THERE are 22 older horses catalogued in next week’s Goresbridge Go For Gold sale and there’s nowhere better to start than at Lot 1, the Tomás Doyle-owned Goldsmith Monbeg.

One of just three greys and two mares in this section of the sale, the five-year-old Irish Sport Horse is by Balou du Rouet out of the Cruising mare Tireragh Imperial Cruise who jumped to 1.20m herself and comes from the family of Ballyoskill Big Bucks (1.55m).

As Goldsmith Balou, Goldsmith Monbeg finished in equal seventh place in the five-year-old HSI Studbook series grand final at Tattersalls Ireland in July, having won a qualifying final at Cork Summer Show the previous month.

Also in Doyle’s consignment of three older horses is the ISH gelding Monbeg Winston (Lot 12), a four-year-old Winston half-brother to the Lux Z mare ESI Florence (1.50m) and to the Sheikh It mare Monbeg Sapphire, who represented Ireland at Lanaken in September 2022 and is the current HSI Studbook six-year-old champion. Monbeg Condor (Lot 22), a similarly-aged ISH gelding by Condios from the family of Westwinds Ego (1.40m), completes the Doyle trio.

Another by Condios is Patrick Whelan’s Carraiganard Conor (Lot 6), a four-year-old gelding who finished second and third from three EI90 outings this season and comes from the family of Currabawn Champ (CCI3*-S) and Lackamore Storm (1.50m). From the same Co Wexford vendor comes another 2019 ISH gelding, Carraiganard Obie (Lot 20). This son of Lagans OBOS Quality won both of his EI90 starts and placed fourth in his young event horse championship at the Dublin Horse Show.

Lot 8 is a four-year-old ISH gelding by Beckenbauer out of the Luidam mare Essenar Double Dutch \ Bit Media

Owner-bred

Among the owner-bred horses catalogued is Bernadette Boland’s Portphilip Inspiration Cruise (Lot 2), a five-year-old ISH gelding by OBOS Quality 004. Being out of the Cruising mare Portphilip Cruise, a full-sister to Portphilip Cruzcrew (1.40m) and Cruising Lady (1.40m), the bay is a half-brother to Portphilip Jones (CCI4*-L) among others.

James Connors-Smyth’s Urbalreagh Limelight (Lot 5) is an eye-catching ISH gelding by Echonix. The four-year-old chesnut, who has 12 Show jumping Ireland points, is out of the Limmerick mare Wellan Limelight (EI115), a half-sister to the Grafenstolz mare Wellan Graffiti (CCI4*-L) and the Mermus R mare Wellan Summertime (CCI3*-L). This is also the family of Magennis (CCI5*-L), Tullybee Holly Golightly (CCI4*-L) and Heike Holstein’s 2021 Olympic Games mount, Sambuca.

If you are fond of greys and are looking for a horse ready to compete early next year, take a glance at the KWPN-registered Ottavio (Lot 4), who is being consigned to next week’s Goresbridge Go For Gold sale by Alice Martin Jones and Higgins Sporthorses. The son of Emir R is out of the Lupicor mare Charlene, a half-sister to the Baltic VDL mare Gallicia (1.45m), whose previous produce include the Harley VDL mare Helrike (1.40m).

With MBF Sport Horses, Higgins is consigning MBF A Million Dreams (Lot 8), a four-year-old ISH gelding by Beckenbauer out of the Luidam mare Essenar Double Dutch, a full-sister to Essenar Crixus (1.60m) and a half-sister to the Imperial Hights gelding Touch Too Much (CCI4*-L). With Aoife Dooley, Higgins sells DSH New York (Lot 17), a four-year-old ISH gelding by SIEC Livello. This bay is also out of a Luidam mare, Dshlyi, dam previously of the Quintender mare Longfield Quinlui (1.40m) and the BBS McGregor gelding DSH Lucky Junior (1.40m).

Well-related

The sole Hype-sired lot in the sale, CFH Fearless Impact (Lot 9), is being consigned by Beechfields Stables. The four-year-old ISH gelding, who comes from the family of Tullibards Hawkwind (CCI5*-L), is out of the Ard VDL Douglas mare Douglas Darco and is thus a half-brother to the Womanizer mare MGH Heartbeat (CCI3*-S).

Other well-related four-year-olds include Bulimba Sport Horses’ Bulimba Edition Uno (Lot 10), a grey ISH gelding by Van Gogh from the family of Mullentine Loughgall (1.50m) and Clarkes Ferro (1.60m); Vincent Meaney’s ISH chesnut Ballycondon OBOS (Lot 11), an OBOS Quality 004 filly out of a Corland full-sister to Mullentine Imperial (1.50m); Bill Maguire’s flashy ISH gelding Ardkilly Mackerel Sky (Lot 16), who is out of a thoroughbred mare from the family of the eight-time track winner Her Honour; Francis Fitzgerald’s Freestyle Kate (Lot 19), a bay Freestyle van de Wolfsakker filly from the family of Vivendi Time (CCI4*-S), Dorada (1.60m) and Gowran Park (1.60m) and, by the same sire, Willow Sport Horses’ Willows Freestyle Cavalier (Lot 23), who has competed in young event horse classes, show jumped to 1.10m level and is out of a Douglas Cavalier full-sister to Brandonview First Edition (1.45m), who comes from the family of Van Gough (CCI4*-L) and Call Again Cavalier (CCI5*-L).