Over €1m paid for Wexford horses at British sale

A LARGE number of Wexford point-to-point horses were on offer at the Goffs sale at Doncaster last week, with Denis Murphy of Ballyboy Stables, The Ballagh, achieving the third-highest price of the 315 horses sold, getting £145,000 for Gameface, a four-year-old gelding by Oscar that had finished second and third in his two outings.

Thirty Wexford horses were sold for a total of over £900,000 Stg., or in excess of €1million. The sale also included quite a lot of horses in training being let go by some of the top stables as they make room for what they hope will be the stars of the future.

The Wexford point-to-point yards are also cashing in on the horses that have done well in the season now ending, and the big operations are stocking up on young horses that they hope will be hitting the headlines early next year.

The Racing Post reported that the Monbeg Stables operation of Doyle Brothers (Donnchadh, Seán and Cormac) were the top buyers at the Tattersalls Ireland inaugural May store sale last week, purchasing 13 horses for a total of £328,500. A number of those cost more than £50,000, including sons of Flemensfirth and Jukebox Jury.

Colin Bowe’s Milestone operation was also in the market and I noted £55,000 being paid for a Fame and Glory three-year-old, and £35,000 for a son of Yeats, among others.

Denis Murphy from Ballyboy Stable, The Ballagh, was also splashing the cash, paying out £42,000 for a daughter of Presenting, and the same for a son of the same sire in conjunction with well-known rider, Harley Dunne.

Richard Black from Bunclody, who has enjoyed some high-profile successes from a small number of horses in recent years, was recorded as paying £58,000 for a three-year-old son of Midnight Legend.

On the other hand, these are some of the sales I noted being made by the Wexford point-to-point connections at Doncaster on Thursday which will help to fund those new purchases Denis Murphy, Ballyboy Stables, The Ballagh, sold: Gameface (four-year-old gelding by Oscar) for £145,000; Man of the moment (four-year-old gelding by Jeremy), £58,000; Arctic Road, for £28,000, and Lough Derg Diamond for £12,000, both five-year-old Flemensfirth geldings; Raging Fire (five-year-old gelding by Robin des Champs), £10,000.

Donnchadh Doyle of Monbeg Stables, Ballindaggin, sold: Mega Yeats (four-year-old filly by Yeats) for £60,000; Espoir de Loire (four-year-old gelding by Anabaa Blue), £60,000; Old Rascals (five-year-old gelding by Ask), and Court Jurado (four-year-old gelding by Court Cave), £25,000 each, and Duc de Grissay (five-year-old gelding by Denham Red), £4,000.

Seán Doyle of Monbeg got over £200,000 for four horses: Faithfulness (five-year-old filly by Robin des Champs), £80,000; Eagle de Guye (four-year-old gelding by Buck’s Boum), £66,000; Carlow Farmer (five-year-old gelding by Stowaway), £31,000, and Asking a Lot (five-year-old filly by Ask), £15,000.

Cormac Doyle of Monbeg sold Dr Oakley (fouryear-old by Le Fou) for £12,000.

Colin Bowe’s Milestone Stables, Kiltealy, sold: Bbold (four-year-old gelding by Aizavoski), £40,000; Gun Marchant (five-year-old by Kayf Tara), £27,000; Out the Glen (five-year-old by Millenary), £20,000; Robin du Roy (five-year-old gelding by Doyen), £12,000; Put de cash on the dash( five-year-old by Doyen), £7,500, and In Arrears (six-year-old filly by Beneficial), £5,000.

Michael Goff, Moate Stables, Clondaw, Ferns, sold Clondaw Storm (four-year-old gelding by September Storm), £42,000.

Brian Jordan, Inish Stable, Rathangan, sold The Tangler Barry (five-year-old gelding by Ask) for £40,000.

Vincent and Jimmy Devereux, Lakeview Stables, Rostoonstown, sold Ard Chros (six-year-old gelding by Publisher) for £32,000.

Benny Walsh and Jenny Roche from Crossgales Stable, Murrintown, sold four for £41,500, including Cross ga les fame game( four-year-old filly by Mahler) for £22,000, and we’ ll cw hat happens( five-year-old filly by Court Cave) for £12,000.

Mark Scallan, Saltee View Stables, Cleariestown, sold Cloudy Music (five-year-old filly by Cloudings), £13,500; Paul Pierce, Blackhall Stud, Killurin, sold She l come on ford run(f ive-year-old filly by F le mens firth ),£12,000; Ashleigh and Michael Murphy from Redbridge Stables, Duncormick, sold Dubai Outlaw (five-year-old gelding by Dubai Destination), for £6,000.