DONNACHADH Doyle, who is better known these days as a trainer of top-class point-to-point horses, still retains an interest in other equestrian pursuits and, on Monday, purchased the top-priced lot at the Goresbridge select sale of three-year-old show jumpers, the Irish Sport Horse filly Columbcille Wheelagower MBF (Lot 4).
Consigned by MBF Sporthorses and H&J Sporthorses, the Cornet Obolensky bay came on the market at €30,000, at which stage she was knocked down to Doyle, who was sitting to the right of auctioneer Ed Donohoe. While the Co Wexford trainer was immediately announced as buyer of the top lot, it was later disclosed that the filly was purchased in partnership with Ger O’Neill’s Castlefield Breeding Farm.
“I have a couple of jumpers with Ger and this filly went straight to him on Monday,” revealed Doyle.
“I didn’t see her in the flesh before the sale, but liked what I saw on the videos. She is a very good-looking mare with great technique over a fence. Ger will have her riding in no time and we can take things from there.”
The afternoon/evening sale suited Co Wexford-based Doyle, who has 35 horses in training for the autumn point-to-point campaign and also has 30 three-year-olds being aimed at the spring season, one of whom belongs to O’Neill.
Inbred 5 x 5 to Cor de la Bryere, Columbcille Wheelagower MBF was bred in Co Cork by Cynthia Murphy Kearney, out of the 2023 ISH mare Kilcoltrim Blue Diamond, who the breeder inherited from her late father Eamon Murphy.
“My father purchased the dam as a three-year-old at a sale in Barnadown,” said Murphy Kearney, who is based outside Fermoy, “and she was one of the mares I held on to following his death. She had an embryo transfer foal that year (2018) by Luidam (Wheelagower Shes Got It), who was bought by Henry and Joanne Foley (H&J Sporthorses) and is now eventing in England (second under Ellie Healy in a division of the CCI1*-Intro at Blair Castle in August).
“Ger O’Neill jumped Kilcoltrim Blue Diamond for me in 2019, when she had a pole down in the final of the five and six-year-old Breeders Classic. I then retired her and the Cornet Obolensky filly was her fist foal for me being followed by a Comthago VDL colt (Columbcille Chance), a Livello filly (Columbcille Lorelei) and, this year, a Tyson filly. Columbcille Wheelagower MBF was a cracker from the start and was purchased privately as a foal by Henry and Joanne.”
Kilcoltrim Blue Diamond is a half-sister to the renowned Goresbridge graduate A Touch Imperius (2004 gelding by Touchdown), whose many top-class wins and placings included victory in the 2022 Hickstead Derby Trial (CSI4* 1.60m).
“This is a very talented filly,” said MBF Sporthorses’ Meabh Bolger of Monday’s top-priced lot. She has a very good temperament and was very easy to produce.”
When asked if she was pleased that the filly was heading to O’Neill, Bolger answered: “Yes definitely, as she will have every chance. It’s a very good yard with very good riders.”
Other top lots
The Co Waterford operation sold two horses in partnership with Higgins Sporthorses, receiving the higher price of €25,000 from US veterinary surgeon Tom Wendel for the Jason Higgins-consigned MBF Champ Du Boult (Lot 16), the sale’s top-priced gelding. The chesnut came on the market at €18,000, after which Wendel finally got the better of another persistent online bidder.
MBF Champ Du Boult, who is by the Belgian Warmblood stallion Nixon van’t Meulenhof, was bred in Co Laois by Bryan Gee. His dam is the 2008 Crown Z mare Crowning Glory Z, who competed up to 1.20m level when ridden by Seamus Hughes for her breeder Carmel Ryan and is out of Concordia, a full-sister to the Ryans’ ISH stallion Royal Concorde (CSI4*).
MBF Champ Du Boult will be ridden by Wendel’s wife Kim.
“We intend to train him for show jumping, but it appears he may be quite a good eventer too,” said Kim of the couple’s latest acquisition.
“We live in Aiken, South Carolina which has a wonderful horse community with lots of options in different disciplines.
“We now have three MBF horses – MBF Gambler (the most wonderful horse I’ve ever met) who is eventing, MBF Reality who is eventing, and now MBF Champ Du Boult for show jumping. We love our MBF horses and trust Brian and Meabh’s eye for a good horse very much.
“All our horses from them have been as advertised and incredible partners to me. We can’t wait to meet Champ!”
On behalf of themselves and Higgins Sporthorses, Bolger and husband Brian Flynn consigned MBF Hanley (Lot 11), who came on the market at €10,000 and was sold for twice that amount to Britain’s Annie Dalton.
Driving in long reins, this ISH gelding by the Zangersheide stallion Stockholm van’t Roosakker Z was bred in Co Mayo by Charles Hanley from whom he was purchased privately as a two-year-old. His dam is the 2003 Harlequin du Carel mare Bohemia, whose previous produce include the Clover Flush gelding CHS Inception (1.60m). Bohemia is a half-sister to the OBOS Quality 004 gelding Luckaun Quality (CCI5*-L).
Selling well
“This horse ticked a lot of boxes for me as he is brave, scopey and careful,” said Bolger, who commented of the sale in general: “There’s no doubt that trade has gotten tougher lately but, while we had hoped to get more, our horses sold well. The online element adds to a sale and potential purchasers are now a lot more confident bidding online.
“I think the extra videos that we put up are a huge help, as people can see the horses at home in their normal environment and can get a better idea of their temperaments.”
Cillbhrid Queenie’s new home
NINE of the 10 fillies catalogued in the Goresbridge select sale of three-year-old show jumpers changed hands in the Co Kilkenny ring last Monday night, with local international rider Susan Fitzpatrick giving €27,000 for Richard Power’s Cillbhrid Queenie (Lot 20).
Auctioneer Martin Donohoe first sought an opening offer of €20,000 for the home-bred daughter of the KWPN-registered stallion Untouchable 27, but had to go down to €5,000 before getting started. Bidding then stalled at €18,000, but once the chesnut Irish Sport Horse was put on the market at that price, it took off again until Fitzpatrick had the final say.
Cillbhrid Queenie is one of two 2021 foals registered on CapallOir whose dam is the 2016 Luidam mare Cillbhrid Babe, a half-sister to Billy McCain (1.60m) and Billy McDermit (1.50m) and to the dams of Ballypatrick Tangelo (1.55m) and Billy Fleance (1.45m).
A ‘cash’ customer in the United States paid €20,000 for Maddie Brennan’s home-bred ISH filly Belle Bleu (Lot 8), a daughter of the Zangersheide stallion El Barone 111 Z. The bay is out of the Furistos Trump mare Coolgrange Cruising (1.50m, second CSI3* 1.45m), dam previously of the Luidam mare Belle Mai who qualified for the final of the five-year-old championship at Lanaken last month.