A FINAL session that produced by far the highest price of the week, which came when Ballylinch Stud forked out €280,000 for Jim Bolger’s Glamorous Approach, enabled the Goffs February Sale to conclude with a set of results that gained ground in several key areas.
At the conclusion of the three-day sale the turnover for the smaller catalogue dropped by seven points to €4.8 million. However, the €14,414 average and the €6,500 median grew by 11% and 18% respectively and the clearance rate progressed slightly to 66%.
The concluding session, which was given over to breeding stock, was unable to match the depth or the level of trade which was witnessed on the corresponding day in 2017. However, the sale witnessed growth for the preceding day and a half of weanlings and it was this category that provided the basis for the growth in the final figures.
The aforementioned Glamorous Approach appealed as a likely sale-topper following a racing career that yielded two listed victories as well as a host of blacktype placings.
Even when her price moved past €200,000 there were still four parties doing battle for Jim Bolger’s hardy five-year-old but none could quite match Ballylinch’s John O’Connor when he brought the price to €280,000.
“We’ll take her home and assess her and speak to Jim (Bolger). It’s possible that she could remain in training but we’ll see,” said O’Connor. “She’s a lovely, quality mare from one of Jim’s best families and she’s going to be a good choice for a number of our stallions. She’s a mare that we will have a lot of options with.”
AGA KHAN DRAFT
The Tally-Ho Stud team went a long way on the sale-topper before having to concede defeat but they secured a couple of choice lots from the Aga Khan.
The more expensive of these was the winning New Approach filly Harrana who cost €150,000 and will now visit the farm’s top sire Kodiac. This daughter of New Approach is a half-sister to last year’s smart juvenile Hazapour and they are out of a stakes-winning half-sister to Harzand.
Tally-Ho also struck for the twice raced Sepoy filly Elmaliya for €72,000. This four-year-old is a half-sister to the Give Thanks Stakes winner Edelmira and hails from the immediate family of such Aga Khan luminaries as Enzeli, Ebadiyla and Edabiya.
One of the most interesting lots of the day was the listed winner and Group 3-placed Chica Loca and she cost Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Biggs €80,000.
The daughter of American Post was sold in foal to Acclamation and she is already the dam of a Dabirsim colt who made €500,000 at last year’s Orby Sale.
“She’s been bought for a client to stay in Europe. She’s a nice mare who was sold with a good cover and she has a very nice two-year-old to run for her this year so hopefully she represents some value,” stated Biggs.
TOP-CLASS
Last year’s winning juvenile Fille Du Septembre is heading back to her breeders Mark and Elaine Clarke after they gave €62,000 for the Moyglare Stud offering. The daughter of Choisir is out of a half-sister to the top-class two-year-old Superstar Leo.
“We’re delighted to get her back and she comes from what has been a very lucky family for us. There’s a lot of options for her and she could even go back into training,” reported the Wardstown team.
French buyer Paul Nataf spent €52,000 for the Sadler’s Wells mare Kithonia, who is in foal to Le Havre, and this price was closely matched by Jake Warren when he gave €48,000 for Kenzahope. The latter is a Kendargent own-sister to the multiple Group 1-placed Kenhope.
“This filly and one that I bought earlier have been bought for a new breeder, Simon Scupham, to support Johnny Barnes (Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed juvenile), who has retired to Haras de Granges for this year,” reported Warren.
“Simon was involved with Bermuda Thoroughbred Racing Limited that owned Johnny Barnes and he wanted to support him at stud. We are hoping to make a couple of more purchases at Arqana next week.”
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Figures
Day 3
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2018 209 150 103 1,807,500 17,540 6,000
2017 256 216 153 2,903,900 18,980 8,500
Total Sale
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2018 627 508 333 4,800,000 14,414 6,500
2017 757 619 395 5,145,100 13,026 5,500
2016 538 440 291 4,361,750 14,989 8,000
READ RYAN McELLIGOTT'S COVERAGE AND ANALYSIS OF THE IRISH BLOODSTOCK SALES IN THE IRISH FIELD