Antonin Pelsy hoping 'monster' Kernie D'Airy can sparkle at Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale

Antonin Pelsy of Spincourt Bloodstock will be hoping his trip across the channel can bear fruit when the exciting Kernie D'Airy (lot 5) goes under the hammer at the Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale on Saturday.

Having been a member of Darley’s nominations team for eight years, Pelsy now runs a stud in Maucourt-sur-Orne, near Metz in eastern France, where he is a breeder, vendor and buyer. 

Pelsy, who was invited to be a judge of foals at the recent Goffs UK British National Hunt Breeders Showcase in Doncaster, also accompanies interested parties around France to help source stock.

In the It's Gino-sired Kernie D'Airy, trained to win a bumper by a wide margin for trainer Hugo Merienne, it would appear Pelsy has an exciting proposition for the Newbury sale. 

Pelsy said of his background: "I've got a farm in the east of France where I keep a few mares and I've been buying horses for different people for about two or three years. 

"Spincourt Bloodstock is not meant to be consignment, it's just a company which buys and sells horses for people, as well as advising owners in National Hunt racing so far. 

"I look after a new good owner in France called Bertrand Diard of BDI Racing Team and I sold a horse called Jet Blue at Arqana last week for €220,000. That's really why we're going to Newbury with this filly; Jet Blue is more a French horse. Kernie D'Airy is a monster."

The four-year-old certainly looked as much when romping to a nine-and-a-half-length success on her racecourse bow at Durtal earlier this month for Merienne. 

A half-sister to a couple of winners either on the track or in the point-to-point field, she is by a sire who has more than made his mark in the National Hunt sphere in Britain.

Pelsy continued: "It's Gino is also working very, very well in Britain, including with Sir Gino and Lalor. His stats are just exceptional and the British and Irish trainers seem to do better than the French with progeny by It's Gino. I'm a breeder as well, I need my horses to perform and I think the programme fits better for her in Britain and Ireland.

"The filly is your typical three-mile chaser, her dam was quite good and won over fences and cross-country. She was a tough, hardy mare, not very big, but this filly is massive, she has loads of bone and has plenty of It's Gino about her. We thought she was a filly who'd need plenty of time and so we put her in a bumper first time out, then she won so easily – ten lengths on the bridle."

The Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale takes place at Newbury on SaturdayCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

Goffs returned to Newbury to hold this auction last year, after a break of a decade, and the catalogue looks set to be of a very similar size. Twelve months ago 18 lots sold for an average of £119,167 with two tied as joint-top lot at £200,000, including Paul Nicholls' recent Chepstow winner The Bluesman.

After one withdrawal, the sale consists of 17 form horses from a number of leading Irish point yards, including Donnchadh Doyle's Monbeg Stables, Sam Curling's Skehanagh Stables (including promising Boulta winner Real Quartz, lot 7), Warren Ewing's Bernice Stables and Matty Flynn O’Connor's Ballycrystal. 

In-form handler Jonathan Fogarty offers Kindly Prince (4), who bolted up by 16 lengths in tricky conditions at Lingstown, Pat Doyle has the unbeaten filly Rosa Diaz (9), while Paul Power's Alzurs Thunder (10) is related to Monalee. 

Vanderpoel (11) had looked another to note for Paurick O'Connor with the manner of his success at Boulta.

Besides It's Gino, other notable sires represented include Walk In The Park, Yeats, Affinisea, Soldier Of Fortune, Westerner, Order Of St George, Great Pretender and Sholokhov. 

The sale takes place after the final race at 3.35pm in the owners' and trainers' facility. The catalogue can be viewed here. 

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