The packed auction room last Friday for the sale of Grangemore Stud in Co Kildare proved to be a lucky omen from the very start.

Paddy Jordan of Jordan Auctioneers, Newbridge, told Country Living this week that there had been plenty of interest expressed in the 103-acre stud farm, ideally located near the Curragh, prior to the auction, and the numbers present on the day confirmed the popularity of the property.

“On the day of the auction it was obvious that there were several very interested parties, mostly from the bloodstock industry and, as the auction evolved, it emerged that there were three very strong bidders in contention,” said Paddy.

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The bidding opened at a cool €1 million and went up in €100,000 bids, followed by €50,000 increments to €2.2 million. Paddy never left the room and declared the property on the market at €2.2 million. With a number of final bids, the hammer dropped at €3,000,000. The purchaser was a solicitor acting in trust for an undisclosed client.

“The property had a serious pedigree attached to it and the bloodstock people there on the day were all fully aware of this stud’s previous successes on the track,” said Paddy.

Described as one of the best farms in the Kildare area, with a compact residence and yard on excellent quality land. Grangemore is very well known in thoroughbred circles, having been home to some top-class horses, including the St Ledger winner Scorpion, Zipping, Gayle Gal, Memories, Galmoy, Garuda, Dance Beat and Danish Rhapsody.

“At just shy of €30,000 an acre, this has to be the top price per acre for land in the country this year,” Paddy told Country Living.

The property was being sold on behalf of the executors of the well-known breeder John Colleran and is situated on the outskirts of Newbridge town with easy access to the Curragh and all its facilities, including the Flat Rath and Walsheshill All Weather Gallops and Schooling Grounds.

The residence was extensively refurbished in 1997 and extends to circa 220 sq.m (2378 sq.ft) and is in good condition throughout. The yard is located adjacent to the dwelling with 26 boxes, tack and feed rooms, loft with canteen, sitting room, WC and extensive grain loft, stocks, dung stead and two seven-span hay sheds.

The land is laid out in 13 divisions, all of which are post and rail fenced. There is an internal roadway through the farm servicing all paddocks. All the land has extensive road frontage and superb mature trees and shelter.

Speaking earlier this week, Paddy Jordan said: “This is an excellent farm, in a good location and the price achieved reflects the fact that there is still a premium for something special.”

He said there were two strong under bidders looking for something similar.

“Good land is attracting very significant interest and top dollar – there is no doubt about that. This year we have sold 1,400 to 1,500 acres of agricultural land, the majority of which was sold under the hammer.

“I have several potential buyers on the books at the moment – stud men, looking for 100 to 200 acres of good land in the Leinster area from Meath through the country to Tipperary and I also have a tillage farmer who is looking for 300 to 400 acres of tillage land, but obviously the quality is the all-important factor,” said Paddy.