THOSE who witnessed yet another extraordinary trade at Goresbridge last week will have been left in no doubt that the sport horse industry is experiencing a purple patch not seen since the days of the Celtic Tiger.

Turning over just shy of €1.5 million, and with a further two sessions left to run, the opening two days of ponies and older horses produced returns never seen at the venue in nearly 60 years of business. Enjoying great depth of demand, 39 individuals smashed the five-figure benchmark, which led in turn to an overall average of €6,915 (€5,769) and clearance of 82%.