FOAL AND

BREEDING STOCK SALES

FOLLOWING a yearling sales season that presented its share of challenges, last month’s round of foal sales provided a clear and, at times, stark illustration of the demands laid down by the market.

The pinhooking fraternity were out in force securing stock for next year. However, the strict criteria laid down by the market that they will sell back into, coupled with an increased level of supply, did lead to some decidedly low key trading alongside some excellent days as well.

An increase of supply to the market place has resulted in a far greater level of selectivity at the lower reaches of the market and this led to a much more considered and conservative approach to spending at various junctures.

In their respective statements last month both Goffs chief Executive Henry Beeby and Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony both alluded to a market place where demand has been stretched too thinly.

At the end of the Goffs November Foal Sale Beeby commented: “There should be no shying away from the fact that it was very tough for many breeders as the market spoke loud and clear.’’

Mahony reflected that “the reality is that demand in the lower tiers of the market is well below the level of supply’’.

At Goffs the November Foal Sale got off to a decidedly low key start as evidenced by clearance rates of 47 and 61% for the first two sessions. Trade did pick up markedly thereafter, culminating in a final session that yielded 28 six-figure transactions. At its conclusion the November Sale posted a turnover of just over €20m which was a 22% decrease on last year while the average of €28,888 dropped by 10 points. The top lot at the foal sale came from the second part of the Wildenstein Stables Dispersal as Shadwell’s Stephen Collins forked out €775,000 for a Siyouni filly who is a granddaughter of the multiple Group 1 scorer Aquarelliste. Collins outlasted Peter Brant whose foal spending took in a €450,000 daughter of Dansili and Beauty Parlour.

WILDENSTEIN STOCK

The two-day November Breeding Stock Sale was a resounding success. The dispersal of blue blooded Wildenstein stock accounted for €7.8m of the sale’s turnover. However, even aside from that dispersal, 26 lots reached six figures which was a marked improvement on last year, the clearance rate was an impressive 85% and both the average and aggregate made sweeping gains. Indeed during the first day of the sale there was a remarkable near 100 lot period where every lot through the ring changed hands.

As expected the centre piece of the sale was the aforementioned Beauty Parlour who fetched €1.6m. She was sold carrying to Kingman and was bought by Peter Brant who spent €5.2m on 10 Wildenstein mares. Previously a major industry figure, Brant owned the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Gulch while he was also involved in the brilliant nine-times Group 1 heroine Triptych. He demonstrated a near insatiable appetite for Wildenstein stock through the autumn.

The following week a condensed Tattersalls December Foal produced a solid set of results. In all the catalogue for the sale was slimmed down by 11% and it gave rise to a clearance rate of 78%.

At its conclusion the sale posted an aggregate of just over 30m-gns which was a 9% decrease on 2015. The average fell by two points to 41,142gns but the median progressed by 5% to 21,000gns. The star offering at the sale was a 600,000gns daughter of Dansili out of the high class middle distance runner High Heeled. She was bought by Peter Doyle for a partnership involving M.V. Magnier and Mayfair Speculators. In all 76 foals reached at least 100,000gns which was one short of a record for this sale.

The year at Tattersalls drew to a close with the December Mares Sale. A catalogue that perhaps wasn’t as strong as other recent editions fell just short on matching last year’s results. However, it still offered buyers the chance to secure an especially rare commodity in the dam of a dual Derby winner. The mare in question was Hazariya who achieved notable renown during the summer courtesy of her son Harzand.

A €480,000 purchase by Newsells Park Stud at the Goffs November Sale two years previously, the 14-year-old daughter of Xaar was offered in foal to Invincible Spirit and she sold by M.V. Magnier, acting for the Coolmore partners and Mayfair Speculators, for 2mgns. Sheikh Fahad had to settle for the role of under bidder on the mare who was one of two lots to breach the seven-figure barrier.