By Brian Flanagan
Copyright irishmirror
Business has been brisk at this week’s Goffs Orby horse sales in Kildare with over €60 million spent on potential stars over the past few days. The annual sale sees yearlings sold to heavyweight operations like Coolmore, Godolphin and Amo Racing for eye-watering sums as they hope to source the next potential flat racing superstar. But one breeder, best known for being the current chairman of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), hit the jackpot when selling a filly he bred for an eye-watering €1 million. Nicky Hartery has been chairman of HRI, the governing body of horse racing in Ireland, since 2018 and also serves on the board of building giant Cement Roadstone Ireland (CRH) and wholesale group Musgrave. Hartery is also the owner of Caherass Stud in Co Limerick and his daughter of Lope De Vega was the top lot at Goffs on Wednesday, selling for €1 million to Blue Diamond Stud. Blue Diamond Stud is the Newmarket-based operation of Kuwaiti-born Imad Al Sagar, owner/breeder of Classic heroine Nashwa and Group 1 winner Decorated Knight. “I’m very pleased. She was a lovely filly from the day she was born and I can only hope that she’s successful for her new owner,” said Hartery, who has held senior management positions with Dell Computers and General Electric. “I was hopeful she would do well, and she has. The family has been very good for me. I’m delighted.” New owner Alsagar said of the millionaire Lope De Vega filly: “She has a beautiful pedigree, but even more important than that, she has great conformation. She’s very correct, strong, and almost looks ready to race today. “She’s out of an Invasor mare and that South American blood is very important to us as an outcross, especially as it’s proven on turf too.” Over two opening two days at the Kildare sales rings, 389 horses sold at a clearance rate of 89 percent for turnover of €52,225,500, an increase of 2% from last year. The third day’s action was expected to see the total turnover rise to over €70 million. Hartery, selling through the The Castlebridge Consignment, is a familiar face in Irish racing and his good week continued on Wednesday when he sold another filly for €150,000. On Tuesday the John Magnier run Coolmore spent an incredible €1.9 million on a filly by No Nay Never.
