A significantly improved level of demand at the top of the market paved the way for the latest edition of the Goffs Orby Sale to post a good set of final results which more than consolidated the gains made by this sale over the last three years.
The €2.85 million mark which headed last year’s Orby was out of reach but, for the first time in eight years, the sale produced two seven-figure transactions. These helped the aggregate come in at almost €38.5 million which represented an 11% increase from last year. The average of €109,234 was up by 8% while the €70,000 median was a progression of some 23%. At 87% the clearance rate kept pace with last year.
With the number of lots to make at least €300,000 growing from 15 to 26 there was significant growth at the top tier of the market and, as was the case last year, there were over 100 six-figure transactions over the two days.
Even though last year’s top price may have been out of reach the €1.5 million sale topper still had the distinction of being the second most expensive colt to come under the hammer at the Orby since 2005.
Furthermore there was a notable appetite for well-bred fillies throughout the two days and three of the top four lots were fillies. The sale also benefitted from a significantly increased input by Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum’s Shadwell Estates who spent just under €3.5 million over the two days and this took in four of the top 10 lots.
Events at Kildare Paddocks this week maintained the positive trends seen at this year’s round of major European yearling sales and bode well for the next few weeks. Furthermore all the indicators to date would point towards a positive round of foal and breeding stock sales late next month.
In his end of sale statement Goffs’ chief executive Henry Beeby commented: “Ol’ Man River has certainly lived up to his €2.85 million top price last year but we must remember he was the second highest priced yearling ever sold in Ireland and the most expensive for 30 years.
“So to return an average that improved by another 8% without that extraordinary high is some achievement and clearly demonstrates the depth and strength of the Orby trade.
“The Orby represents all that is best about Irish bloodstock and we are truly thankful to every vendor for their ongoing support whether they were responsible for a large draft or a single yearling. We cannot do anything without the horses and the class of 2014 has allowed us to attract a global audience to Goffs with our stalwart purchasers having to compete with several significant new faces headed by the likes of the China Horse Club, represented by Michael Wallace.
“These buyers have come to recognise that Goffs Orby is a sale that deserves its place at the top table and that the yearlings we present are the measure of any catalogued anywhere,” he concluded.
TUESDAY
A top price of €1.5 million, and notable growth at the head of the market as evidenced by the number of lots to make at least €300,000 improving from five to 11, saw the week at Kildare Paddocks off to a bright start.
The sale-topper was a superb son of Galileo from Jim Bolger’s Redmondstown Stud and he is a brother to three Group 1 performers, headed by the Royal Ascot heroine Cuis Ghaire.
Just as he did for Ol’ Man River 12 months ago M.V. Magnier saw off all challengers to secure this representative of one of Bolger’s finest families. Agent Mick Flanagan had to settle for the role of underbidder.
As the first day neared its conclusion the seven-figure mark came close to being breached once again as a superb son of Sea The Stars from Bobby and Honora Donworth’s Round Hill Stud fetched €850,000.
Michael Wallace of the China Horse Club secured the relation to several high class German runners after getting the better of Hugo Merry. Wallace stated that his purchase would remain in Ireland to go into training.
The first lot to make six figures was a superb daughter of Lawman from the Irish National Stud for whom Tony Nerses forked out €520,000. The half-sister to the Dewhurst Stakes runner-up Cable Bay will carry the Authorized colours of Saleh Al Homaili and Imad Al Sagar.
Nerses also spent €220,00 on a daughter of Mastercraftsman out of a Group 3-placed half-sister to Stravinsky. After coming out second best in the battle for the Lawman filly the Shadwell team did secure a €400,000 Exceed And Excel brother to the Nunthorpe Stakes winner Margot Did.
Owners Jim and Fitri Hay were busy stockpiling future talent through various agents and Stephen Hillen was acting on their behalf when forking out €350,000 for a Tamayuz sister to the high-class French filly Thawaany.
This Barronstown Stud offering is out of the Moyglare Stakes winner Chelsea Rose, who was bought carrying this filly for €450,000 in November 2012.
Hillen also spent €280,000 on a Rip Van Winkle colt from Camas Park Stud, who sold that sire’s Group 1-winning juvenile Dick Whittington for the same price at last year’s Orby. Also destined to carry the Hay colours is an Invincible Spirit colt who cost Hugo Merry €240,000.
Peter and Ross Doyle headed their spending when going to €330,000 for a son of Zebedee whose first crop of runners includes the unbeaten dual Group 2-winning juvenile Ivawood. A homebred from Eddie O’Leary’s Lynn Lodge Stud, the colt will be joining Richard Hannon.
Once again the Hong Kong Jockey Club team made their presence felt on several occasions, most notably when outlasting John Ferguson for a €325,000 son of the in-demand Kodiac whose dam has already bred stakes-winning juvenile Be Ready. Others destined for Hong Kong include €180,000 sons of Footstepsinthesand and Fastnet Rock.
The first yearling by the highly successful American turf sire Kitten’s Joy to be offered for sale in Ireland was snapped up by US-based owner Marc Keller for €300,000. This price was matched by Agnes Stewart’s owner Steve Parkin when he picked up an Invincible Spirit half-sister to John Grogan’s talented sprinter Katla.
In his first year selling at the Orby under his Grangemore Stud banner, Guy O’Callaghan had a day to remember when his Pivotal filly came to the South African outfit Form Bloodstock for €260,000. The daughter of the Silver Flash Stakes winner Triskel had cost 75,000gns as a foal.
WEDNESDAY
A €1.1 million daughter of Sea The Stars headed another strong day’s trade while a key aspect of this session was the major contribution made by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shadwell Estates.
The session topping filly was offered by Ballylinch Stud and had all the right credentials as a daughter of Sea The Stars and a half-sister to the top flight winner Lord Shanakill and the promising Together Forever.
Amanda Skiffington’s determined effort to secure the filly enabled her to see off Alan Cooper and the agent reported that she was acting for Fiona Carmichael and Ian Jennings, owners of the leading juvenile Ivawood.
Sheikh Hamdan’s spending for the day was headed by a €950,000 daughter of Teofilo from a family he knows well. The filly is a sister to the owner’s Epsom Oaks second Tarfasha while her other siblings include the Irish Derby runner-up Galileo Rock and the talented stayer Saddler’s Rock.
Towards the end of the day Shadwell went to €720,000 for an Invincible Spirit sister to the recent May Hill Stakes third Shagah. Other notable Shadwell purchases included a €450,000 colt who comes from the Kentucky-conceived first northern hemisphere crop of the leading Australian sire Lonhro. Meanwhile Sheikh Hamdan will also race a €325,000 daughter of Exceed And Excel from Yeomanstown Stud who cost 58,000gns as a foal.
After supplying Tuesday’s sale topper Jim Bolger was responsible for another star yearling which came in the shape of a Teofilo sister to the trainer’s Irish Derby winner Trading Leather. Agent John McCormack gave €950,000 for the filly who was bought for an existing client to go into training with Bolger.
Following a very timely Group 3 triumph for his sister Qualify at the Curragh on Sunday, a Fastnet Rock colt from the Castlebridge Consignment was knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff at €400,000. Just a couple of minutes later John Clarke, acting for the Tsui family’s Sunderland Holding Inc, gave €300,000 for a Sea The Stars half-sister to the listed winning juvenile City Image.
The first Tiznow yearling to be offered in Europe for six years was snapped up by Mark Player for €380,000. A son of a French stakes winner, the colt was sold by Tinnakill House and Player indicated that his purchase would race in Europe for an international syndicate.
The most expensive purchase made by the Qatar Racing team was a €375,000 son of Exceed And Excel from Croom House Stud and this price was equalled by a Galileo filly out of the listed-winning Oasis Dream mare La Sylvia. The Galileo was among four fillies purchased under the banner of Japan Health Summit Inc whose acquisitions will either remain in Ireland or go into training in Japan.
After giving €240,000 for a Dark Angel filly on Tuesday, Moyglare Stud were back in action early in the day when spending €350,000 on a filly from the first crop of Dream Ahead. Her siblings are headed by the Chesham Stakes winner Tha’Ir. Elsewhere Adrian Nicoll spent €340,000 on a son of first crop sire Zoffany who was providing Ciaran Conroy’s Glenvale Stud with a superb dividend on the 75,000gns he cost as a foal.
GOFFS ORBY SALE FIGURES
Offered: 404
Sold: 352 (87%)
Turnover: €38,450,500 (+11%)
Average: €109,234 (+8%)
Median: €70,000 (+23%)