AS ever the sale contained some very notable pinhooking triumphs and foremost among these was an €85,000 son of Casamento from Jonathan and Mary Hillman’s Danesrath Stud.

The half-brother to two useful winners was bought by Blandford Bloodstock and was showing quite a return on the €11,000 he cost as a foal.

Others to show a dramatic appreciation on their foal price was an €82,000 Sea The Stars colt from Ronan Burn’s Herbertstown House Stud who fetched €20,000. He was bought by Eamonn Reilly while Alan Harte had to go to €78,000 for a son of Zebedee from Lynn Lodge Stud who made €27,000 on his previous visit to the sales ring.

NOTABLE PURCHASES

Ger Lyons’ spending for the week was headed by a €90,000 son of Zoffany. At this sale last year Lyons picked up the subsequent Group 2 hero Medicine Jack while he also trained one of Zoffany’s early forerunners in Argentero.

Elsewhere Fawzi Nass’s trainer George Peckham spent €80,000 on a daughter of Kodiac while Eamonn Reilly secured a member of Dawn Approach’s first crop for €75,000 on behalf of a client with Karl Burke.

WHAT THEY SAID

“There is something for everyone here. I think that this sale represents a great opportunity for those at the coalface of the industry to come here and buy a well-priced but affordable racehorse, there’s a lot of good individuals on offer here. It’s not all about what makes the most money. The clearance rate last year was exceptional and that’s dropped off a little this year but is still very respectable.”

Tom Goff (Blandford Bloodstock)

“I would say it’s a typical horse sale. The quality items are selling well as they always do but if you’ve got something a little below what everybody is searching for then you are searching for buyers.”

Maurice Burns, Rathasker Stud

“If you’ve got the right article it’s good trade and you will get well rewarded. It’s tougher at the lower end though and it probably isn’t as competitive at that level as it was last year.”

Guy O’Callaghan, Grangemore Stud

“It’s probably fair trade from what we have seen so far although you have to question the wisdom of staging two flat meetings during the middle of one of Ireland’s premier yearling sales. It can’t be a help.”

Roger O’Callaghan, Tally-Ho Stud