€325,000 Flemensfirth record-breaker

A son of Flemensfirth produced a sensational result at the opening session of Goffs’ Land Rover Sale on Tuesday when selling for €325,000.

The price was a record for the sale and the highest for a store anywhere in seven years as Paul Nicholls, who trained the three-year-old’s close relative Master Minded, saw off the likes of Gerry Hogan, Kevin Ross and Aiden Murphy to get the prized offering.

“The trainer was all over this pedigree and he's a beautiful horse," said agent Tom Malone, who stood alongside Nicholls. "He’s for Paul Barber and Paul Vogt and we knew we would have to fight to get him.

“Paul has seen him a few times at Ballincurrig House Stud and he loved the horse. He wanted to buy a really nice horse and this was the one."

Bred by Louis Vambeck, the sale-topper had been bought for €110,000 as a foal by Patrick McCann and was resold through Michael Moore’s Ballincurrig House Stud.

“We were very confident coming here today but I was tempted to keep him and run him in a point-to-point. He was an exceptional foal and thankfully he has turned into an exceptional horse,” said McCann.

Moore added: “He was always a gorgeous horse. We sold him as a foal for his breeder Louis Vambeck and it’s a fantastic story. Louis, Patrick and ourselves have all become good friends through this horse.

"Patrick paid a huge amount of money for him so it’s fantastic that he has been rewarded for that. It’s important that horses who are perceived to be the best make what they're worth at the sales ring.”

Flemensfirth was also represented by a €140,000 half-brother to G1 JLT Novices’ Chase winner Black Hercules who is joining Kim Bailey after being sold to Aiden Murphy.