A SALE record price of €500,000 was achieved at Thursday evening’s Goffs Punchestown Sale when agent Mags O’Toole paid that sum for Qualimita, a mare who won a point-to-point last Friday.
Trained by Colin Bowe, Qualimita is a four-year-old daughter of Muhtathir, the sire of Envoi Allen. From the family of Colonel Mustard, she made a winning debut at Fairyhouse by 30 lengths, a performance which prompted The Irish Field’s columnist Eogháin Ward to write: “Qualimita (91++) usurped the subsequent Grade 1 winner Brandy Love by achieving the highest ever rating for a mare in winning a maiden point. Her 30-length debut success at Fairyhouse was recorded in a time that was at least 10 seconds quicker than any of the other three four-year-old maiden races on the card, all achieved without coming off the bridge, This points to something very special.”
It is not known on whose behalf O’Toole was acting but it has been speculated that it could be Brian Acheson, whose horses run under the Robcour banner.
Denis Murphy supplied the second highest-priced lot of the session in the shape of Histrionic, winner of a point-to-point at Tralee on his debut last Friday. The four-year-old son of Walk In The Park is out of an own-sister to blacktype chaser Kimberlite Candy.
Histrionic was bought by agent Tom Malone and trainer Paul Nicholls.
The after-racing sale saw 20 of the 22 horses offered sold for an average price of €197,000, which was 23% up on last year. The median price of €170,000 was 26% up on last year’s median of €135,000. Total turnover was up 37%.
Among the other top lots during the session was Irish Grand National fourth Dolcita, who was sold for €240,000 to Cyril Crowe, a dairy farmer and breeder from Quin in Co Clare who is a noted vendor of National Hunt foals. An eight-year-old by Saint Des Saints, Dolcita has won four races and has plenty of blacktype at Grade 2 and Grade 3 level.
Almost half the catalogue sold for €200,000 or more. They included Lough Owel, another maiden winner from Fairyhouse last weekend. Trained by Gordon Elliott for the Crocodile Pockets Syndicate, this five-year-old son of Hillstar will be staying where he is after being sold to Aidan O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott for €255,000.
Elliott also went to €235,000 for Bleu De Vassy from Pat Turley’s Kingsfield Stables in Northern Ireland. This four-year-old by Cokoriko finished a close runner-up at Necarne last Saturday behind Harley Dunne’s Springt De La Mer, nine lengths clear of the rest of the field.
Another Elliott purchase was The Enabler (€200,000), a son of Walk In The Park from the family of Denman. Trained by James and Ellen Doyle, the four-year-old finished second to Tom Keating’s Kingston Pride at Curraghmore.
Sam Curling’s Boston Boy was runner up to Histrionic at Tralee last Friday and caught the eye of the Stroud Coleman agency and trainer Jonjo O’Neill who went to €230,000 for the son of Black Sam Bellamy.
O’Neill also gave €210,000 for Mick Goff’s Dromahane four-year-old maiden winner Fortunate Man, a son of Soldier Of Fortune.
Goffs CEO Henry Beeby said: “Sensational. As ever we are indebted to the vendors who put their trust in the Goffs service and sent such quality to the Punchestown Sale. They are a mighty bunch as they truly put their money where their mouth is, year after year, and it is fantastic to see results like these.”
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