A LIVELY spell of business on Saturday lifted both the spirits and the returns at Goresbridge last week where, following a familiar pattern, the foal trade gave breeders a roller coaster ride.

While it was very good in many quarters and indeed delivered four five-figure returns, it was difficult in others and illustrated yet again that the market for foals has become very obviously and increasingly two-tier.

Well-presented foals from the top drawer show jumping families scooped all the major returns, while those with stout but lesser pedigrees and others at the lower end of the market had a much tougher time.

There was probably not a lot of change in the bottom echelons, but certainly the middle range foal found it hard to maintain a consistency. Summing up, the figures from the two-day renewal did in fact, closely mirror those of 12 months ago, as both the average of €3,325 (€3,364) and clearance of 48% (47%) remained almost identical.

Reflecting on the sale as a whole, Mary Frances Donohoe commented: “Quality foals with a pedigree were in demand, but as in previous years purchasers were typically selective. We were satisfied to see the clearance and average on a par to 2022.”

Sale topper

Pat Kehoe’s colt ABC Dettori (Lot 316) by Livello was always a candidate for sale topping honours and, at €16,500, he led the field by a distance.

Carrying one of the best blacktype pedigrees in the book, and also one of the most contemporary, he is out of the useful jumping mare Ardnehue Diamond Cruiser, who is already the dam of five international show jumpers including ABC Quantum Cruise (1.60m), ABC Private Jet (1.50m), ABC Caruso (1.45m) and to the 2022 Lanaken world six-year-old champion ABC Saving Grace.

Coming before a large crowd on Saturday afternoon, the July- born colt was precocious for his age and, looking every inch a champion, he was the subject of a lively tussle for ownership.

Bids bounced rapidly around the ringside and online, but in the end, no one was as determined as successful remote customer Melanie Davidson. It was later disclosed that Davidson knew the family well, having bought the colt’s half-sister ABC Cortana Cruise at the Goresbridge/Breeders’ Classic foal sale eight years ago.

Now ridden by Trevor Breen, under whom she has recently been campaigning at 1.40m level, Cortana Cruise has since been sold, and Davidson was wisely re-investing.

“Delighted,” said Co Carlow breeder Kehoe. “To have bred such a wonderful family has been the stuff of dreams.

"The mare gave us great craic when she was competing herself and, while she has been covered by Grand Cru, she’s now 20 and owes us nothing, so this may be her last foal.”

Lot 224, Creevyquinn Commander, a colt foal by Comme Il Faut was sold for €11,000 \ Sally Parkyn

Notables

As has become the norm, the majority of the notable returns emerged from Saturday’s session, which accounted for all four five-figure returns. Sale topper aside, the next best price at €11,000 fell to Stephen Reilly’s beautifully presented Creevyquinn Commander (Lot 224), a smart colt by Comme Il Fault out of Inea VDL (Tinkas Boy).

Carrying a strong continental blacktype family, the dam is a sibling to numerous international performers, one of whom is the dam of Cermont (1.50m). The colt was the subject of yet another competitive exchange, before the hammer finally fell in favour of Lisa Griffin from Newcastle West.

Citing a particular liking for the sire Comme Il Faut, Griffin also disclosed that she is a first cousin of Trevor and Shane Breen, so will have plenty of options open to her when the colt reaches the production stages.

Patrick Connolly and family headed this sale a couple of years ago and, while they did not achieve that ranking this time around, they did well when their colt CSF Denzel (Lot 218), changed hands for a healthy €10,500.

A son of Dorian Grey TN Z out of the noted broodmare CSF Tell Of Clover (Ars Vivendi), the colt is a sibling to several up and coming performers, while the dam is from the immediate family of Ireland’s show jumping hero James Kann Cruz (1.60m).

Having stocked up strongly this autumn, the colt was secured by the Co Meath production yard of Trade Horses Ltd. The Connolly’s also did well later in the day, when their well-related CSF Cyprus (Lot 269), by Castlelawn Cobra, sold to pinhookers and producers H and J Sport Horses for €9,000.

The final five-figure sum of €10,000 went to Flan Coughlan’s unnamed bay colt (Lot 312) by the eternally popular Luidam out of Ceatharlia Viv, by Vivant Van De Heffinck. The colt is the first foal out of the three-year-old dam who, now in foal to Zirocco Blue, hails from Master Imp and Clover Hill bloodlines.

Highest priced filly

Lot 218, CSF Denzil, colt foal by Dorian Grey TN Z sold for €10,500 \ Sally Parkyn

Unusually, it was the colts that dominated and it was equally rare that the best filly return at €9,200 went to a pony bred foal (Lot 311).

Consigned by her owner Dermot O’Sullivan, and out of last year’s sale topping dam, the filly was by the 128cm French show jumping stallion Very Star Kerveyer, out of the well-related BP Mystico (Indoctro).

The seventh registered foal, she is a half-sister to the highly rated BP First of Many, and a granddaughter of the international jumping mare Ballypatrick Mystique.

Kildysert-based O’Sullivan purchased the dam from Cheryl Broderick four years ago and explained his reasoning for covering her with a pony. “There is a lot of pony breeding in the family,” he said. “The straws were cheap so I thought I would try it for a year and I’m very happy with the outcome!”

Former jockey Trevor Horgan signed the docket for this interesting filly, in partnership with Kieran Feeney.

Muted

While Friday’s results were muted in comparison, there were a few notables, among which was Grace and Cathal Hurrell’s unnamed colt (Lot 149) by Landino. Sourced in utero from the Carroll Brothers, the colt is out of Las Bas Hof Ter Zeedycke and secured for €9,000 by Newcastle West based Liam Collum.

As has become the trend, progeny from the thoroughbred sires fared less well. Several did make an impact however, the best of which at €3,700 was Donal Goland’s Ballinglen Velvet Reward (Lot 95), a colt by Financial Reward out of Ballinglen Mountain Velvet (Rebel Mountain).

A Gibeon-sired colt realised €3,000, a yearling by Centennial sold well at €3,100, while heading the broodmare sector at €3,000 was a four-year-old filly by Pointilliste (dam by Coevers Diamond Boy).

Sale Toppers

• Pat Kehoe’s ABC Dettori, colt foal by Livello (dam by Cruising) €16,500.

• Stephen Reilly’s Creevyquinn Commander, colt foal by Comme Il Faut (dam by Tinkas Boy) €11,000.

• Patrick Connolly’s CSF Denzil, colt foal by Dorian Grey TN Z (dam by Ars Vivendi) €10,500.

• Flan Coughlan’s unnamed colt foal by Luidam (dam by Vivant Van De Heffinck) €10,000.

• Dermot O’Sullivan’s Unnamed, filly by Very Star Kerveyer (dam by Indoctro) €9,200.

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