A STRONG level of demand for the best yearlings on offer enabled the latest edition of the Orby Sale to keep pace with the returns from last year but it was tough going further down the scale.
At its conclusion, the sale saw 120 lots make at least €100,000 which was an identical figure to last year. The number of horses to fetch at least €200,000 fell back slightly from 54 to 50 while there were 10 lots to reach €400,000 or more as opposed to the 16 that managed this 12 months ago.
All this points to the demand for high-end stock being just as strong as it was last year. For those that fell below the €100,000 mark it was appreciably tougher going and there was agreement amongst purchasers and vendors that at this point there existed a gap in the market. At times this gave rise to trade that felt somewhat patchy and selective but it was still interesting to note that the clearance rate improved by two points this year.
Perhaps an interesting comparison with last year is to look at how pinhookers fared. Once again allowing for €10,000 keep on top of the initial purchase price, there were 73 profitable pinhooks from 126 offered in 2016.
This time there were 108 yearlings offered who had passed through the sales ring last year and 50 of these showed profit on the prices they were knocked down for as foals.
In short, this was a sale driven by demand at the top of the market and one vendor remarked that “it’s very good for the good but anything below that is tricky.”
As ever, the Orby benefitted from a diverse international input. Justin Casse, who signed for the sale topper, made a major contribution to proceedings while American agent Shawn Dugan was another significant player.
The €2.4m spent by Godolphin came close to mirroring last year’s activity while Shadwell’s expenditure dropped from €2.2m in 2016 to just over €1.1m this year.
By contrast, the prolific Alastair Donald upped his spending markedly and SackvilleDonald’s cumulative spending came in at over €3.2m on 27 yearlings as opposed to the near €1.3m that the agency forked out for 13 horses last year.
By various means of comparison it is fair to say that the Orby Sale has held its own this year and, even with two more pivotal weeks still to come, everything points to this year’s round of foal sales being as strong as ever.
In the more immediate term, strong, competitive trade for quality yearlings is sure to continue over the coming weeks as the focus shifts to Newmarket where a two-week run begins with the Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Top lots
Centre stage at Kildare Paddocks this year went to the €1.6m son of Frankel after he was snapped up by American agent Justin Casse who was acting on behalf of Zayat Stables. Last year Casse made a significant contribution to the sale but he took things to a new level with the acquisiton of this most prized of colts.
The half-brother to the Australian Group 2 winner Adjusted was sold by breeder Eddie Irwin’s Marlhill House Stud and he was bought to go into training with Aidan O’Brien.
The Godolphin team had to settle for the role of underbidder on this occasion and Jeremy Brummit and Kerri Radcliffe were both still vying for this colt when the price hit €1m. The price bettered the €1.4m mark which was good enough to top last year’s sale.
Godolphin’s Galileo
The opening day was dominated by the landmark sale of the €1.2 Galileo filly to Godolphin. John Gosden, standing with Anthony Stroud and David Loder, outlasted M.V. Magnier for the Ballylinch Stud offering. The filly is the first produce of the high-class French runner and Group 2 heroine L’Amour de Ma Vie who was bought by Ballylinch for €600,000 at the 2015 Arqana December Sale.
The other notable Godolphin purchases included a €460,000 son of Showcasing from Lady O’Reilly’s Hollyhill Stud. The colt, his sire’s highest priced yearling, is a half-brother to this season’s Group 2-placed juvenile Dark Rose Angel.
Godolphin also forked out €375,000 for a daughter of Dark Angel and a winning half-sister to the Irish 1000 Guineas winner Nightime. This filly was sold by Mountain View Stud and is the first produce of the mare who was picked up for 57,000gns at the end of her racing career.
Pinhooking gold
The second day of the sale served up some colossal dividends for bold pinhookers and none more so than a €650,000 colt from the first crop of the brilliant miler Kingman. Roger Varian, acting for Postponed’s owner Sheikh Obaid, signed for the half-brother to the French Group 3 runner-up Game Zone who cost Baroda & Colbinstown Studs 180,000gns as a foal last December.
Earlier, there was the sort of fairytale story that one can only dream about when a son of Dabirsim from Edie Murray-Hayden’s one horse Gormanstown Stud consignment cost Alastair Donald €500,000. As a foal this colt was picked up for €56,000 but, in the interim, his sire has made a bright start as a stallion with his first crop of runners featuring the crack juvenile Different League. Andrew Balding may train the colt.
The €500,000 mark was reached by another pinhook, a Kodiac colt from Mark Dwyer’s Oaks Farm Stables. Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum saw off Shawn Dugan for the relation to the Prix Morny second Magic America who made €82,000 as a foal.
Cheveley Park
A couple of much-admired fillies will join Cheveley Park’s impressive roster and these included a €580,000 daughter of Invincible Spirit from Pat O’Kelly’s Kilcarn Stud. This filly, who was continuing her vendor’s longstanding success at the Orby, is a half-sister to two winners out of the Athasi Stakes heroine Prima Luce.
Also for Cheveley Park is a €390,000 daughter of Dark Angel. One of four by her sire to make in excess of €300,000, the Yeomanstown Stud filly is an own-sister to the Group 2 second Perfect Angel.
Galileo fillies
Galileo’s five lots for the week averaged an impressive €589,000 and the superb sire was responsible for a €625,000 filly whom Peter Doyle picked up for the Coolmore-Mayfair Speculators axis. The half-sister to the Group 3-winning Air Chief Marshal and Irish 2000 Guineas second Foxtrot Romeo was sold by Barronstown Stud.
M.V. Magnier and Mayfair also combined to buy €350,000 and €325,000 colts by No Nay Never, whose first crop averaged an impressive €125,000.
Flaxman Stables spent €420,000 on Airlie Stud’s Galileo half-sister to the Dewhurst Stakes winner Intense Focus, and Eamonn Reilly got fillies by the sire for €380,000 and €320,000. Reilly’s purchases were made on behalf of Frank Fahy’s Gerrardstown Stud.
Fillies in demand
A host of other fillies made a big impact over the two days and this group included a €450,000 daughter of Invincible Spirit from the Irish National Stud who went to Juddmonte Farms. She is out of a smart winning two-year-old and shares her sire with the Juddmonte luminary Kingman.
Before securing the Frankel, Justin Casse bought a Dubawi half-sister to Zoffany in a €400,000 private sale. The agent reported that the filly, who can count this season’s Group 2 Futurity Stakes winner Rostropovich among her siblings, will head to America.
The previous afternoon, John McCormack gave €350,000 for a Lope De Vega half-sister to the classic heroine Elusive Wave. This Pier House Stud-consigned filly was bought on behalf of a client in Japan where Elusive Wave’s Deep Impact colt foal made in excess of €4.4m at auction earlier this year.
Womens’ syndicate
It’s All About The Girls Syndicate bought two fillies which will go into training with Jessica Harrington. The syndicate has already enjoyed major success in Australia with Global Glamour, who has won two Group 1s and more than A$1.2 million in prize-money.