BALLYPATRICK Stables and Greg Broderick's generous decision to auction off an Emerald chesnut foal (Lot 35A) raised a hefty €30,000 for the Kevin Babington Fund when sold at the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale tonight (Tuesday) at the gala dinner and auction hosted at the Amber Springs Hotel.

DJ O'Sullivan had the final say after lively bidding for this foal, bred in the purple, out of Greg Broderick's 1.50m international campaigner Ballypatrick Flight while the second dam Gowran Lady is the dam of Broderick's former Aga Khan winner MHS Going Global. It's understood that O'Sullivan was acting on behalf of an American couple.

Introducing the smart foal, Chris Ryan said: "All proceeds are going to the Kevin Babington Foundation. Our thoughts are so much with Kevin and his family. We wish him the very best and we wish you the very best for this very smart foal."

Bidding opening at €5,000 and leapt straight up to €10,000, moving to €18,000 seven bids later when the foal went on the market. "He's bred to be a champion," the room was told while 10 more bids saw the total jump up to €30,000 when the hammer fell in favour of O'Sullivan to a loud round of applause.

Top trade

World No 1 event rider Oliver Townend paid €41,000 for Jason Higgins, Brian Flynn and Meadbh Bolger's three-year-old Ramiro B gelding (Lot 41), MBF Ramiro, bred by Elizabeth Power, a half-brother to Azure (CCI3*-S) from the family of My Royal Touch (CCI4*). Bidding opened at €10,000 with the horse going on the market eight bids later at €35,000. Three further bids saw the gelding go to Townend to top the 10th renewal of this flagship sale, which featured 74 catalogued Lots this year.

Described as an "absolute smasher'', Bolger and Flynn's MBF Flash Back, a four-year-old Quidam Junior I chesnut gelding (Lot 15) out of a traditionally bred Diamond Imp Lad mare was snapped up by Richard Sheane of Cooley Sport Horses. Bidding opening at €10,000 and quickly jumped in eight bids to €35,000. Going on the market then, it took two more bids before the renowned Wicklow producer secured him for €40,000.

Later in the evening, Sheane also paid €25,000 for Frank Casey's Lot 53, a gelding by the Slyguff Stud thoroughbred sire Pointilliste whose progeny enjoyed strong support throughout the evening, out of a Master Imp mare.

A telephone bidder secured Lot 3, Sophie Richards' Harlequin du Carel chesnut gelding Here And Now out of a Clover Hill mare for €38,000. Bidding opened at €10,000 and 13 bids later went the way of the phone bidder.

Lot 36, the first of the three-year-olds to go under the hammer tonight, Michael O'Callaghan's Ramiro B out of the Spanish-bred mare Yaca, by the French thoroughbred Meneusekal, a half-sister to the Fines gelding Ulises (CCI4*-L), sold at €36,000 after a flurry of bidding.

The talented Ogue Verdi (Lot 11), a four-year-old Verdi gelding (pictured above), the property of Jason Higgins, saw bidding open at €10,000 and he went on the market at €25,000 before six more bids secured him at €30,000.

Also selling for €30,000 was Ballygriffin Cyril (Lot 17), produced by Storm O'Connor, this Ars Vivendi four-year-old gelding out of a Carrick Diamond Lad mare brought lively bidding, going on the market at €20,000 and nine bids later was knocked down to the successful buyer.

Another to sell for €30,000 was Shanbo Stud's Shanbo Super Flex (Lot 7), a five-year-old mare by Flex A Bill out of the Kildalton King mare Shanbo Happisfied while the gelding Ballyshan Contender (Lot 6) by Tolan R, the property of Thomas Quigley and well showcased by Shane Dalton today, fetched €24,000.

Tireless team

The sale concluded at 1am this morning with the Goresbridge auctioneering and spotting team working tirelessly until the last drop of the hammer to secure the best possible prices, evident in the second last Lot of the sale, Waterford pharmacist Richie O'Hara's Lot 73, Kilbunny Emperor, an Emperor Augustus three-year-old bay gelding out of the traditionally-bred Frankfort Boy mare Frankfort Diamond Sky, which fetched €30,000.

More in Saturday's paper when Margie McLoone reports from the 2019 Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale with the confirmed details of the buyers