A MONTH later than planned with a catalogue that was significantly smaller than last year’s the Goffs November Sale concluded on Sunday evening with a set of results which fell some way off the levels of 2019.

As with most auctions that have taken place over the last nine months there are a number of factors to consider when examining the final figures. At the close of the three days the auction had taken in just under €17.5m which was a 33% decline on last year. The average of €36,743 was down by 12%, the €20,000 median dropped by nine points and the clearance rate fell from 78% to 75%.

Unlike the last couple of years, there was no Part 2 section of the foal sale which was probably a help to the figures as that section would have made for tough going. On the other hand though the sale suffered from a number of high profile withdrawals who would certainly have bolstered the overall returns quite considerably.

The fact that this sale had to shift from its original date is also likely to have had a bearing on proceedings. Initially, this sale comes at the start of the foal sale cycle in Europe and the attitudes and behaviour of buyers can change significantly from the start to the finish of that part of sales season. There was quite a selective feel to the first couple of days with purchasers having already been afforded the chance to pick up stock in Newmarket and France.

Strong finish

The sale ended on a bright note on Sunday with a strong session headed by a trio of €440,000 Frankel foals. Only for key withdrawals it would have been better still and, under the circumstances, a tally of 27 six-figure transactions is quite respectable. This is well down on the 47 six-figure lots who came under the hammer during the third session in 2019 but the level of activity at €100,000 and beyond could easily have been a lot better this year were it not for some notable absentees.

In summary, the sweeping gains that this sale made last year have been relinquished. However, a discussion on the downturn in the figures for this year’s sale is one that requires some perspective and a few external factors did contribute to the slippage in the returns for 2020.

It should be noted though that the sale did end on a bright note with a strong days selling on Sunday which struck a positive chord as we hope for better times in 2021.

International appeal

Sunday morning began with a twelfth individual Group 1 winner for Frankel when Grenadier Guards won the Asahi Hai Futurity at Hanshin in a track record. A number of hours later the sire’s international appeal was there for all to see at Kildare paddocks where he supplied the sale’s four highest priced foals.

A trio of Frankel foals shared top billing at €440,000 and the first of these to come under the hammer was a son of the Group 3 winner and Matron Stakes second Lily’s Angel who was presented by The Castlebridge Consignment. This colt has been bought to race in Japan after being knocked down to Harry Sweeney of Paca Paca Farm.

Juddmonte Farms’ Barry Mahon had to settle for the runner-up position on that colt but he enjoyed better luck in his pursuit of a racing prospect for Prince Khalid Abdullah when he secured a €440,000 son of the sire offered from Des Leadon and Mariann Klay’s Swordlestown Little. This colt is a half-brother to the Hong Kong-based Group 3 winner Dinozzo, who stated out his career with Ger Lyons.

Swordlestown Little also supplied a well-bred Frankel filly who is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner and Queen Anne Stakes runner-up Terebellum and she too reached the €440,000 mark when going to Blackstar Bloodstock’s online bid.

Over the course of an hour where Frankel’s international standing was highlighted in fairly spectacular fashion the Oneliner Stables team also secured a colt by the sire for €360,000. Offered be Neilstown Stud on behalf of Nick and Alice Nugent, this foal is a half-brother to Lily’s Angel and is thus closely related to the €440,000 colt who is headed for Japan. Oneliner had previously finished as underbidders on the Frankel that was bought by Barry Mahon.

Updates abound

As ever a number of foals throughout the week benefitted from some notable updates and two in particular stood out as having had their value boosted substantially by events of recent months.

The most expensive of these was a €300,000 son of Footstepsinthesand who received a huge update in August when his half-brother Lucky Vega won the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes.

Baroda Stud offered this colt on behalf of his breeders Suroben Ltd and Summerhill Bloodstock and his sale represented a stunning return on the €24,000 his dam cost at the 2018 November Sale. The colt was bought by Goffs Scandinavia agent Filip Zwicky on behalf of the owners of this year’s Swedish Derby winner Bullof Wall Street. Zwicky reported that his clients would reoffer their purchase at next year’s Orby Sale and this colt already has the distinction of being the highest foal or yearling by the sire to sell at Goffs.

Earlier in the day pinhooker Michael Fitzpatrick gave €225,000 for a son of Camelot from Oghill House Stud. This colt’s brother Current Option did his bit to enhance the pedigree with Group 3 and Listed wins this year which ensured this foal’s breeder, Craig English, got a fine immediate dividend on the €50,000 he paid for the dam at this sale last year.

Fitzpatrick’s other spending took in a €195,000 son of Acclamation from The Castlebridge Consignment. This colt is a half-brother to the Group 3-winning K Club, the stakes-placed Back To Brussels and a £330,000 Mehmas yearling who will be trained by Joseph O’Brien.

Pinhookers

A host of good foals throughout Sunday’s session were bought to return for sale next autumn and one these was a €260,000 daughter of No Nay Never from Ballintry Stud who was acquired by Philipp Stauffenberg. This filly is an own-sister to the American Grade 2 winner Nay Lady Nay and the Coventry Stakes hero Arizona.

Tally-Ho Stud’s 16 purchases this week were headed by a €190,000 son of Kodiac from Al Eile Stud out of a winning daughter of Galileo whose dam is the English and Irish 1000 Guineas winner Finsceal Beo. Kodiac was also responsible for an own-sister to the Middle Park Stakes second Jash who was knocked down to Grangemore Stud for €175,000.

Elsewhere Kodiac’s elder half-brother Invincible Spirit supplied a colt from the Irish National Stud who cost Big Red Farm €210,000. Another leading Irish-based sire, Sea The Stars, was responsible for a colt from Corduff Stud who fetched €175,000 from Aidan O’Ryan.

Camelot

After another strong season Camelot supplied a number of Sunday’s most popular foals. Highbank Stud paid €190,000 for a daughter of the sire from the immediate family of Covert Love while Peter and Ross Doyle spent €185,000 on an own-sister to Fighting Irish. The latter has the distinction of being Camelot’s first pattern race winner back in 2017. Another good sort by the sire was a €170,000 colt who was bought by Yeomanstown Stud and that outfit also spent €180,000 on a filly from the first crop of the Breeders Cup Mile winner Expert Eye.

Selected lots

Lot 86 (f) Sea The Moon ex Exploitation

Vendor: The Castlebridge Consignment

Purchaser: Grove Stud

Price: €50,000

Over the course of the autumn the demand for the progeny of Sea The Moon has been notable and the former German Derby winner supplied one of the most admired foals of the opening day in this filly. The relation to the Irish Oaks winner Vintage Tipple is set to return for sale next year after being snapped up by Grove Stud man Brendan Holland.

Lot 380 (c) Dandy Man ex Fancy Feathers

Vendor: Ardreigh Stud

Purchaser: Yeomanstown Stud

Price: €75,000

The progeny of Dandy Man were in some demand over the course of the three days with the Mozart horse’s 31 foals sold averaging €38,484. Among the most taking representatives of the sire was this well related colt. The dam, Fancy Feathers, has already produced two quick and classy runners in the stakes-winning Elandim Star and Dom Carlos who was a very smart juvenile for Joseph O’Brien several seasons ago and was placed at Royal Ascot.

Lot 613 (c) Holy Roman Emperor ex Elaysa

Vendor: Springfort Park Stud

Purchaser: Redpender Stud

Price: €85,000

The final day of the foal sale underlined the global appeal of Frankel but another sire with quite an international following is Holy Roman Emperor who supplied a very popular sort in this colt. Redpender Stud’s Jimmy Murphy outlasted several of his pinhooking colleagues for this half-brother to this year’s Group 2 July Stakes third Escape Route.

Lot 657 (c) New Bay ex Kymera

Vendor: Al Eile Stud

Purchaser: Lynn Lodge Stud

Price: €65,000

The Ballylinch Stud resident New Bay was among the sires to impress with their first crop of runners this year which was always going to work in the favour of this colt who will be reoffered next season. By the time he returns to the sales ring next autumn this foal could have even more going for him because, as well as his sire, he is a half-brother to the very promising juvenile Storm Legend who created quite an impression when giving John Oxx the last winner of his wonderful career at Naas last month.

Lot 724 (f) Sioux Nation ex Sonning Rose

Vendor: Albany Stud

Purchaser: Altenbach Bloodstock

Price: €140,000

A major update which arrived late in the season helped this filly to become the highest priced foal from the initial crop of her Norfolk and Phoenix Stakes-winning sire. A daughter of a stakes-placed mare in Sonning Rose, this filly’s value appreciated dramatically when her two-year-old half-sister Elysium won the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes for Noel Meade at the Curragh in late September. Elysium is among the entries for next year’s Irish 1000 Guineas and will carry new colours in 2021 having been bought by George Strawbridge.

What they said

“The start of the week was tough, there is no doubt about that but the last day of foals saw some very strong trade which showed that there is a great demand for good stock. In fairness to Goffs there was also a diverse selection of buyers which is no small achievement given what is taken place in the world right now” – Bill Dwan, The Castlebridge Consignment.

“It was selective but also strong for the good foals who were hard to buy. Whereas there was a time when you would always get a commercially bred colt foal sold it’s now tougher and the market has gotten more selective from that point of view” – Eddie O’Leary, Lynn Lodge Stud

“I’m delighted the sale went ahead and full credit to Goffs and everyone for ensuring that it took place and that they were able to manage a difficult environment successfully. Lots of people turned up to buy horses and managed to get some if not exactly everything that they wanted.

“The €10,000 to €30,000 market is quite week and that is a section of the market occupied by many foals and these are tough times for a lot of breeders as there is a disparity between stallion fees and what it costs to get a foal to a sale when everything is taken into consideration.

“Also with the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and Covid-19 there is an absence of a feel good factor which is something that is quite important to this industry” – Derek Veitch, Ringfort Stud