BRIGHTWELLS held their established end of season sale at the Royal Welsh Showgrounds, Builth Wells on Monday, October 24th.

As ever, the yearling prices are a good barometer as to the health of the sport.

The Vincent Delaney Weekend in August every year has breathed new life into the game. Therefore it was fitting that the Delaney family’s Oakwood Stud, based in Offaly would benefit as they consigned a handful of high-priced lots.

The jewel in the Oakwood crown was thought to be Oakwood Playboy (c Mc Ardle-Only Gossip (The Panderosa) and the handsome black colt went for £30,000 to Bobby Richards.

However, the top-priced lot was a colt by Hasty Hall out of Another Mattie which made £32,000. Another Mattie has thrown two VDM winners already in the shape of Titanium (died tragically when rising three) and of course Miraculous who will be four in 2017.

Not alone were the Irish amongst the top vendors, but they were also active as buyers. North Co Dublin trainer Ned Stafford, who unearthed a nice sort this year in Oakwood Eternity, signed for Rhyds Pro Affair and No Limits II.

The Meadowbranch stable went to £19,000 for another Hasty Hall in the shape of Rhyds Shoofly.

DURABLE

Welsh owner Richard Thomas secured the durable mare Frisco Frisk for the sum of £14,000.

The young stock will be well spread across the professional trainers of Britain and Ireland. The norm would be for the youngsters to be mouthed and lightly jogged before the new year, and then turned out to fill their frames.

Will the big priced lots be the headline makers in August 2017 - or is there another Coalford Tetrick in there, who was only £1,200 as a yearling?