Barnaviddaun, near side© Photo Healy Racing
Barnaviddaun, who recently won the Grade B Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at Naas, has been sold to Britain and will be trained by David Bridgwater.
The seven-year-old Scorpion gelding was owned by Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board official Paddy Graffin’s wife Laura and trained by Tom Mullins.
Graffin said: “We had some great days with him but he became a valuable commodity. I suppose we have always been conditioned to sell and it was Laura’s decision.
“Our grandchildren live just across the road from Tom’s yard and they would go over and feed him apples. He was a real favourite with them.
“Any problems he had were just little niggly ones and hopefully he will be lucky for his new connections. He looks the type that should do well over fences.”
On his penultimate start, Barnaviddaun was runner-up in the Connolly´s Red Mills EBF Auction Hurdle Final at Punchestown.
He has won two of his seven races over flights.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
