TUESDAY evening will prove to be a memorable one for the Ennis based-Morgan family, who produced the two top three-year-olds at Cavan’s Premier renewal.

The star of the show at €34,000 was Ralph Morgan’s home-bred son of Vivant Van de Heffinck, but not far behind at €30,000 his niece Alannah took second billing with her filly by Dourkhan Hero Z.

The Co Clare duo were the only lots to smash the €30,000 barrier, and while a further four made in excess of €20,000, the sale was largely one of two halves. Buyers were very selective, and despite another 15 individuals garnering sums between €10,000 and €20,000, some seemingly high reserves saw the clearance close at a rather disappointing 61%. This figure proved identical to that of 12 months ago, while the average slipped slightly to €12,234 (€13,271).

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Sale toppers

Standing up against a raft of imported stock, Ralph Morgan can give himself a pat of the back in that not only did he breed the sale topper (Lot 61), but he also bred his dam, Honeylands Hollywood (Luidam). A young mare, Hollywood has produced several foals for Morgan, among which is the promising seven-year-old Ballyknock OBOS Hollywood (1.30m) who is currently competing with Jazmine Arthur.

“We always thought this three-year-old was a very nice one,” said Morgan’s brother Alan. “We could have sold him as a foal but luckily opted to keep him on further.”

Bids were lively for this eye catcher, who was eventually knocked down to a home-based cash customer for €34,000. A little earlier in the proceedings, the same customer had paid €30,000 for Alannah Morgan’s continentally bred filly (Lot 41) Diva vd Bergoeve Z who is the first foal out of the six-year-old mare Rimba Van’t Zorgvliet, by the Lanaken winning sire Dourkhan Hero.

Alannah Morgan’s Diva vd Bergoeve Z (Lot 41) was sold for €30,000 \ Cavan EC

Alannah, who was assisted on the day by her father, as well as sisters Laura, Clara and Leah, had sourced the filly locally as a two-year-old. “She always looked promising, and we’ve always had this sale in mind.” said her father, Alan Morgan.

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Notables

Selling well midway through the day at €28,000 was Mervyn Clarke’s (Thomascourt Stables) Creevyquinn Thomascourt (Lot 48), a filly by Emerald Van’t Ruytershof out of Drumiller Digital (Clinton). Bought from the breeder Stephen Reilly as a foal, she is already broken, and according to Clarke looks ‘very special’.

A well-related half-sister to Kevin Mealiff’s exciting nine-year-old Thomascourt Legaland (1.45m) and also to the eight-year-old Blueoak Legaland (1.35m), the filly now heads to Yorkshire as one of three snapped up online by show jumping owner and regular Irish horse buyer John Chadwick.

“I decided to buy some nice projects for the winter with the view of young rider Rachel Proudly producing them through the age classes next year,” said Chadwick. “We didn’t view them in person, so chose them mainly on their breeding and the shape they made when jumping.”

Chadwick, who combines his show jumping interests with his duties as Master of the Pendle Forest and Craven hounds, also plans to take them hunting. “I think it’s a fantastic introduction for them,” he said. “We always like to give them a varied life so that they are not just in the arena.”

There were always customers about for the good one, and another notable at €22,000 was John McManus’ home-bred unnamed gelding (Lot 33) by Sligo Candy Boy. The winner of his loose jumping qualifier, and an entrant at the RDS, this gelding is out of the traditionally bred Princess Cool Diamond (Coolcorran Cool Diamond) and a sibling to a promising six-year-old currently competing with Padraic Judge.

Ciaran Howley signed the docket for this good sort while a few lots later, veterinary surgeon Tim Brennan accounted for Stanley Nairn’s well-related Cisse Siraxta Z (Lot 49) at €21,000. Sourced through the Dutch sales as foal, the latter is by Cornet Obolensky out of Claire Z (Arko).

Explaining his reason for buying abroad, Nairn commented: “I loved the breeding... I had been trying to buy something here in Ireland, but they seldom come on the market with these sort of bloodlines.” Speaking afterwards, the successful Co Kilkenny buyer Brennan revealed that his show jumping sons Timmy and Eoin, together with their contemporary Camryn Clarke had indeed bought the filly with a view to producing her further to sell. “We thought she was one of the best to jump on the day, and of course the pedigree stood out as well,” he said.

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The final lot to close at €20,000 was the cash purchase of DJ O’Sullivan’s grey gelding KLS Linesman (Lot 23), a son of Chilli Willi out of the 1.40m jumping mare Gracia Van de Bucxtale (Clinton). Bought as a foal, he was bred by Brian Gee in Co Laois.

Top-priced three-year-olds