A SUBDUED Premier Sale of three-year-olds took place at Cavan Equestrian on Tuesday, when the top price of €18,000 fell well below that of 12 months ago (€34,000), while from the 50 horses that passed through the ring, just 19 were sold, resulting in a disappointing 38% clearance rate.

The average also slipped to €10,374, however 11 of the 19 did break the €10,000 barrier and it was show jumping owner and dealer Carl Dore who had the final say on the sale topper, Stephen Reilly’s unnamed three-year-old filly (Lot 14) by Diamant de Semilly out of the Cavalier Royale mare Ballintogher Evidence, at €18,000.

At €13,500, Dore also signed for Lot 50, Lisa Cawley’s three-year-old chesnut gelding by Aganix du Seigneur, who features excellent old Irish breeding on the dam side, as he is out of the Loughehoe Guy mare Glimmering, who was a promising performer in the sport herself up to 1.40m level and counts herself as a sister to the 1.60m horse, Ballypatrick Flamenco.

The father of Kian and Jack, both prominent young show jumpers in Ireland, Carl will break and produce the horses at their Co Limerick yard. “I really liked the filly on the day, she jumped very good and has a serious pedigree, she is by one of the top sires in Europe. We hope to go on and produce her and then she will be sold on again,” he told The Irish Field.

“The Aganix gelding is a smashing horse as well. He is really well-bred. Kian will produce them both and we will aim them for the four-year-old classes next year.”

Another by Diamant de Semilly to sell well was Pat McDonnell’s gelding (Lot 52) out of the Lux Z mare Kilnamac Stiletto, who will be going to Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia after being knocked down at €15,000 to Islam Akhmetov.

Akhmetov contacted Cavan sales initially by email and further by phone and, while he was not in attendance for the sale, is delighted with the purchase.

Helene Hormiere of France bought two lots at the Premier Sale, paying €14,000 for Lot 25, Rory Finnerty’s home-bred Smart Action, a smart filly by Vivant van de Heffinck out of a Nigrasine mare. Hormiere’s other purchase was a bargain of €5,400 for the following Lot 26, a bay gelding by KMS Rooney.

Limerick-based Bulimba Sporthorses received a €13,500 cash sale for Creevyquinn Amber, a three-year-old chesnut filly by Diamant de Semilly out of the Tinkas Boy mare Inea VDL.

Performance sale

Wednesday’s performance sale at the venue didn’t see any major uplift in trade and, like the previous day, the top price (€10,100) was well below that of 12 months ago (€16,500). The clearance rate held at 69%, with an average price of €5,015.

Three lots broke the €10,000 mark and best of those was Lot 56, Joey Pietrusa’s five-year-old palomino gelding by Coolfin Dynamite, who was bought by Mary Browning.

Lot 31 made €9,000 at the Cavan Performance Sale \ Cavan EC

Cash buyer

A few lots earlier, Kieran Morrin’s five-year-old gelding Stormzy, who has no breeding recorded, was knocked down at €10,000 to Michael Kelly. Ciara O’Reilly also got €10,000 from a cash buyer for her six-year-old mare Ballyv Blake (Lot 42).

Five more lots made €9,000 or more on the day; the best of those was €9,600 for the final lot of the day (157), Alan O’Brien’s three-year-old chesnut gelding OSH Tycoon (Tyson x Glasgow van’t Merelsnest), purchased by a cash buyer.

Top priced three-year-olds

Geraldine McMahon’s GGS Chardonnay, three-year-old filly by Tyson (dam by Chacoa) €13,200