A record of 77 two-year-olds are entered for the fifth running of the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Series Final at Naas Racecourse, with a prize-fund of €120,000. It is a timely reminder, before the yearling sales start next week, that horses purchased for €72,000 or less will be eligible for the valuable series next year.
Jessica Harrington has made 16 entries into the final, including five of her impressive six winners in the series so far. Noel Meade has the final in the plan for seven of his string which include both of his series winners, Layfayette and Helvic Dream. Other big entry numbers come from Tom Mullins, Joseph O’Brien and Ger Lyons, who have entered seven, six horses and four horses respectively.
Last year’s winner Cedars Of Lebanon was bought for €11,000 from the Tattersalls Ireland September yearling sale and won an impressive €87,625 throughout the series. Other success stories from the 2018 series include Lady Marengo, trained by Ken Condon, bought for €3,000 at auction and which won €15,600 in the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Series 2018, and Social Graces, trained by Willie McCreery, bought for €11,000 at auction, which won €17,625.
The Foran Equine Irish EBF partnership has significantly boosted prize-money and made the auction series a lucrative proposition for trainers and owners. The series is designed to create wide-scale opportunities for horses purchased as a yearling or a 2yo at public auction for €72,000 or less, with allowances for fillies and horses purchased at a lower auction price.
John O’Connor, Irish EBF Chairman, said: “The record entries for the €120,000 final are a testament to the strength and popularity of the series and it’s a very positive sign for next year’s series, particularly with the yearling sales starting next week. The average auction price of runners in the series is just over €23,000 and this tells the story that you can get involved and win races with a relatively modest investment. The series is now an integral part of the racing calendar and it should be part of every owners and trainers future plans.”
Gareth Connolly, Sales and Marketing Director, Foran Equine, commented: “We are delighted to see record entries for the Foran Equine Irish EBF auction series final at Naas on October 20th. For us this series has been about creating opportunities for our customers including the trainers, owners and breeders who are the backbone of the industry. We are grateful to the Irish EBF for being a great partner in this fantastic initiative. Last year’s final was a brilliant occasion and we are looking forward to working closely with Irish EBF and Naas Racecourse to deliver another exciting final.”