AN unprecedented quartet of seven-figure lots headed by a €2 million daughter of Raven’s Pass and good demand at the head of the market were the positives to take from this year’s Goffs Orby Sale.
However, trade was decidedly selective elsewhere which meant that Ireland’s premier yearling sale lost some ground in several key areas.
The remarkable events of Wednesday afternoon provided a tremendous centrepiece for the sale as the Orby had never before produced three lots to make seven figures in one day. Furthermore, a total of 120 lots made at least €100,000 over the course of the two days and overseas visitors once again made a major impact with the China Horse Club emerging as leading buyers after forking out over €3.7million on their eight purchases.
Nonetheless the final figures still showed declines. A slightly bigger catalogue enabled the aggregate to grow slightly to just short of €39 million but the average of €104,433 was down by 4% and the median fell by 11 points to €62,000. The clearance rate of 86% was also marginally down on 2014.
In all there were positives following the latest edition of the country’s foremost such auction.
Away from the top of the market though, it was much harder work for those that fell short of the six-figure mark and trade was more selective than was the case last year. Also it did seem as though the second session went quite flat for several hours before the various headline lots provided a significant boost to proceedings.
“Never before have we sold four seven-figure lots at a Goffs yearling sale so we are naturally elated to have catalogued this truly illustrious quartet and send our heartfelt thanks so Pat O’Kelly, Noel O’Callaghan, the Hanburys’ Triermore Stud and Kirsten Rausing for entrusting us with their best yearlings,” reflected Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby on Wednesday evening.
IRISH BREEDERS
“We cannot do anything without the support of leading Irish breeders and we are delighted to have repaid their confidence in our service by returning such good results.
“Our sales toppers have been the highlight of a trade that has been exceptional for the best bred lots. That the four top lots have been bought by four different people clearly illustrates the depth of buyers for the best lots at Goffs and it is surely a most healthy sign that the sale is not reliant on any one group.
“It is fair to say, however, that the sale has not been as strong at all levels and if you fell short of some very high standards it was hard work in places. That is clearly shown by the dip in average and median and the fact that the clearance rate is a point shy of last year, albeit at a very respectable 86%.
“However, the bare year-on-year statistics really don’t tell the whole story as so many buyers have commented on a strong trade and a large number of vendors have enjoyed some really good results.
“The fact is that a deeper analysis of the Orby shows a sale that has grown by 41% in just two years so we have essentially consolidated these gains and the sale remains a firm favourite with vendors and purchasers alike whilst, very significantly, we are attracting an increasing number of the very best as demonstrated by the million euro lots,” he concluded.
TUESDAY
IT took less than an hour for the opening session to surpass last year’s top price of €1.5million as a daughter of Frankel and the outstanding international racemare Alexander Goldrun took centre stage at €1.7million.
On a day when 70 horses reached the six-figure mark, this Mountarmstrong Stud-consigned filly, who is the highest priced yearling to sell by her sire, was the undoubted star turn. The first filly produced by Noel O’Callaghan’s five times Group 1 winner was expected to hit seven figures and she did not disappoint as the China Horse Club’s Michael Wallace entered the fray late on to secure her ahead of Ross Doyle and M.V. Magnier.
The only son of Exceed And Excel on offer this week created quite a stir before he came to English trainer Roger Varian for €400,000. The colt was sold by Luca Somaini’s Deer Forest Stud and he is second produce of the Italian Group 1 winner Aoife Alainn.
Agent Alastair Donald came up short for the Exceed And Excel but he did make his mark when giving €340,000 for a colt from the first crop of the outstanding miler Excelebration. The €100,000 foal purchase was sold by Camas Park Stud and he will be joining trainer Ed Walker.
AMERICAN OWNER
Luca Cumani will train a son of Invincible Spirit for American owner Jon Kelly after the relation to the National Stakes winner Kingsfort came to Harriet Jellett for €370,000. As well as offering the Invincible Spirit, Airlie Stud was also represented by a Galileo half-sister to the Dewhurst Stakes winner Intense Focus. She cost €340,000 and was bought by Frederico Barberini on behalf of Steve Parkin’s Clipper Logistics.
A number of those offered had enjoyed substantial pedigree updates in recent weeks, none more so than a €360,000 Holy Roman Emperor half-sister to the runaway Irish St Leger hero Order Of St George. From Clare Castle, the filly was bought by Tony Nerses, whose previous Holy Roman Emperor purchase was the Group 3 winner and Cheveley Park Stakes second Princess Noor.
Late in the day the €360,000 mark was also reached by a son of Dream Ahead from Tally-Ho Stud, who was showing a terrific return on the €78,000 he cost as a foal. The colt is a half-brother to the recent French stakes winner Meteoric.
A tremendous year on the track for Dark Angel has been reflected in the sales ring this autumn and Moyglare Stud had to go to €350,000 for a daughter of the coming sire. The Yeomanstown Stud homebred is an own-sister to Sovereign Debt and a half-sister to the high class Puff.
Several American purchasers made their mark throughout the day and foremost among these was Shawn Dugan. She paid €270,000 for a well-related Lawman filly from Ciaran Conroy’s Glenvale Stud who had cost 72,000gns as a foal. The same purchaser also spent €210,000 on a daughter of Zoffany and €180,000 on a daughter of Mastercraftsman.
A Galileo own-brother to the Epsom Derby second At First Sight cost Mick Flanagan €260,000 and the same sire also supplied a €250,000 half-brother to the E P Taylor Stakes winner Lahaleeb who was bought by the China Horse Club.
WEDNESDAY
The second session produced the top lot of the sale when a Raven’s Pass filly with the most impeccable credentials sold to Moyglare Stud for €2 million. From Pat O’Kelly’s Kilcarn Stud, which has topped this sale on countless occasions, the Moyglare purchase is a granddaughter of the great Flame Of Tara and is out of Spirit Of Tara, a Group 2-placed own-sister to Salsabil.
In addition she is a half-sister to pair of former Orby top lots in Echo Of Light and Irish History. Ultimately it was Tony Nerses who provided the strongest opposition to the Moyglare team but he was forced to give best when Fiona Craig brought the price to €2 million. Moyglare also tried hard to secure the third highest priced lot of the day and Fiona Craig bid €1 million on the Kirsten Rausing-owned daughter of Galileo and the Queen Mary Stakes second Starlit Sands.
However, agent Oliver St Lawrence, acting for Bahrain-based Fawzi Nass, secured the filly when he increased the price by a further €50,000.
PRICEY COLT
The highest priced colt of the week was a €1.2 million son of Galileo out of the Group 3-winning juvenile and the 1000 Guineas fourth Sent From Heaven. He was bought by a partnership of David Redvers and Steve Parkin after they outlasted the challenge of the Coolmore team. The colt was offered by the Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of his breeders, Triermore Stud.
The China Horse Club added to their haul throughout the day with a Kilcarn Stud-consigned €580,000 son of Invincible Spirit and the Athasi Stakes winner Prima Luce heading their spending. Others that will race under the China Horse Club banner include a €290,000 Dream Ahead half-sister to Wigmore Hall and a €280,000 daughter of Acclamation.
A Fastnet Rock colt, whose sister Diamond Fields won a maiden at Dundalk last week, will join James Fanshawe for a Hong Kong-based client after selling to Suzanne Roberts for €380,000. This price was closely matched by Cathy Grassick, acting for client Yvonne Jacques, when she went to €370,000 for a Pivotal own-sister to the Irish 1000 Guineas second Penkanna Princess. The filly was sold by Guy O’Callaghan’s Grangemore Stud having been picked up for 62,000gns as a foal.
A €360,000 Dark Angel own-brother to the July Stakes winner Alnebayeb from Yeomanstown Stud became the most expensive purchase of the week by the Shadwell Estates team. Earlier in the session Ross Doyle had to go to €350,000 to secure a daughter of Invincible Spirit out of a stakes-placed Elusive Quality mare.
FIRST CROP SIRES
Among the first crop sires to make a major impact was Born To Sea, who supplied a €320,000 half-brother to the Group 1-placed juvenile Drumbeat. The Croom House Stud homebred was bought by Alastair Donald.
Famous Name was ably represented by a €280,000 colt who will join Hugo Palmer after being knocked down to Amanda Skiffington. He was also sold by Croom House having been picked up by Bobby O’Ryan for €105,000 as a foal.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club were back in action once more and they gave €320,000 for the only Oasis Dream colt in the sale having earlier spent €300,000 on an Acclamation colt.