TOP-PRICE FOUR-YEAR-OLDS

  • Trade Horses Ltd’s Unnamed, four-year-old gelding by Cruising With Diamonds (dam by Insatiable) €57,000 (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
  • Monbeg Sport Horses’ Monbeg Can Do, four-year-old gelding by Sligo Candy Boy (dam by Colin Diamond) €50,000 (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
  • Monbeg Sport Horses’ Monbeg Dunard Blue, four-year-old gelding by Zirocco Blue (dam by Monaco) €45,000 (Goresbridge Go For Gold).

    • AT €57,000, the year’s top-priced lot has been featured earlier on this page, but coming close to realise €50,000 was Monbeg Sport Horses’ Monbeg Can Do, a gelding by Sligo Candy Boy out of Diamond Action by Colin Diamond. Another to change hands at the Go For Gold sale, the Michael McDonagh-bred gelding had won a DAFM Development class and was snapped up by British international rider Max Warburton, on behalf of his owner Karla Wheatcroft.

    Later the same evening, the Co Wexford-based Monbeg team also received €45,000 for their attractive grey Monbeg Dunard Blue by Zirocco Blue.

    Irish event rider, Ella Boyle was the determined buyer for this Maeve Cuffe-bred grey, while passing through the same ring, the similarly proficient MBF Sporthorses and Higgins Sport Horses’ team consigned MBF Killoran by Lagans OBOS Quality.

    Bred by Patrick Flynn out of Killoran Amanda (Cabriole), he was knocked down to American buyer Ada Cosby for €40,000.

    In the country

    The signs of the divide in trade became more evident among the four-year-olds, which at the top-end of the sector, proved among the strongest of year. Co Waterford producers, Brian and Meabh Flynn, enjoyed another storming season and, sweeping the board in the country, their bay gelding MBF Party Boy Z changed hands at Goresbridge in May for €28,500.

    A son of Presley Boy, out of the good jumping mare Atomone by Karandasj, Party Boy Z was imported last year, and was knocked down online to an American client.

    The same team, in partnership with Jason Higgins, were also responsible for the sale of Petar D, another import, this time by Qatar Ter Saleghem (dam by Victory). Sold for €25,000 at Goresbridge in March, he was also bound for USA, while at the same venue in September, Gerard Clarke did well when his home-bred Drishoge Cruz Control by Jorado (dam by Zazou) realised €23,500.

    A progeny out of the Dutch-bred mare Evita by Zazou R, he is a half-brother to three graded jumpers, including the Gerard Clarke-ridden seven-year-old Drishoge Creed (1.35m).