A healthy return of €22,000 was the highlight of the annual foal renewal at Goresbridge last week, where the demand was decidedly two tier.

As breeders in the middle market endured a testing few days, just three further lots broke the five-figure bench mark, while more significantly and somewhat disappointingly, just over 50% of all those sold realised less than €3,000.

Trade improved as the week progressed, with the traditionally stronger Saturday session returning both the best average (€4,708) and clearance (55%).

These figures however were let down by two sluggish opening sessions, and although the overall average did rise slightly to €3,364 (€3,309 in 2021) the clearance dipped to a disappointing 47% (58% in 2021).

Sale topper

In the aftermath of the varying specialist foal sales, it came as no surprise to see the top drawer show jumping bred foals heading the prices yet again, and the sale topper was no exception.

Consigned by her Kildysert breeder Dermot O’Sullivan and changing hands for a heady €22,000, the well presented Conthargos sired filly was the sixth registered foal out of BP Mystico by Indoctro.

Beautifully bred, she is a half-sister to the RDS six-year-old finalist BP First of Many, while the dam is a daughter of the international jumping mare Ballypatrick Mystique, and from the family of MHS Scala (1.50m).

Bidding was intense for this smart prospect, but in the end the hammer fell in favour of Limerick based pinhooker and producer Ronnie Kelly.

He disclosed afterwards he had bought the foal together with Michael O’Callaghan and Greg Broderick, and having loved the pedigree, the trio plan to store the filly to produce under saddle.

James Kehoe’s ABC Best Guess, filly foal by Castlefield Kingston (dam by OBOS Quality) €12,800.

Round up

Trade over the first two days was modest, but heading Thursday prices at a creditable €8,000 was Elizabeth Amerongen’s yearling filly by last year’s sale-topping sire Zirocco Blue.

Local pinhooker John Kearney signed for this eyecatcher, who is out of the international jumping mare Clim Bim (1.50m) by Cassis.

Friday’s trade improved slightly to deliver a best return of €7,400 which went the way of Fran Coughlan’s colt by Luidam out of Forans Luxury Cruise (Lux Z).

Always the strongest day of the proceedings, Saturday did not disappoint, and sale topper aside, the next good price at €12,800 fell to James Kehoe’s bay filly ABC Best Guess.

Possibly the pick of the catalogue on paper, and carrying a red hot pedigree, this filly is by the exciting young sire Castlefield Kingston out of a full-sister to the current WBFSH top ranked Irish bred jumper ABC Quantum Cruise (1.60m).

More topically, the dam is also a half-sister to the recent Lanaken six-year-old gold medallist ABC Saving Grace (Ethen Ahearne), as well as to ABC Private Jet (1.50m).

Co Clare resident Alannah Morgan was the successful purchaser for this one, saying afterwards: “She certainly has the page, and the sire is proving popular too.”

The locally based Kehoe family scored for the second time in a matter of hours when their ABC Pilot reaped another good return of €11,500.

Carrying a very similar pedigree, but one step removed, this filly was by Pegase Van’t Ruytershof out of ABC Diamond Dilemma (Cruising) and was knocked down to Limerick businessman Hugh Martin.

As fillies continued to shine, the final five figure sum of €10,000 went to Anna Dillon’s AKD Etoile, a filly by Emerald Van’t Ruytershof out of the well related Drummiller Delilah (Chacoon Blue).

Carrying a versatile pedigree, she was secured by Thurles based pinhooker Phil Breen.

Top pedigrees aside, the demand was patchy, and this was often mirrored in the presentation of the foals on offer.

As one wise breeder commented. “You get out of your foals what you put into them” and without exception, those who reaped the best rewards were well produced.

Thoroughbred factor

Traditional breeding of either sire or dam struggled to make an impact, but a smart grey colt by the thoroughbred sire Centennial bucked the trend and sold well at €7,800.

This grey was out of an imported jumping mare, and secured by Co Wexford producer Michael Condon. At €5,200, a colt by Road to Happiness was another to appeal, while two sons of the Slyguff residents Gibeon and Pointilliste also held their own.

The appetite for broodmares was unfortunately weak as several well related, in foal young mares were led out unsold.

The top price in this category was €2,800 paid for Clone Babalou a five-year-old mare by Balou de Rouet out of Clone Ark (Coevers Diamond Boy) who was secured by the American based Corleyhill Farms.

It seems that buyers are increasingly discerning, and the main concern for breeders will be the lack of a middle market. Over a half of those who changed hands realised less than €3,000, and with stallion fees increasing as well as veterinary bills, many breeders will have to rethink their plans.