TOP LOTS

Higgins and MBF Sports Horses’ MBF Bonfire Heart, three-year-old gelding by Castlecomer Q (dam by Damiro) €65,000.

Monbeg Sports Horses’ Monbeg Celtic Mist, three-year-old gelding by Celtic Hero BZ (dam by Boherdeal Clover) €50,000.

Monbeg Sports Horses’ Monbeg Raegan, three-year-old gelding by Quabri De L’Isle €50,000.

Higgins and MBF Sports Horses’ PLS Castlecomer Q, three-year-old gelding by Castlecomer Q (dam by Cornets Stern) €47,000.

Higgins Sport Horses and Alice Martin Jones’ Doonaveeragh Candy, four-year-old gelding by Sligo Candy Boy (dam by Le One) €47,000.

Henry Foley’s Wheelagower She’s The One, four-year-old filly by Jorado (dam by Wang Chung M2S (€41,000).Delivering the best figures since its inception thirteen years ago, last week’s remarkable edition of the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale capped even the 2021 record breaking returns.

Much to the delight of all connections, 44 lots realised in excess of €20,000, which led to an eye watering average of €26,350, together with a turnover of €1.58 million.

The showcase three-year-old sector saw 81% of those on offer change hands, and while this figure slipped to an overall clearance of 72%, the averages in each sector all exceeded €25,000.

Sparkling

Adding increased significance to these returns, the sale-topping figure of €65,000 was well supported, and being one of nine lots to sell in excess of €40,000, was the highlight of a sparkling evening’s trade.

Speaking afterwards, Martin Donohoe commented: “It was an incredible trade – and for the three-year-olds it was quite exceptional.”

Summing up, buyers from seven individual nations were among those successful on the evening, and while many attended in person, it was later revealed that a total of twenty-two lots were sold online, while a further eleven sales were conducted over the telephone.

SALE TOPPER

For the second year in succession, the Co Waterford and Co Wexford partnership of producers Jason Higgins and Brian and Meabh Flynn (Higgins Sport Horses and MBF Sport Horses) landed the evening’s top return of €65,000.

Almost unrivalled in terms of production, the trio had a number of horses catalogued, but none could match the appeal of the three-year-old MBF Bonfire Heart, a gelding by Castlecomer Q out of the KWPN registered Ramira (by Damiro).

Bred by Higgins, the gelding was one of the stand-outs from the get go, and following a lengthy but decisive exchange he was secured by agent Andrew Williams on behalf of the UK-based eventing team of Barratt Equestrian.

NOTABLE THREE-YEAR-OLDS

While the professional producers dominated the higher returns, it was good to see so many home-bred horses making their mark.

Some were home produced, and among them was Monbeg Celtic Mist, one of two lots to realise €50,000 for the husband and wife team of Marti Rudd and Tomas Doyle (Monbeg Sport Horses).

Lot 31, Monbeg Celtic Mist, sold for €50,000. \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net Go For Gold

First up was the attractive grey Monbeg Celtic Mist, a gelding by Celtic Hero Z out of the Doyle partnered jumping mare Ballycapple Mist (1.40m) by Boherdeal Clover.

British event rider Fiona Kashel was the successful telephone bidder for this eye catcher, while later in the proceedings, her compatriot Karla Wheatcroft paid the same figure for Monbeg Raegan.

The latter, who will be ridden in England by Tom Grant is a very well related gelding by the French sire Quabri de L’Isle out of the prolific brood mare OBOS Nancy Broone.

OLDER HORSES

Jason Higgins also headed the older horse table, when his own and Alice Martin-Jones’ four-year-old Doonaveeragh Candy was knocked down at €42,000.

A son of the enduringly popular Sligo Candy Boy, this Ivor Gardiner-bred gelding was out of the traditionally bred mare Tullig Diamond Clover (Le One) and, beautifully ridden by Martin-Jones, was snapped up by Tom Hutchinson acting for American customer Maura Tierney.

Also selling well in this age group, and garnering the evening’s best price for a filly (€41,000), was Henry Foley’s Wheelagower She’s The One, a filly bred by Cynthia Murphy, out of China Doll M2S (Wang Chung M2S) and by the Broderick family’s eight-year-old sire Jorado.

At €36,000 the best price for a five-year-old went to Trade Horse Ltd’s winning event mare Red Hot Chilli Filly, another home-bred by Ramiro B out of the Irish Sport Horse mare Willows Music by the thoroughbred sire Rhoman Rule.