Kicking off the season in good style, Goresbridge hosted a strong opening edition last week. Much to the delight of connections, the one-day fixture came close to matching the high returns of twelve months ago, and in some sectors it bettered them.
This was the case with the overall average, which rose very slightly to €6,674 (€6,664 in 2022). While the clearance dipped to 75% (80% in 2022) trade was lively across the age bands.
As it was last year, the demand was at its liveliest in the four-year-old division, which yielded the top price of €16,500 together with a clearance rate of 78% and average price of €7,576.
Top returns
Higgins and MBF Sport Horses Sunhill MBF, four-year-old filly by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet (dam by Windsor Castle) €16,500.Rory Costigan’s Professor, five-year-old gelding by Luidam (dam by VDL Arkansas) €15,000.Keith Wilson’s Unnamed, five-year-old mare by Colandro (dam by Isky de Baussy) €13,500.Johnny Widgers’ Grantstown Amadeus, five-year-old by Quidam Junior (dam by Zafonic) €13,500.Michael Tierney’s Rocky, six-year-old gelding by Sandro Boy (dam by Colin Diamond) €13,500.Valuable
Summing up, sixteen individuals realised five figure returns (16 in 2022) with buyers hailing from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Isle of Man as well as the valuable home and UK markets. The online platform was also very active, accounting for several significant purchases and contributing to others.
Keith Wilson's five-year-old filly (Lot 73) by Colandro fetched €13,500 at Goresbridge when bought by Maureen Roche Flinter. \ Sally Parkyn
Sale topper
No strangers to sale topping honours, the Higgins Sport Horse and MBF partnership were well represented, and none more so than by the attractive Sunhill MBF, a filly by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet out of a thoroughbred mare by Windsor Castle.
Bred by Stephen O’Reilly, and sourced last autumn, the four-year-old looked a likely event prospect, and indeed at €16,500 was knocked down to British four-star rider Max Warburton, together with his partner and Irish international rider Susie Berry.
Older horses
Filling the bulk of the 200 strong catalogue, the older horses sold steadily throughout. Those with a little performance mileage were keenly contested, and among them was Rory Costigan’s home-bred five-year-old gelding by Luidam.
Produced by Gemma Phelan, and a full brother to her 2018 Lanaken representative GRC Quaser, the gelding was initially led out unsold, but soon secured privately by British agent Lee Penny for €15,000.
Caught the eye
From the opposite end of the country, Keith Wilson’s five-year-old mare in the box by Colandro also caught the eye. Another athletic and elegant individual, she landed a return of €13,500 when knocked down to Maureen Roche Flinter from Naas.
Two further lots achieved the same return, and first up was Johnny Widger’s Grantstown Amadeus, a well-produced gelding by Quidam Junior out of a thoroughbred dam by Zafonic.
Kilkenny producer Carol Gee was at the ringside to sign for this smart sort and later accounted for William Smyth’s homebred five-year-old by Luidam (not as catalogued) for €10,800.
Realising the same figure (€13,500) was Michael Tierney’s homebred six-year-old Rocky by Sandro Boy. Another to benefit from the skill of Gemma Phelan, he was secured by German customer Hans Nagel on behalf of Frank Schoenges, from Cologne.
Michael Tierney’s home-bred and slowly produced six-year-old Rocky (Lot 125) by Sandro Boy. At €13,500, the bay was secured by German customer Hans Nagel on behalf of Frank Schoenges, from Cologne. \ Sally Parkyn
Well-related
It was good to see the home-bred lots selling well, and yet another was Anna Kennedy’s KEC Hatijoe, a well-related gelding by KEC Maximum Joe out of a full sister to KEC Alicante (1.60m).
At €13,000 he was snapped up by Caron Nicol (European Sport Horses), who later bought Seamus Dermody’s mare Euro Quality at €10,000.
Four-year-olds
Business stepped up yet another notch with the four-year-olds. Aside from the aforementioned, others to catch the eye included the €11,500 sales of John Roche’s traditionally bred Assagart Rebellion by the thoroughbred Watar out of Assagart Wonder (Flagmount King) and the filly Boleybawn Bluebell by SHS Soco Blue.
Ponies
The small sector of ponies delivered a healthy 80% clearance together with a top price of €9,000. This figure went to Angela Finn’s home-produced all-rounder Moon Star who was knocked down to trader Niall Daly.
Three-year-olds
Selling late into the evening, the few three-year-olds on offer failed to excite. Two achieved a €5,000 return, namely Michael Lyons’ gelding by OBOS Quality out of Heather Cool (Cougar) and also a filly by Heilo (dam by Dignified).
Kicking off the season in good style, Goresbridge hosted a strong opening edition last week. Much to the delight of connections, the one-day fixture came close to matching the high returns of twelve months ago, and in some sectors it bettered them.
This was the case with the overall average, which rose very slightly to €6,674 (€6,664 in 2022). While the clearance dipped to 75% (80% in 2022) trade was lively across the age bands.
As it was last year, the demand was at its liveliest in the four-year-old division, which yielded the top price of €16,500 together with a clearance rate of 78% and average price of €7,576.
Top returns
Higgins and MBF Sport Horses Sunhill MBF, four-year-old filly by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet (dam by Windsor Castle) €16,500.Rory Costigan’s Professor, five-year-old gelding by Luidam (dam by VDL Arkansas) €15,000.Keith Wilson’s Unnamed, five-year-old mare by Colandro (dam by Isky de Baussy) €13,500.Johnny Widgers’ Grantstown Amadeus, five-year-old by Quidam Junior (dam by Zafonic) €13,500.Michael Tierney’s Rocky, six-year-old gelding by Sandro Boy (dam by Colin Diamond) €13,500.Valuable
Summing up, sixteen individuals realised five figure returns (16 in 2022) with buyers hailing from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Isle of Man as well as the valuable home and UK markets. The online platform was also very active, accounting for several significant purchases and contributing to others.
Keith Wilson's five-year-old filly (Lot 73) by Colandro fetched €13,500 at Goresbridge when bought by Maureen Roche Flinter. \ Sally Parkyn
Sale topper
No strangers to sale topping honours, the Higgins Sport Horse and MBF partnership were well represented, and none more so than by the attractive Sunhill MBF, a filly by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet out of a thoroughbred mare by Windsor Castle.
Bred by Stephen O’Reilly, and sourced last autumn, the four-year-old looked a likely event prospect, and indeed at €16,500 was knocked down to British four-star rider Max Warburton, together with his partner and Irish international rider Susie Berry.
Older horses
Filling the bulk of the 200 strong catalogue, the older horses sold steadily throughout. Those with a little performance mileage were keenly contested, and among them was Rory Costigan’s home-bred five-year-old gelding by Luidam.
Produced by Gemma Phelan, and a full brother to her 2018 Lanaken representative GRC Quaser, the gelding was initially led out unsold, but soon secured privately by British agent Lee Penny for €15,000.
Caught the eye
From the opposite end of the country, Keith Wilson’s five-year-old mare in the box by Colandro also caught the eye. Another athletic and elegant individual, she landed a return of €13,500 when knocked down to Maureen Roche Flinter from Naas.
Two further lots achieved the same return, and first up was Johnny Widger’s Grantstown Amadeus, a well-produced gelding by Quidam Junior out of a thoroughbred dam by Zafonic.
Kilkenny producer Carol Gee was at the ringside to sign for this smart sort and later accounted for William Smyth’s homebred five-year-old by Luidam (not as catalogued) for €10,800.
Realising the same figure (€13,500) was Michael Tierney’s homebred six-year-old Rocky by Sandro Boy. Another to benefit from the skill of Gemma Phelan, he was secured by German customer Hans Nagel on behalf of Frank Schoenges, from Cologne.
Michael Tierney’s home-bred and slowly produced six-year-old Rocky (Lot 125) by Sandro Boy. At €13,500, the bay was secured by German customer Hans Nagel on behalf of Frank Schoenges, from Cologne. \ Sally Parkyn
Well-related
It was good to see the home-bred lots selling well, and yet another was Anna Kennedy’s KEC Hatijoe, a well-related gelding by KEC Maximum Joe out of a full sister to KEC Alicante (1.60m).
At €13,000 he was snapped up by Caron Nicol (European Sport Horses), who later bought Seamus Dermody’s mare Euro Quality at €10,000.
Four-year-olds
Business stepped up yet another notch with the four-year-olds. Aside from the aforementioned, others to catch the eye included the €11,500 sales of John Roche’s traditionally bred Assagart Rebellion by the thoroughbred Watar out of Assagart Wonder (Flagmount King) and the filly Boleybawn Bluebell by SHS Soco Blue.
Ponies
The small sector of ponies delivered a healthy 80% clearance together with a top price of €9,000. This figure went to Angela Finn’s home-produced all-rounder Moon Star who was knocked down to trader Niall Daly.
Three-year-olds
Selling late into the evening, the few three-year-olds on offer failed to excite. Two achieved a €5,000 return, namely Michael Lyons’ gelding by OBOS Quality out of Heather Cool (Cougar) and also a filly by Heilo (dam by Dignified).
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