A much improved set of final figures for the two day November Breeding Stock Sale enabled Goffs to end its week long November run on a high this evening.
Following on from the foal sale, whose figures finished adrift of those from 2015, the Breeding Stock section of the sale was altogether stronger than last year. Even setting aside the blue chip Wildenstein dispersal, the last two days represented a fine edition of the auction. At its conclusion the sale posted some sweeping gains with the turnover growing from just under €10m to over €20m. The average of €52,271 was a progression of 67% while the €15,000 median held steady. The clearance rate for the two days came in at a fine 85%.
The top lot on the final day was Pat Flynn’s speedy five-times winner Little Sweetheart who was sold in foal to crack sprinter Starspangledbanner. A half-sister to a stakes winner in America and out of a stakes winner, Little Sweetheart was easily the most popular lot of the day. She eventually sold to the BBA Ireland’s Eamonn Reilly for €135,000.
“She was my pick of the day and I’ve bought her for an Irish client who is just getting started. She’s a fast mare and was sold with a good covering,” reported Reilly.
The final batch of Aga Khan-owned stock to come under the hammer featured some popular fillies and they included the capable Baliyka, who won a Gowran maiden for Dermot Weld during the summer. The half-sister to the Group 3-placed Balansiya was bought by Indian agent Gaurav Rampal, acting for Anthony Stroud, for €80,000.
Another mainstay of the sale is the Derrinstown Stud draft and it contained one of the leading lights of today’s trade in the winning Zakhrafa. This daughter of Shamardal was sold in foal to the Australian Group 1 winner Shooting To Win and she went to Australian purchaser Robert Roulston for €75,000. Earlier this week Roulston bought a €90,000 Dark Angel filly foal for Chinese client Rifa Mustang and he was acting for the same purchaser for this daughter of the high-class Walayef.
“I’m a big fan of Shamardal and wanted to buy a mare by him and she’s in foal to a very good looking horse. She’ll probably stay here but I don’t know where she will be sent to,” commented Roulston.
A busy week on the buying front for Tally-Ho Stud concluded with the €60,000 purchase of the well bred Please Me. The Skymarc Farm-owned filly is a Teofilo half-sister to the Desmond Stakes winner Future Generation and the Group 3-placed Rasmeyaa. Tally-Ho also gave €42,000 for the Aga Khan’s Asmeen, who is a half-sister to the smart Weld-trained runner Ashraf.
The first major purchase of the day came when Stefano Luciani, acting through Emerald Bloodstock, spent €52,000 on the Irish National Stud’s winning filly Invincible Lia, who is related to some decent sorts in France.
“She’ll go to stud and it’s an active family that I am involved in,” stated Luciani. “Hebah (by Sea The Stars) is this filly’s two-year-old half-sister and she’s a good filly. It’s a current and active family and further down the page you have the likes of Lawman. I’m not sure where she will go yet, possibly she could stay in Ireland.”
Final Figures - Breeding Stock Sale
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2014 449 375 297 7,777,400 26,187 13,500
2015 471 407 314 9,826,400 31,294 15,000
2016 530 467 397 20,751,700 52,271 15,000
Final Figures - Day 2
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2014 193 151 118 1,079,100 9,145 7,500
2015 194 163 116 1,185,900 10,223 6,000
2016 272 225 181 2,141,700 11,833 7,500
Final Figures - Entire November Sale
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2014 1450 1247 1038 35,270,100 33,979 20,000
2015 1672 1464 1124 35,678,900 31,743 17,000
2016 1753 1507 1095 40,840,050 37,301 15,000