TWO 10-hour sessions of selling at Kildare Paddocks for the Goffs Orby Book 1 Sale concluded on Tuesday evening with an improved set of figures, records set for average and median, and a clearance rate that finished a whisker short of being 90%.
Robust trade would sum up the action during the two sessions, with most vendors expressing satisfaction with demand, while buyers had stiff competition for the better lots.
One of the sale taglines says, “if the horse is here, the people will be here”. As the sale ring crowd thinned out late into the final day, there was still ample competition to ensure that Nicky Hartery’s Lope De Vega half-sister to Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks winner Going Global would command €1 million, making her the third seven-figure sum at the sale.
All the main owner interests were present or represented, and some provided moments of fun too. Who will forget John Stewart’s raised arm as he sat in the ring, indicating that it would stay in the air until his interest in the lot would end. As it turned out, he was the winning bidder!
Kia Joorabchian is another who enjoys the theatrics of the sale, and he was at the centre of a large team every time he had an interest in a lot.
Others eschew the limelight, with a few bidders utilising the online bidding system to stake a claim for a lot, in spite of being physically present on the sales ground. All of this overshadows the real reason for the sale, producers hopefully reaping their harvest, for many the result of three years of planning and execution. Two or three minutes in the ring is the culmination of that effort.
Ten lots sold in Goffs Orby Book 1 for half a million euro or more, with fillies edging out the colts. The top 10 were sired by nine different stallions, were consigned by eight different vendors, and purchased by eight different entities.
Such diversity reflects well on the 2025 edition of a sale that attracted buyers from all over the world, with many new faces present, the result of an aggressive marketing strategy by the company, working in tandem with Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. The big change from a year ago was among the profile of the leading purchasers.
Godolphin spent more than €5 million last year on seven lots, and they included the top three. This time they are listed for a single purchase, giving €180,000 for a son of Wootton Bassett from Ballylinch Stud, out of a stakes-winning daughter of Nathaniel. Juddmonte spent €1.6 million in 2024, taking home three lots, but this time their spend was a quarter of that total, Barry Mahon giving €440,000 for a Mehmas colt from Owenstown. Elsewhere he speaks about wanting to support Goffs.
Coolmore increase
While the near absence of Godolphin from the buyers’ sheets is disappointing, there were lots of pluses. M.V. Magnier increased his spend by some 50% and had his biggest outlay on the sale-topper.
He was headed on the purchasers list though by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing. He bought a total of nine lots for just a bid short of €3.2 million, while John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock made a big impact on the opening day.
A special mention for Rabbah Bloodstock and Jaber Abdullah. In terms of numbers, they signed for 12 lots, and they are hugely important at every sale.
Eleven leading farms were among the top dozen vendors, but that list was led by The Castlebridge Consignment who sold 29 horses and came agonisingly close to hitting the €5 million mark. Glenvale, Baroda, Tally-Ho and Ballylinch all exceeded €2 million in sales.
When it comes to the comparative figures, there were a couple of noteworthy achievements, which were perhaps not highlighted as much as they should have been. The sale produced new records for average and median, and it was the latter that the sales team will be especially proud about. It grew year on year by 23%, and stands now at €98,000.
Goffs catalogued 50 less horses in Book 1, yet sold 194 lots for €100,000 or more, a big increase on 159 last year.
AS was the case in 2024, the top three lots sold at the second session of the Goffs Orby Book 1 sale.
That day’s selling was building up to the moment when the best lot of the sale appeared. This was Glenvale Stud’s daughter of No Nay Never, an own-sister to four winners, two of them outstanding. With Henry Beeby wielding the gavel, bidding climbed to €1.9 million before he brought it down in favour of M.V. Magnier.
Given the success that Teams Coolmore and Ballydoyle have had, and are having, with the filly’s siblings, it was no surprise that Magnier would be keen to acquire the filly, bred by Newstead Breeding out of the Born To Sea mare Muirin.
The dam has a perfect record, all of her first four foals being winners. Her first was champion juvenile Blackbeard, and his Group 1 wins came in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes. At stud in Coolmore, his first crop yearlings are on the market.
His younger full-brother Charles Darwin has won his three most recent starts, culminating with victory in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.
After he had signed for this week’s full-sister, M.V. Magnier said: “She is a lovely filly and Blackbeard too was a very good racehorse. His yearlings are selling very well; they look very promising. He is having a good sale, and apparently, he has a good few good ones coming up in the next couple of weeks. “About Charles Darwin, Aidan thinks a lot of him; he thinks he is a very good horse. I am not saying that he is Albert Einstein or anything like that – Albert Einstein looks like he is special and Charles Darwin looks like he is going to be very good.
“There is a lot going on in the family, and Muirin is in foal to Wootton Bassett. This is a very valuable filly and it is good for Goffs and for everyone. They have done a good job all week and got people here, and good horses too. Every year something good comes out of the sale. To be fair to the mare, she has always had a good looker. Blackbeard was a very nice horse; Charles Darwin looks like he could be a proper job.”
Future plans
This weekend’s Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp is arguably the most influential race on the European programme, and one that Magnier and partners would be keen to win. Their leading hope is Minnie Hauk, a Goffs graduate two years ago.
Magnier said: “Ben Sangster in fairness to him sold her here a couple of years ago and she made a lot of money as well [€1,850,000]. She is a real advertisement for the sale. To win an Arc you need something special. Aidan is very happy with her. It would be great for the lads.”
With an Arc to look forward to, Magnier then reflected on the recent passing of Wootton Bassett while shuttling to Australia. “I was a bit down in the mouth when it happened, but my father said that there’s a lot of things to be happy about. We have the best bunch of young horses we ever had in Coolmore – Auguste Rodin, City Of Troy and St Mark’s Basilica who is absolutely flying, and they can turn out to be something special.
“I think Delacroix [by Dubawi], Henri Matisse and Camille Pissarro [both by Wootton Bassett] will retire [to Coolmore for 2026] – that’s the plan at the minute. It is an exciting time for us with the young horses we have. If we had Albert Einstein running all year, not injured, he could have done something exceptional. Thankfully we and our clients have lots of Wootton Bassett produce to look forward to, and mares in foal to him. It’s a shame for everyone, but sadly these things happen.
“What happened is a freak accident and a big shame. They did an incredible job to try and save him. Put it to you this way, if I get sick, I will be going down there so they can look after me too!”
Magnier concluded by putting to bed the rumours circulating that Justify could transfer from Ashford to Coolmore. “I would say that he will stay in America. He is an incredible stallion with what he is doing worldwide, in Australia and around the world, on grass and dirt. You can never say never, but I think he will stay where he is for now. America is the right place for him.”
DAUGHTERS of Night Of Thunder and Lope De Vega, two of the best sires in Europe and both based in Ireland, were highlights of the sale, each selling for €1 million. Both sold on Tuesday after the sale-topper had been through.
Just four years after No Speak Alexander produced her best run to win the Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown for Mountarmstrong Stud’s Noel O’Callaghan and family, her second offspring, a Night Of Thunder filly, sold to Amo Racing for €1 million.
It was left to bloodstock agent Alex Elliott to comment on the purchase. “We don’t need to say too much about Night Of Thunder at this stage – what a year he’s had. She’s out of a Group 1 winner and it’s Noel’s family from top to bottom.
“She’s a very sweet, good-bodied filly. She’s going to have to be early. She’s a January foal, she’s bred to be fast and she looks fast. I’d say we’re going to know our fate early as you’d like to think she’s in that Royal Ascot two-year-old type of mould. The price was at the top end of our range.”
Elliott commented on the market: “There’s been some really good horses here, as always, and I’ve found them quite buyable. Goffs do a great job getting people here. Look at the board downstairs, from Minnie Hauk going back, there’s been a lot of good racehorses come out of here. I’m very pleased that Kia’s come back and hopefully we’ll find him some good ones.”
O’Callaghan added: “We are not surprised. She was good from day one. Let’s hope she is a good racemare. We have had a good sale.”
Hours later, as night fell, the young Goffs auctioneer Tadhg Dooley sold his first million-euro lot. The landmark sale was of a Lope De Vega half-sister to six winners, from The Castlebridge Consignment and offered on behalf HRI chairman Nicky Hartery. Accepting congratulations from many, Hartery said: “I am very pleased. She was a lovely filly from the day she was born, and I can only hope she is successful for her new owner. I was hopeful she would do well, and she has. The family has been very good for me.”
As Hugo Merry signed the purchase docket, Blue Diamond Stud’s Imad Al Sagar said: “Beautiful. More important than the pedigree is her conformation. She’s a very correct, strong, early type. She looks ready to go.”
RESOLUTE Bloodstock’s John Stewart, seated with his wife Chelsey Stone Stewart, was off the mark in double-quick time, making a number of early purchases. In fact, his four buys were completed within four hours on Monday.
He opened with McCracken Farms’ Ghaiyyath half-sister to a pair of top-flight winners, paying €230,000 for a half-sister to Best Solution, winner of two Group 1 races in Germany and the Caulfield Cup in Australia, and to the French juvenile Group 1 winner and French Derby runner-up El Bodegon.
A little more than an hour later, Stewart spent the opening day’s best price of €675,000 for Blue Point’s half-brother to last year’s juvenile Group 2 winner Bay City Roller, recently runner-up in the Group 2 Prix Niel. Tom Whelan’s Church View Stables consigned him on behalf of Johnny Connaughton who bred and raced the dam, dual listed winner Bloomfield.
Last year, Connaughton was at the sale to see the colt’s full-sister realise €850,000, and she also was the opening day’s top lot. Johnny didn’t make it to the sale this year. Whelan said: “Fantastic. Unbelievable. Lovely horse, never put a foot wrong. Bred by a great man; he’s not here today but his daughter and granddaughter are.
“I am glad they are here to see this, but sadly he’s not. He’ll be thinking there about this, and it will be a great tonic for him. I have had him for about the last 10 weeks and he has been straightforward, no issues. It’s a fantastic result and let’s hope he is as lucky for the next person. That’s what it’s all about.”
“It’s a really good pedigree, and the dam’s record is only going to improve,” Stewart said. “We’re really high on Blue Point; he rates very highly on our system. He was one of the top colts we had for today and so we’re excited to get him. I felt like he was a good price; I think we got a bit of value for a colt from such a proven family.
It’s my first time here in person. It’s good fun and the yards are easy to work. The weather could have been better, but it’s a typical Irish fall, I guess!”
Making his fourth and final purchase, Stewart took his spend to more than €1.5 million when buying Frankel’s half-brother to the Derby winner Desert Crown, the hammer coming down at €550,000. Sold under The Castlebridge Consignment, the colt was bred by Coolmore. “Of course we’re big fans of Frankel,” said Stewart. “He’s a strong stallion and we sent our Breeders’ Cup winner Caravel over to be bred to him twice. The colt has a really nice pedigree: the dam’s already produced a champion. I think we got good value on him. Frankel’s stud fee is £350,000, after all. He’ll more than likely go to Francis [Graffard].”
Redvers buying for Monceaux syndicate
BRED by Coolmore, a daughter of Wootton Bassett out of the dual classic winner Hermosa, sold for €625,000 to David Redvers. She is a half-sister to this year’s Royal Ascot Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes winner Trinity College, narrowly second in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, and now in Australia.
“She’s for a partnership based around Henri Bozo and Ecurie des Monceaux”, revealed Redvers. “We have found it increasingly difficult to buy broodmares with that sort of page, so we decided we’d see if we could find some proper pedigrees at the yearling sales with a view to having the upside of racing them before adding them to the broodmare band later on.
“She’ll come to Tweenhills to be broken in and then go across the Channel and Henri will manage her from there on. Henri has training plans under control; it’ll either be Francis Graffard or André Fabre, one of the two. There’s a group of four partners in her; we bought a beautiful New Bay filly earlier on in the day as well [Lot 44 from Airlie Stud for €230,000].”
John Ferguson returns to Goffs as a vendor
BRED by Natalma Bloodstock, an international bloodstock investment portfolio headed by John Ferguson, and the Tsui family’s Sunderland Holding, Glenvale Stud sold a son of Sea The Stars from a deep pedigree for €550,000 to Billy Jackson-Stops and trainer George Scott. The colt’s grandam is the Dubawi stakes winner Crystal Zvezda, and she boasts of having one of Sea The Stars’ best runners as her half-brother, Crystal Ocean.
Jackson-Stops said “He goes to George Scott and is for Victorious Forever [renamed after the merger of Victorious Racing and KHK Racing]. He has a pedigree we all know and we are really excited about the horse. We strive for success, and we improve our chances with a horse like him. He made a little bit more than we thought but that is what you have to pay. When horses like this come up you have to dig deep.
“The sire is unbelievable. He goes and goes and goes, on the track and in the sale ring; it is always good to have a horse by a sire like him. It gives you the best chance of success.”
Amo stays late to buy Frankel colt Wonderful
THE penultimate lot on day one was Staffordstown’s son of Frankel, out of Kirsten Rausing’s Group British Champions Fillies/Mare Stakes winner Madame Chiang. Her first five foals are winners. Kia Joorbachian’s bid of €525,000 won out. .
Alex Elliott said: “This is a horse that will take a lot of time. David Simcock has trained the whole family and it has been very good to him. Converted back to sterling, going into next week and buying Frankel colts, he could look good value. He is going to take plenty of time, a three-year-old type, but he could be a very good stayer and win some big races down the line.”
Wonderful season and a good week for Twomey
PADDY Twomey is having a wonderful season, and he has been stocking up for 2026 with many purchases this week. Heading the list was his fourth purchase, and fourth filly, Kildaragh Stud’s daughter of Havana Grey out of the winning dam Suvenna, whose five previous offspring are now all winners. The best is Primo Bacio, a listed winner and Group 2-placed. The filly cost €520,000.
Kildaragh’s Peter Kavanagh said: “We’re very pleasantly surprised. Havana Grey’s been good to the family; my son has had great luck with him [sold Vandeek for 625,000gns]. Hopefully there’s more to come; we’ve bought a couple of yearlings by him as well.” This is the first year that Twomey has had juveniles by the sire, and at the Curragh last weekend he saddled Black Caviar Gold to win the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes.
“Havana Grey needs no introduction,” Twomey said. “We bought five yearlings by him last year. It was the first time we had them and this year we had a lot of success. She’s for an existing owner. His stock are sound, tough and able. She’s a lovely filly from great consignors.”
Regan gives €500,000 for Ballylinch-bred filly
NEWTOWN Anner Stud’s Maurice Regan will race, and eventually breed from, Ballylinch Stud’s New Bay full-sister to one of that stallion’s best runners to date, Saffron Beach. She won the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes, Group 1 Prix Rothschild and was runner-up in the Group 1 Matron Stakes and 1000 Guineas. Henry Beeby’s gavel fell at €500,000, to P.J. Colville’s winning bid.
Colville said: “We thought she was a bit of a collector’s item, a full-sister to a Group 1 winner. Maurice came in this morning to see her and thought she was a very nice filly. She has a great outlook and great step to her. It is a big price but I thought she was a very good physical, and she ticked the boxes for us anyway. Maurice likes breeding.
“Our focus is on fillies and we sell a lot of the colts, and when we go to the sales, we hope to pick up a few fillies, and try to get blacktype every year.”
AT THE conclusion of the two-day Goffs Orby Book 1, Goffs’ group chief executive Henry Beeby issued a comprehensive statement covering the happenings in the sale ring.
He said: “Consistent. That is the word that probably sums up the Orby Book 1 of recent years. Whereas other sales often rise one year and fall back another, the Irish National Yearling Sale has proved reliably steady, making year-on-year progress since the pandemic.
“A top price of €1.9 million backed up by two more seven-figure transaction has led two days of remarkably solid trade for a catalogue of good-looking potential winners. Buyers have flowed from the UK, with a huge number of British trainers competing with a large contingent of American visitors and a sizeable number of bidders from the Gulf Region.
“It was a huge pleasure to welcome John Stewart of Resolute Racing in person, along with our leading buyer Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing, neither of whom were here last year, and they did battle with Orby stalwarts like M.V. Magnier, Godolphin, Rabbah, Al Shira’aa, David Redvers, Joseph O’Brien and Highflyer, while another in-person newcomer, Charlie Bond of Bond Thoroughbred, also made his presence felt to great effect. That spread of buyers at the top is another factor that sets this sale apart, as the top 10 lots were bought by eight separate entities.
“These leading buyers bid safe in the knowledge that they have bought from a sale that has delivered again and again this season, with classic and Group 1 winners along with top two-year-olds all serving to promote Orby to a global audience. Add to that the unique Goffs Two Million Series and it’s plain to see it’s a real no-brainer to attend and buy.
“The excitement of Saturday’s Million Day was a fitting end to the last few months as we have rejoiced in paying out €1 million of Orby bonuses on 20 racedays in Ireland and the UK. The thrill of those top-class wins, and the extra prize money provided by the Million Series has been palpable as both represent “job done”, although we always look forward to the next one.
“Marketing initiatives are part of what we do, but we are nothing without the horses and we are grateful to our vendors who have supported the sale so well. We recognise there are alternatives and take nothing for granted, but we exist to provide a global stage for the best Irish horses, and we have been delighted to return some excellent results for so many great people, not least some of the long-established farms that have been attending Orby for most if not all of the last 50 years, since Kildare Paddocks was launched in 1975.
“Names like Airlie, Owenstown, Rathasker, Staffordstown and others have been in the indices for as long as any of us can remember, and sent standout lots to us again this week, and got well paid. Add to the mix a smattering of UK vendors this year and we can reflect on a sale that has returned improved statistics again, with rises in all the key metrics, perhaps most notably the median which has improved by 23%, an impressive 89% clearance rate and a record average and median to underline the consistent nature of the two days.
“As ever we are indebted to every client, both buyers and vendors, whilst also acknowledging the devotion of the superb horsemen and women who present the yearlings in prime condition from start to finish.