IT will be interesting to see how much Golden Drumlee makes when he comes under the hammer at Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham November Sale next Friday.

The good-looking gelding has a light pedigree but won the four-year-old maiden at Maralin last Saturday with some authority under Noel McParlan.

The rider’s father Sean both owns and trains Golden Drumlee, who is a son of Golden Lariat and was bred in Co Longford by Tom Henry out of the unraced Old Vic mare Geraldine’s Pet. Sean purchased his charge as a just-turned yearling at the 2013 February Sale at Tattersalls.

“When I go to a sale, I like to lean over the rail at the parade-ring and just look at the horses and the way they walk; I never look at the book unless I like them,” explained the Co Down trainer. “That day, this fellow kept catching my eye and when I looked at the pedigree I guessed he wouldn’t be too dear.

“I said to myself ‘if he’s cheap I’ll buy him’ and I got him for just the one bid (€600). People were slagging me off as no one had heard of the sire – and I have to admit I hadn’t myself – but, two weeks or so later, he had his first winner (Fayette County) in a bumper at Down Royal. Guess who was laughing then!

“We took our fellow to the August Sale last year but there was no money for him so we decided to bring him home. We’ve been glad since as he’s always gone like a good horse at home. In the spring, Noel asked Stevie Clements (who had ridden Fayette County) to sit up on our fellow.

IMPRESSED

“Stevie was very impressed and told us to run him straight away. We hadn’t even named him and the ground would have gone before we had that all sorted. As it turned out, it was all to the good as he really strengthened up over the summer. He worked really well in Skreen a couple of weeks ago and put in a great performance on Saturday.

“We have 15 or 16 riding out here at present with Noel getting help each day from a couple of local lads, while Eamon Magee, who led the horse up at Maralin, rides on his days off on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

“Noel puts a lot of work into getting horses jumping well and that’s what this fellow does, he jumps, travels and stays.”

Happily, this win by Golden Drumlee came before Tom Henry, consigning through Edandale Stables, sells his yearling full-sister, a grey, at Tattersalls November Sale where she is due to come up as Lot 45 tomorrow.

The pair’s sire Golden Lariat is a really attractive chesnut by Mr Prospector out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Larrocha, who comes from the family of Alflora, Ardross and Scorpion among others. He has had very few thoroughbred produce with the international three-star eventer Lariats Sun being one of his top competition horses.

Golden Lariat stands with the Carey family at their Tullaghansleek Stud in Co Westmeath.