THE healthy trade seen at Goffs for Book 1 of the Orby Sale continued on Wednesday when the opening day of the Orby Book 2 Sale saw a clearance rate of 86% - identical to last year's two-day Book 2 figure.
As business reached a close at 7pm on Wednesday, the average price was running at €27,500 - up 9% on the 2025 average - and the median price of €20,000 was in line with last year's final figure.
The day's top price of €210,000 was well ahead of last year's biggest bid of €150,000. In fact it is the highest price achieved at this sale since it was rechristened as Book 2 in 2023.
The €210,000 figure was paid for a filly by Cotai Glory consigned by the Irish National Stud on behalf of Austrian owner-breeder Michael Rosenfeld, who is best known in racing as the owner of smart sprinter Osterhase, trained by John Mulhern.
His filly was bought by American buyer Montgomery Motto, who outbid Barry Lynch, Paddy Twomey and Michael O'Callaghan.
Motto, who spent €430,000 on four fillies in Book 1, said: "I don't have a plan yet, but she'll likely race in Europe. I used to train for myself in Florida for many years, then I came to Europe and now I'm based between Italy and the UK. I have horses with two different trainers – Andrea Marcialis in Italy and Mauricio Delcher Sanchez in Chantilly.
"The last one we had by Cotai Glory was called Excellent Truth and she won a Group 3 in France and a Grade 1 in the US. This filly is very similar to Excellent Truth: nearly a spitting image, in fact. There was a lot of genuine competition for her. The market here is very strong, there's good quality throughout both the Book 1 and Book 2 catalogues. There's something for everyone."
The top buyer on Wednesday was Cristiana Brivio of Razza Latina, who spent €255,000 on nine yearlings. Next, in numerical terms, came agents Bobby O'Ryan and Kishore Mirpuri who bought seven horses for a total outlay of €100,000.
Awtaad pair
Paul Giles of Moyfinn Stud in Longworth, Co Meath, sold an Awtaad full-brother to Group 3 winner Create Belief for €140,000. Bred by Laurence Kennedy at Pigeon Park Stud in Longwood, Co Meath, the colt was bought by Kevin Ross Bloodstock and will be trained by Gavin Cromwell.
Kennedy bought the mare for just 18,000gns after she had won a Tipperary maiden for Jim Bolger and she has now bred three winners, including Star Girls Aalmal, who finished fourth in the Irish 1000 Guineas.
Kevin Ross said: “He has a lovely pedigree and is a lovely horse. He is going to take a bit of time, but we don’t mind that. We like the sire as well – we have had luck with him. The colt is for Gavin Cromwell. We have been lucky together; hopefully it keeps going. We have similar tastes in horses, and try to get a variety of different types, a few early ones and a few later types. He fitted the bill for us, just a lovely stamp of a horse. He has plenty of scope.”
Kennedy said: "We knew he was a nice horse, and initially thought we might put him in Book 1. Fair dues to Nick Nugent, he convinced us that the colt might stand out in Book 2. He would have been up very early in Book 1. Paul and his nephew James in Moyfinn Stud are just great at prepping and consigning, so they must take a lot of the credit too."
Later in the day a filly by Awtaad made €110,000. She was bred and consigned by Mark, Elaine and Ben Clarke of Wardstown Stud in Athboy, Co Meath. This filly is from the same family as the Group 1 winner Blond Me, also bred by the Clarkes.
Hubie de Burgh bought her on behalf of US owner Craig Bernick and she will be trained by Jessica Harrington.
"We love Awtaad and he is a very underrated stallion, and she comes from a very good family," de Burgh said.
“The filly is lovely too. I kind of thought she might make a little bit more, so we are all happy. She is from a great farm; they are wonderful people. I personally thought she looked so much like Awtaad, but both Kate and Jessie said she has a lot of Arcano [damsire]. I don’t know. She’ll be a two-year-old, and you have all those good bonuses and races. If everything works out well it will be happy days.”
Ben Clarke added: "Delighted. Timing is everything; her half-brother [Maestro Mark (Tamayuz)] broke the track record at Sha Tin last week. We are grateful to George Murphy who won with him in Ireland first. Things fell our way: we were lucky that the mare bred a very good model first and foremost, but then that update made a big difference. Very happy she’s going to a good home, and thankful to the underbidder, Joe Murphy.
“We’re big fans of Awtaad. He's a very good sire of fillies, and this one was typical of him. There's plenty of Cape Cross about her as well. She just has a lot of class.
“We keep about 14 to 16 mares and like to sell in Ireland, as we raise them here so it makes sense. We try our best to breed racehorses and the main thing for us is they’re successful on the track. Results like this make all the dark winter mornings worthwhile. It’s great when it works out. It doesn’t always, but it's very satisfying when it does and we'll enjoy it."
Juddmonte link
The only other six-figure yearling sold on Wednesday was a son of St Mark's Basilica bred by Aidan and Annemarie O'Brien. Consigned today by Baroda Stud, he was bought by Fearghal Hogan's Apollo Bloodstock for €105,000.
The colt is from the family of Group 3 winner Glowing and traces back to Juddmonte's Irish Oaks winner Wemyss Bight.
Hogan said: “He’s a lovely colt by a sire I think highly of. I really liked him from the moment I first saw him a few days ago, and I just went to look at him again after I’d bought and he looked even better again. I’m delighted to get him; let’s hope he’s lucky now.
“He’s been bought for a new client of mine and is going down to Joseph [O’Brien] to be trained; it’s exciting times. He should be a middle-distance horse in time. We were looking for something that will get seven furlongs at two and then train on and lengthen out as a three-year-old. There’ll be no hurry with him. and hopefully he’ll be worth the wait”.
Bamako Beach sister
Breeze-up consignor Eddie Linehan admitted to stretching his budget to pay €82,000 for a Sands Of Mali full-sister to smart three-year-old Bamako Beach.
“She’s a lovely, big, scopey filly who was my pick of the sale, so I’m very happy to get her,” said Linehan. “She’ll come back to go breezing, possibly one of the later sales next spring. Let’s just hope she can gallop now.
“Obviously the full-brother [Bamako Beach] is useful and I’ve been a big fan of Sands Of Mali for a long time. I haven’t had any myself but I bought a good one for Johnny Murtagh a few years ago called Songhai.
“It’s a tricky market to buy in. It’s hard to get the ones you want, so we’re doing our best only to buy the ones we know we can afford. I was happy to pay a small bit more than anticipated for this filly, though, as she was my number one.”
John Bourke, whose Lackagh Springs Stud, consigned the lot, said: “I'm absolutely delighted, but I can take little credit for it. She's Tom Foley of Ballygowan Stud’s filly and I was just consigning her for him. I only met her at the sale.
“Colm Kennedy prepped her at home with Tom. They did a wonderful job on her, and made mine easy. We kind of knew from the first day we started showing her that she was going to do well. She's an elegant, classy filly who covers the ground really well, and all the right judges seemed to be on her. They all lined up in the ring and it’s a wonderful result for Tom and his family. She was gorgeous, a big scopey filly.
“Ryan Conron was strong on her there with Eoin McDonagh, and they had Bamako Beach. He is a very good horse with Michael O’Callaghan and he will run in a listed race on Sunday. Ryan and Eoin told us all week that she was a way nicer model, so hopefully she can go on and be half as good.”
The sale concludes on Thursday.