A filly foal from one of Ireland’s best-known equine bloodlines topped the Cavan Elite Foal sale last Thursday night. Realising €22,000, the Kilmashogue Stud consigned filly by Diamant de Semilly is out of MHS Pembroke Lady, a three parts sister to MHS Going Global.

Her sale was one of six five-figure returns on a night that produced an improved average of €9,446 (€7,481 in 2018) albeit accompanied by a rather disappointing clearance rate of 54% (84% in 2018).

The sale topper attracted bids from both the floor and by phone, before the hammer finally dropped in favour of Loughrea show jumper and producer Olive Clarke, who was buying on behalf of the American outfit Freestyling Farms.

Consigners Joanne Fox and her husband Finbarr Mulligan purchased the dam from Tom Brennan back in 2015. She previously produced another sale topper for them – the colt Pembrook Corbetts Lane (€17,000, Goresbridge Supreme Foal Sale).

Other notables

Trade settled after the sale of the filly, but peaked again when Eamon O’Sullivan paid €18,000 for Roundabout Stud’s Cushlas Corlea B, a filly by Cornado 11 out of Lara Leah (Chicago V).

The dam is a sister to the Berlin grand prix winner Lizziemary (1.60m) and to Jahil (1.55m), ridden by Robert Whitaker, and Sorceress (1.50m). Two more foals realised €11,000 apiece, the first being John Byrne’s filly by Kannan.

British show jumper William Whitaker signed for this filly who, from a small but high achieving family, is out of the grand prix performer Captains Magic Touch (1.50m).

It was certainly a good night for the fillies, but the colts did make an impact when Gerry Jennings’ colt by Tyson out of the Darco mare Pistacho du Ruiseau (1.40m) was knocked down to Daniel Coyle at €11,000.

Bidding from America, Coyle bought another three lots, among which was Erin Fergus’s colt by Casall (dam by Cobra) for a similarly healthy €10,500 and Gabriel Slattery’s filly by Chilli Willi out of the show jumping mare Castlelawn Kannan (Kannan) for €10,000.

The figures from the remaining seven foals who changed hands ranged from €4,000 to €8,400.