Another Dream Realized For Ballylinch

Another Dream Realized For Ballylinch… 
Ballylinch Stud stands the top sprinter Dream Ahead and on Monday offered Unnatural (Proud Citizen) (lot 1538), a half-sister to his dam Land Of Dreams (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), who was sold for 180,000gns to Eamon Reilly of BBA Ireland. Unnatural’s February cover to Lane’s End Farm resident Lemon Drop Kid proved to be the draw, as the agent explained, “She’s for a longstanding client of mine and she’ll be staying in the UK. He’s a big fan of Lemon Drop Kid and we’ve been trying to buy foals by him in America, where they’ve been selling well. Obviously, she’s also from a very good family.” 

Group 3 runner-up Silver Shoon (Ire) (Fasliyev) (lot 1504), one of four mares catalogued this week to be offered in foal to the subfertile Reckless Abandon, is on her way to Yeomanstown Stud after being knocked down for 135,000gns. The 8-year-old mare has produced two live foals to date but it is her pedigree that appealed to David O’Callaghan of Yeomanstown, as it is a family well-known on his farm and that includes the mare’s half-sister, champion racemare Pipalong (Ire) (Pips Pride {GB}). He said, “We bred Pipalong and also the second and third dams, Grey Goddess and Thiella. It’s hard to buy good racemares and she’s a very good-looking mare. She’ll visit Dark Angel next year.”