning DSL The Captain (Lot 77), a three-year-old gelding by Road To Happiness out of a Luidam mare whose Cruise On dam is a half-sister to the Ard VDL Douglas gelding Dollanstown (CSIO5*-NC EUD1).

Local stallion

The locally based Belgian Warmblood stallion Dignified van’t Zorgvliet also has three produce listed including Maurice Cousins’ home-bred unnamed three-year-old gelding (Lot 43) who, being out of the Ramiro B mare Diro, is a full-brother to Be The One (CSI4*) and from the family of Fernhill Fugitive/Could Be (CCI4*).

Another stallion with three horses in the sale is the Holstein Colandro and his trio includes Kilcandra Stud’s home-bred Kilcandra Top Gun (Lot 35), a three-year-old bay gelding out of the Bonnie Prince mare Bonnie Dolly and thus a half-brother to the Financial Reward mare Kilcandra Bonnie Reward/Clever Trick (CCIO4* NC-L) and the BGS Ocean View gelding Kilcandra Ocean Power (CCIO4*-S), a Go For Gold graduate.

There are three home-bred lots in the sale by the Olympic show jumping stallion Vivant van de Heffinck, starting with Sean Cunningham’s Donail Bell Vivant (Lot 39) who, out of the Beau Royale mare Donail Belle, is a half-brother to the Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding Donail Andco/Woodstock Bennett (CCI4*).

Among four lots by the ISH stallion Lagans OBOS Quality is one of Frank Casey’s three-horse consignment, Killountain Quality (Lot 34).

Out of the Cruising mare Miss Clover Cruise, this three-year-old bay gelding is a three-parts brother to the OBOS Quality 004 gelding Quality Cruiser (CCIO4*-NC-S).

The increasingly popular Dutch Warmblood stallion Tyson is sire of four lots including Niall O’Doherty’s Crossroads Tyger (Lot 62). Out of the Chippison mare Crossroads Miss Chip, this three-year-old bay gelding comes from the family of Clann Lux Imp (CSI3*) and Cooley Tanglewood (CCI3*-S), etc.

Go For Gold Sale

Business address: Goresbridge, Co Kilkenny.

Telephone: 059-9775145/087-2569496.

Email: info@goresbridge.com

Web: www.goresbridgegoforgold.com

Date: November 14th, 15th and 16th.

Times: On Monday, November 14th at Barnadown, Gorey, Co Wexford Lots 1 to 27 will be shown on the flat and over show jumps in numerical order, starting at 10.30am; from 1pm, Lots 1 to 27 will be shown over cross-country fences in numerical order. Performances will be livestreamed.

Times: On Tuesday, November 15th at Barnadown, Gorey, Co Wexford Lots 28 to 90 will be loose jumped, in numerical order, starting at 9am. Performances will be live streamed.

Times: On Wednesday, November 16th at the Amber Springs Hotel, Gorey, Co Wexford all lots will be offered for sale, starting at 1pm. The auction will be live streamed with online and floor bidding options available (pre-registration required).

Last year’s top lot: Brian Flynn and Meabh Bolger’s MBF Starburst, three-year-old brown filly by Sligo Candy Boy – Monalease, by Terimon sold to Three Creeks Training LLC for €82,000.