ROUNDING off the recent renewal at Goresbridge, last Friday’s stand-alone session of three-year-olds produced a sound and respectable trade. Although the age group did not emulate the heady figures of the ridden stock, it delivered a top return of €18,000 together with a clearance of 63%. Contributing to this and to the average of €4,878 was a large contingent of buyers, among which were active purchasers from Britain, France, USA and Belgium.

It was rewarding to see so many home-bred lots included among the sale-toppers, one of which was the overall headliner at €18,000. This figure fell to Suzanne Maguire’s Tomgar Freestyle (Lot 261), a well related son of Freestyle Van Der Wolfsakker out of Ballydunne Coevers (Coevers Diamond Boy). This was a great result as well as a bittersweet one for the Co Wexford-based breeder who had lost the dam due to colic a few days earlier. “We bought her in foal with this boy,” she said. “Luckily however, I do also have two fillies out of her, which I now plan to retain for breeding.”

It had been a busy week for Maguire, who had just returned from La Palma in the Canary Islands where she had been supporting her Ultra Marathon-running husband Dermot. While she was away, the gelding had been ably produced for sale by Carlow’s Ado Moran, who had also broken him in. Carrying a stout and topical pedigree, the dam is a half-sister to the recent HOYS Puissance victor, Bishops Quarter (Commdt. Geoff Curran) as well as BP St Patrick (1.15m).

Competition for this the elegant grey was unsurprisingly strong, but sticking to his guns with a series of quick responding bids, the hammer finally fell in favour of Derbyshire-based agent and producer Lee Penny at €18,000. “He just oozes quality, and for me he stood head and shoulders of anything else,” he commented afterwards. “I have bought him in partnership with Clive Collins, and the plan is to produce him on slowly, with the idea of jumping him in the age classes with Charlotte Hayes, next season.”

Dromara vendor Regina Hamill is no stranger to sale-topping honours, and did well again when her imported gelding Mylar S Z (Lot 334) by Mylord Cathargo changed hands at €10,500. Bred in Holland and acquired as a two-year-old, the bay is out of a sibling to the Swedish-based 1.60m performer Radisson, and from the immediate maternal line of Effect (1.60m) and Nitendo (1.50m). As one of the few top lots to remain on home soil, this good sort was knocked down to Middleton, Co Cork buyer Richard Rohan who was buying for his daughter Sarah. “Unusually we were looking for something not too big,” he commented. “I loved the pedigree, and for us he really fitted the bill.”

Another successful seller from the north was Stacey Watling, whose unnamed gelding (Lot 259) by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet looked well bought online at €9,400. Only for sale as Stacey is expecting a baby early next year, the gelding was bought through the same ring as a two-year-old and, bred by Thomas and Ruth Doyle, is the second foal out of Ariel’s Diamond by Guidam.

Lot 344 at Goresbridge Sales fetched €10,500 - Regina Hamill’s Mylar S Z, three-year-old gelding by Mylord Cathargo (dam by Chin Chin) \ Sally Parkyn

Breeders rewarded

It was heartening to see breeders continually rewarded, and following a lull in prices, the tempo picked up again when a cash customer parted with €9,000 for Norman Hammond’s home-bred RNH Othello (Lot 319). Well prepared by Gareth Swaile, this stoutly related individual is by SEIC Livello, out of RNH Elisa (Ustinov). Carrying a versatile pedigree, the grey is a half-brother to the smart RNH New Moon (1.45m) and to RNH Tinkerbell (1.25m) while the dam is a full sibling to the French-based event horse RNH Ustinov (CCI4*).

Never far from the ringside, sale-topping buyer Lee Penny was active throughout, and added to his overall tally of eight lots, when securing Monica Whelan’s Dig Deep On Impulse (Lot 336) for €8,500. Yet another home-bred by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet, this gelding was out of the traditionally bred Rise On Impulse who was out of a full sister to Miss Molly Malone (1.35m). Happy with his multiple purchases, Penny was prompted to comment: “I’m finding the prices reasonable and think there has been good value here over the past few days.”

Just a few lots later, William McDonnell’s home-bred gelding (Lot 345) realised the same figure when secured by Shropshire-based event horse producer Annie Dalton. Having graced the front cover of the Horse and Hound last week, and recently given birth to a baby daughter Ava, Dalton is never one to let the grass grow under her feet, and will be pleased with this gelding who is by Big Dan Durouet out of the Colin Diamond-sired PLS Colina Diamond. Interestingly bred, the sire is currently competing in the HSI age series with Liam O’Meara and is by Querlybet Hero out of a mare by Harlequin du Carel.

Stacey Watling’s unnamed, three-year-old gelding (Lot 259) by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet (dam by Guidam) sold for €9,400 at Goresbridge \ Sally Parkyn

Traditionally bred lots were in the minority, but reaping yet another €8,500 return was Donnie O’Connor’s home-bred gelding Bobby (Lot 353). Bred by Michael Walsh, he is a son of the Irish Draught sire Lansdown and, out of the thoroughbred mare Teds Dream (Generous), was secured by a cash buyer.

Several more lots realised €8,000, among which was Olivia Forristal’s home-bred gelding (Lot 304) by Dignfied Van’t Zorgvliet out of the well related Lady Louisa (Royal Concorde). The dam is a half-sister to the event horse Capital T (CCI3*) as well as to Barrington 57, who was part of the British squad at Le Lion D’Angers two weeks ago. It is certainly a globe-trotting family, but this gelding will be making the longest journey when he travels to his new home in America with successful buyer Sharon Londono. Attending the sale in person for the first time, Londono was accompanied by Thurles producer Brendan Ryan.

“I have bought three lots here today,” she explained. “I love the temperament and the scope of the Irish horse. The plan is to keep them here for Brendan to break and produce over the winter, before they travel to me in the spring.” Londono does not buy for any specific discipline, as she explains. “It’s whatever they are best at. We will compete them a little before we sell on.”

Norman Hammond's home-bred RNH Othello (Lot 319) fetched €9,000 in the three year old division at Goresbridge \ Sally Parkyn