LIGHTING up the 2020 Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale was a four-year-old grey Jack of Diamonds filly who fetched the top price of €50,000 at the flagship sale in Barnadown this evening.

Bidding opened at €10,000 for Lot 18 Jackie, consigned by Alice Martin-Jones and Jason Higgins. She is out of Cappercullen Cruise (ISH) (TIH) (by Cruising) and is a half-sister to the Clinton gelding Bill Clinton (CSI-YH1*, 1.40m). Bidding was lively in the room, online, and on the phone for her with 29 bids in quick succession before she was finally knocked down to a buyer in the room for €50,000 to a round of applause.

The top priced three-year-old this evening was Michael O'Callaghan's Lot 40 Robinia, a bay Ramiro B gelding, who sold for €47,000. Robinia's dam, the Wizard King mare Raetihi, comes from the family of the Prix D'Arenberg (Group 3) winner Reasonable. Bidding opened at €10,000 and 27 bids later, the hammer fell at €47,000.

Other top selling three-year-olds included Lot 37 Brian Flynn and Meadbh Bolger's MBF Gambler, by Ramiro B out of a thoroughbred mare Monalease (by Terimon) which fetched €42,000. Bidding opened with a strong online bid of €18,000 quickly rising in 18 bids to €42,000.

Bolger and Flynn struck again with Lot 29 MBF Bridge View, a three-year-old Puissance gelding out of a Courage mare. Bidding opened at €5,000 before rising 10 times before the horse was sold to an online bidder at €24,000.

One of two Sligo Candy Boy geldings forward, Lot 46 MBF If In Doubt, out of a Manhattan mare, was sold to an online buyer at €31,000, once again consigned by Bolger, Flynn and Higgins.

Flynn, in partnership with Henry Foley, entered MBF Quidams Touch (Lot 57), a son of Quidam Jnr 1 out of Pembrook Black Magic (by Touchdown), which was sold to a buyer in the room on a final bid of €33,000.

There was plenty of interest in Virginia Considine's eye-catching Lot 45, a three-year-old grey gelding by Metropole out of the Cavalier Royale mare Cavalier Silver Joey. Bidding opening at €10,000 before a phone bidder had the final say at €37,000 after 19 bids.

John Flood's Lot 64, a three-year-old grey gelding by Cavalier Land out of a Grange Bouncer mare started off at €5,000 bid before quickly rising through 17 bids to be sold to an on-site buyer at €23,000.

Top British international event rider Oliver Townend snapped up Lot 25 and Lot 26 for a total of €52,000.

Bidding opened at €10,000 for Lot 25, Michael O'Callaghan's three-year-old gelding by the traditionally-bred ISH Yeats, and 12 bids later, he was secured by Townend.

Lot 25's dam Prime Adage is by Marignan out of a Supreme Leader mare.

Meabh Bolger and Jason Higgins consigned MBF Star Buster (Lot 26) who was also sold to Townend for €26,000. The Ramiro B gelding out of a Wild Law mare comes from the family of 17-time track winner Mr Boston. Bidding opening at €10,000 before going on the market at €24,000 and being knocked down at €26,000.

British international event rider Nicky Roncoroni accounted for Dessie Gibson's Lot 28 Cullintra Digger, a three-year-old dark bay gelding by Quantino out of a Witness Box mare. A strong opening bid of €15,000 rose steadily in 10 bids before being sold to Roncoroni at €24,000.

The last lot of the night was Ciara Walsh's Lot 68, another three-year-old grey gelding, this time by Diamond Roller out of a Cruising mare caught the eye of Richard Sheane of Cooley Farms who had the last say at 25,000 after bidding opened at €10,000.

Lot 40, Michael O'Callaghan's Robinia by Ramiro B, was the top priced three-year-old fetching €47,000 at the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale this evening at Barnadown \ Goresbridge Horse Sales

Four-year-old trade

Strong prices were fetched for most of the four-year-olds forward including Lot 5, the Colandro bay gelding, Kilcannon Hot Shot, consigned by Mary Bolger and Jason Higgins, who realised €38,000. Bidding opened at €10,000 and 16 bids later, he was sold to a buyer on-site. Kilcannon Hot Shot finished third in the Potential Event Horse Championships at last year's Dublin Horse Show is out of the Crown Z mare Aster, a half-sister to Queen Z (1.50m).

Registered with the Warmblood Studbook of Ireland, Nigel Kenny's home-bred Derrycastle Houdini (by Ulysses MS2) out of Corrib Sensation (by Lux Z), sold for €32,000 to an on-site buyer. He is a half-brother to the young show jumper Derrycastle Sensation (by Cevin Z) while his dam is a half-sister to Corrib House (CSIO5*) and Cavalier Rusticana (CSIO5*).

The sale opened confidently with the first two lots selling for €28,000 and €29,000.

Felicity Ward and Elizabeth Ahern consigned Lot 1 EPA Wildfire, a six-year-old gelding by Carlow Bank out of a Kahtan mare who opened proceedings when sold online at €28,000 from an opening bid of €5,000.

He was quickly followed by Lot 2 Tullabeg Platinum, a six-year-old consigned by Barnadown's Maurice Cousins. By Dignified Van't Zorgvliet out of a Cult Hero mare, bidding for the gelding opened at €10,000 before quickly moving through 14 bids and he was sold to an online purchaser for €29,000.

Don't miss Margie McLoone's exclusive report on the 2020 Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale only in The Irish Field this weekend