Sales

Margie McLoone

Leestone Darco King, bred in Kilkeel by John McKibbin, topped last Thursday’s Elite Foal Sale in Cavan when knocked down for €15,000 to a telephone bidder of Stuart Clarke’s.

The purchaser turned out to be Belgium’s Ludo Philippaerts who had partnered Lot 5’s deceased sire Darco throughout his successful competitive career.

“I was introduced to Ludo’s son Nicola at Lanaken last weekend and sent them on all the videos and photos I had of the colt,” revealed McKibbin who bred the bay out of Zidane Vm.

The Co Down breeder purchased that 2004 daughter of Heartbreaker five years ago, carrying to Emerald Van’t Ruytershof (to which she is back in foal), and since then has had two other Darco foals, both fillies, out of the mare. “Seven years ago, I purchased some Darco straws and thanks to the genius that is Larry Dunne, it only took one for Zidane to go in foal to him last spring.”

The colt was popular with potential home-based purchasers at the sale on Thursday, but McKibbin was delighted that Leestone Darco King was to join the Philippaerts yard and, in the future, competitively represent the Irish Sport Horse studbook in Belgium.

STAYING IN IRELAND

Oldtown Isle (Lot 8), who made the night’s next top price of €13,500, is staying in Ireland for the immediate future having been purchased in partnership by Co Wicklow’s Peter O’Toole of Ballinteskin Farm and Switzerland-based Irish international show jumper Niall Talbot.

The June colt by Emerald van’t Ruytershof was bred in Co Tipperary by the Coffey brothers, Martin and Paschal, out of their Grand Prix show jumping mare Oldtown Katie (by Clover Fields). Among the dam’s successful previous produce is the top-class jumping stallion Oldtown KC (by Cruising).

The catalogue page for Oldtown Isle, which was full and packed with blacktype, reflected the Coffeys’ belief that Irish breeders need to put more emphasis on the mares out of which they are breeding rather than their choice of sire.

FILLY FOAL

The highest price achieved for a filly was €11,000 given by Scotland’s George Babes for Stephen Reilly’s eye-catching daughter of Cornet Obolensky, Creevyquinn Destiny (Lot 13).The dark bay was bred in Co Roscommon by Reilly and his wife Eilish out of the Argentinus mare Boraya VDL, who comes from the family of Aldato and Bubalu VDL. The filly’s full-sister, Creevyquinn Poseur, made €11,500 at the 2015 Elite Sale.

Some 23 lots (25 catalogued) went through the ring on Thursday night with just 13 of them finding new homes. The following morning, Stuart Clarke admitted to being “a little disappointed” with the results.

“It wasn’t as good as last year,” he stated, “but, truth is, there were six or seven foals who were making good prices, but the vendors weren’t prepared to put them on the market. We had a lot of interest in them but even when I tried to negotiate a deal last night and again today, they weren’t prepared to budge.”