US buyer claims €17,500 top lot at Cavan

A well-related daughter of Big Star was the stand out lot at Cavan last week, where at €17,500 she headed a highly successful Elite Foal renewal. The filly was just one of seven five-figure returns, during an evening which saw a notable improvement in demand. In comparison to 12 months ago, the clearance rocketed to 78% (54% in 2019) although the average price dipped slightly to €8,950 (€9,446).

This was a relief to Cavan’s Stuart Clarke, who admitted that the outcome of the evening had been a hard one to call, “In the current situation I wasn’t sure which way it would go, but I’m very pleased that it all worked out so well for everybody.”

Advertised globally

Cavan man Matthew Breen is no stranger to sale topping honours, in fact having headed these Elite tables for three of the past four years, he getting to be quite the old hand.

His success is not left to chance however, and while he has a good breeding plan in place, he puts a major effort into marketing and social media. This year, he handed the sales pitch to Emma McCabe of Epic Management, and through video footage and online platforms, Crosskeys Megastar was advertised globally.

Of course, the filly needed to live up to expectations, and indeed she did. By the dual Olympian Big Star, she was out of Jumeirah (Ard VDL Douglas) who also bred the €15,500 sale topper back in 2018. Featuring a young, and contemporary family, she is a half-sister to the Nicole Pavitt partnered Thomascourt Atlantis (1.50 m) and Thomascourt Emirates (1.45m), while the second dam bred Cruisalier (1.40m). Moving back a generation, the third dam is a half-sister to the British nations cup horse Hasty Exit (1.60m).

“Jumeirah has been a lucky mare for me,” Breen remarked.

“I chose Big Star; I bought the one straw – and took my chance!”

While the successful buyers at €17,500 were the American based Freestyling Farms, it is believed the filly will remain in Ireland for the time being.

Fillies in demand

It was a significantly good night for the fillies, and another to sell well at €15,500 was Stephen Reilly’s Creevyquin Borrado. By Diarado, this filly is out of another prolific broodmare, in the shape of the Dutch import Boraya VDL by Argentinus.

From a winning family, the foal is a sibling to the up and coming five-year-old Creevyquinn Poseur (1.20m) and is from the immediate family of A. Ernesto VDL (1.40m) and Ferrari VDL (1.55m). Richard Howley signed for this well-presented filly, on behalf of HK Horses.

As the love affair with Big Star continued, Bridget Byrne sold her similarly sired filly for €12,000. Home-bred, as was the dam and the grandam, the filly is the first foal out of the grand prix mare Calinda (1.40m), while the second dam Deerpark Cruising (1.40m) was a former national young horse champion (1.40m). Although she was initially led out unsold, she was later secured privately by British buyer Amanda Francis Jones.

Co Clare’s John Meade is another vendor whose name regularly appears among the sale toppers, and his latest offering was Sea, a filly by Cornet Obolensky out of Sea Belle (Cruising). Featuring a dual-purpose pedigree of both jumpers and eventers, she realised €10,500 and is set to have a career in Germany.

While, and somewhat unusually, the colts had to take a back seat to the fillies, three changed hands for €10,000. The first of the trio was Kieran Cronin’s Cuslas Cronin Z, a colt by Cornado 11 out of Lara Leah (Chiwago). Another well-bred individual, he preceded Joe Allen’s unnamed colt by Casall La Silla out of Gypsy Cornett (Cornet Obelensky) and also Korena Bryne’s unnamed colt by Diamant de Semilly out of Miss Josie Jump (Poltarf).

There were no major bargains to be had, as the remaining prices of the 27 lots on offer ranged between €4,800 and €9,600.

The two embryos on offer did not reach their reserve.