A CONDENSED catalogue, the presence and activity of a host of major industry figures, a remarkable cross section of international buyers and two fillies of rare quality all played their part in helping this year’s Orby Sale to an impressive and much improved set of final figures.

As was the case 12 months ago, the country’s flagship sale produced two seven-figure transactions but this year’s millionaire lots came in at the much higher figures of €3.2 million and €2 million. Indeed the sale-topping €3.2 million Galileo filly is the highest priced yearling to be sold in Ireland since Authaal made 3,100,000gns at this sale all the way back in 1984 and she now holds the distinction of being the most expensive filly to be sold at the Orby.

All this played a pivotal role in this year’s smaller sale – some 64 fewer horses were offered over the two days – producing an aggregate of almost €43.5 million which was a 7% progression on 2017. The average of €132,948 took a far bigger jump of 22% and the median of €80,000 represented an improvement of 23%. As expected, given the trade witnessed over the two days, the clearance rate improved from 86% to 89%.

TOP LOTS

The progeny of the Theatrical mare Green Room have excelled at this sale but to nothing like the extent of the €3.2 million which the latest Galileo filly out of Vimal and Gillian Khosla’s outstanding producer fetched on Wednesday afternoon.

The Ballylinch Stud-consigned filly was always likely to play a starring role at this year’s sale as a sister to the Oaks heroine Forever Together (who adorned the front of the catalogue) and the Fillies’ Mile winner Together Forever and a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Lord Shanakill.

The first-named duo were both bought at this sale by M.V. Magnier and there was a point in the bidding, when he rounded the price up from €2.7 million to €3 million, that he looked to have made a decisive move.

However, for the second time in as many days the big-spending Phoenix Thoroughbreds team of Dermot Farrington, Amer Abdulaziz and Tom Ludt would not be deterred in their quest for the rare chance to buy a yearling filly out of a mare who has produced three individual Group 1 winners.

This purchase by Phoenix followed hot on the heels of another bidding war with M.V. Magnier the previous afternoon for a €2 million Galileo sister to the multiple Group 1-winning miler Alice Springs.

She was sold by Glenvale Stud and is an own-sister to four other stakes-placed runners by Galileo.

Phoenix also carried the day for this filly whose dam, Aleagueoftheirown, has been represented at public auction by four yearlings who have grossed in excess of €5.5 million.

For their part, Phoenix ended the two days as the sale’s leading purchaser after forking out just under €6 million for six horses.

This continued a busy yearling sales season for the team who spent just short of $9 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale; 2018 has been a successful one of the track for the increasingly familiar Phoenix colours with the likes of Advertise and Signora Cabello having emerged as leading two-year-olds in Britain.

BUOYANT OPENER

A remarkably buoyant opening session yielded a pair of €850,000 transactions and the first of these was a colt by Kingman whose first runners have made a major impression this year.

Anthony Stroud and John Gosden had to settle for the role of underbidders as David Redvers signed for this prized half-brother to Tetrarch Stakes winner Alkasser.

The colt, who was consigned by his breeder Noel O’Callaghan, is also from the immediate family of top two-year-old Anthem Alexander and he shares his sire with a very promising Qatar Racing-owned juvenile in Sparkle Roll.

The €850,000 mark was also reached by a daughter of Showcasing who was knocked down to agent Mark Player and he reported that he was acting on behalf of an international client.

The 220,000gns foal purchase, who is an own-sister to the high-class sprinter Tasleet, was a bold pinhook but the decision paid off in some style as Player dug deep to fend off Laurent Benoit.

GODOLPHIN TEAM

Sheikh Mohammed attended the sale in person for the first time in 13 years and his Godolphin team were busy stockpiling future talent, spending just over €3 million on eight lots.

Their most expensive purchase was a €750,000 daughter of Sea The Stars who was offered by Mount Coote Stud on behalf of her breeders, the Tsui family’s Sunderland Holdings Inc.

The relation to the 1000 Guineas winner Sleepytime is out of a mare who was picked up for 270,000gns at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mare Sale.

Shortly afterwards, Godolphin spent €475,000 on an Australia half-sister to the useful Saracen Knight, and the following day Anthony Stroud had to go €500,000 for a Camelot filly out of a half-sister to Wrote.

Other Godolphin purchases included a €360,000 son of Le Havre from Airlie Stud and a €350,000 Siyouni colt offered by Tally-Ho Stud who was showing a good return on the €72,000 he cost as a foal.

PINHOOKING GOLD

No Nay Never’s exploits with his first crop of runners this year have resulted in demand for his yearlings going stratospheric and he was the source of one of the all-time great pinhooks midway though the first session. In the Goffs ring last November Glenvale Stud man Ciaran Conroy parted with €52,000 to secure a No Nay Never filly from the family of High Chaparral.

In the interim her sire has produced horses the calibre of Ten Sovereigns and her juvenile half-brother, Raakeb Alhawa, looked a colt of major potential with a winning debut in a Newbury conditions late last month. All this made the filly one of the most prized offerings in the sale and she provided Conroy with a spectacular dividend when selling to M.V. Magnier for €700,000.

Glenvale ended the sale as the leading consignor with 18 horses sold for just under €5.5 million.

SHADWELL’S CHOICES

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum struck for two choice offerings on the opening day when giving €400,000 for a colt from the first crop of Free Eagle before then spending €500,000 on a filly from the first crop of his brilliant sprinter Muhaarar. The filly is out of the Pretty Polly Stakes second Beach Bunny.

American agent Shawn Dugan also reached the €500,000 mark when she bought a Frankel half-sister to the top sprinter Kingsgate Native, and Eamonn Reilly signed for a €480,000 daughter of Camelot from a superb Juddmonte family. The Camelot, who was one of 26 yearlings knocked down to the BBA Ireland, was purchased on behalf of Gerrardstown House Stud owner Frank Fahy.