A SALE record price of €500,000 was achieved at Thursday evening's Goffs Punchestown Sale when agent Mags O'Toole paid half a million euro for Qualimita, a mare who won a point-to-point last Friday.

Trained by Colin Bowe, Qualimita is a four-year-old daughter of Muhtathir, the sire of Envoi Allen. From the family of Colonel Mustard, she made a winning debut at Fairyhouse by 30 lengths, a performance which prompted The Irish Field's columnist Eogháin Ward to write: "Qualimita (91++) usurped the subsequent Grade 1 winner Brandy Love by achieving the highest ever rating for a mare in winning a maiden point. Her 30-length debut success at Fairyhouse was recorded in a time that was at least 10 seconds quicker than any of the other three four-year-old maiden races on the card, all achieved without coming off the bridge, This points to something very special."

It is not known on whose behalf O'Toole was acting but it has been speculated that it could be Brian Acheson, whose horses run under the Robcour banner.

Denis Murphy supplied the second highest-priced lot of the session in the shape of Histrionic, winner of a point-to-point at Tralee on his debut last Friday. The four-year-old son of Walk In The Park is out of an own--sister to blacktype chaser Kimberlite Candy.

Histrionic was bought by agent Tom Malone and trainer Paul Nicholls.

The after-racing sale saw 20 of the 22 horses offered sold for an average price of €197,000, which was 23% up on last year. The median price of €170,000 was 26% up on last year's median of €135,000.

Among the other top lots during the session was Irish Grand National third Dolcita, who was sold for €240,000 to Cyril Crowe, a dairy farmer and breeder from Quin in Co Clare who is a noted vendor of National Hunt foals.

SALE STATISTICS

Offered Sold Aggregate (€) Average (€) Median (€) Top Price (€)

2023 22 20 (91%) 3,940,000 (+37%) 197,000 (+23%) 170,000

(+26%) 500,000

2022 20 18 (90%) 2,885,000 160,278 135,000 370,000