Delivering a healthy top price of €26,000 together with a clearance of 90%, last week’s edition of the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Show Jumping Foals was deemed highly satisfactory.

A regular feature at the Irish Breeders Classic show jumping championships, who benefit from 2% of the turnover, this year’s renewal offered just 12 pre-selected lots (11 forward) as well as two embryos.

Aga Khan hero

Trade was solid enough from the get go, and in the aftermath of the RDS it came as no surprise to see the sale-topping figure of €26,000 falling to Patrick Connolly’s CSF Clover Rock, a smart colt by Hardrock Z out of CSF Telly Clover by Ars Vivendi.

Topically bred, the colt was out of a sibling to CSF Telly Cruz, who in turn is the dam of the recent RDS Aga Khan hero James Kann Cruz. Bidding on site, the hammer fell in favour of Barry O’Connor who signed the docket on behalf of the Murray family from Mannon Farms, in Co Down.

Knocked down

Others to feature prominently included two sales at €16,000 apiece, the first of which was the Greenacres Stud’s colt by Pegase Van’t Ruytershof out of Lux Like Royale (Cavalier Royale).

Co Wexford based Shane Kenny was the successful buyer for this chestnut, who is out of a full sister to LCC Lux Like Cavalier (1.60m). Andries de Bont’s colt by Cornet Obolensky also turned heads before being knocked down to online British buyer Tom Browning for the same return.

Prices clustered well for the remainder to close with an average of €13,300, with only one lot failing to reach five figures.

“To sell ten out of eleven is good,” commented Martin Donohoe. “There was good, strong genuine interest throughout, and there were plenty of bidders for all the foals.”