JOHNNY Collins must be shortlisted for pinhook of the week after he sold a Doctor Dino gelding to Ian Ferguson for €240,000 on Thursday.

The horse has been under the care of Collins for only five months, having been purchased by his Brown Island Stables for £58,000 at Goffs UK on January 24th.

The chesnut is out of the four-time winner Countess Comet who has bred one winner from two runners and who is a half-sister to the multiple flat stakes winner Air Pilot.

“There was no imagination when I bought him, it was only a matter of keeping him for a few months as he was a lovely three-year-old then,” the vendor said.

“I bought him to come here. I wanted something by this stallion, I’d been trying to buy one by him in France but I couldn’t get my hands on one. He is an amazing sire and this horse is an incredible mover. He was the same horse in January as he is now, he came from a good farm and was well prepped, I was just in the right place at the right time so it’s a lovely result.”

Ian Ferguson was acting on behalf of owner Wilson Dennison and said: “He will go and be broken and after that a decision will be made as to whether he goes to a trainer or down the point-to-point route. He is a scopey sort and is by a sire that can do no wrong at present. I loved him as an individual and thought he was the nicest horse in the sale. I didn’t think I’d have to give that sort of money for him.”

Bobby’s Beaumec

An hour before that Collins had another good result in the ring when offering a filly from the well-received first crop of French stallion and Grade 1 winning hurdler Beaumec De Houelle.

The grey was the subject of a lengthy bidding battle between the Mariga family, who sold the opening day session topper, and Bobby O’Ryan and it was O’Ryan who lasted the longest to secure the half-sister to the Paul Nicholls-trained admirable chaser Yala Enki for €160,000.

“She is a lovely filly,” O’Ryan said. “She is for a client who is looking for a race filly and then a broodmare. No training plans have been made as yet. I’ve been very lucky with Johnny [Collins] and have bought two Royal Ascot winners from him.

“I was hoping to get her for a bit less, as I always want a bit of value. I spoke to my client yesterday and he said to see what we could do.” Collins, who had 11 horses catalogued over the two days, said of the filly, already named Kisuton Enki: “I bought her privately in France as a foal. It is difficult to find fillies with pages like this, and she is a lovely filly too. She was always going to be a valuable filly as she has residual value.”