THIS week's three-day Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale saw significant gains on last year's edition.
Of the 551 commercially-bred yearlings to enter the sales ring this week, 457 of them (83%) were sold. The average price was €10,221, up 15%, and the median price (€6,000) was up 20%.
Irish trainers and breeze-up players drove demand at the top end but overseas buyers really held up the market and special mention must go to agent Bobby O'Ryan who signed for an astonishing 94 yearlings or 20% of the entire sale.
The two biggest price of the week came during Wednesday's session.
Breeze-up king Willie Browne, signing as JB Bloodstock [named after Willie's son Jamie], gave €88,000 for a Sioux Nation colt consigned by the O'Flynn family's Old Carhue Stud in Coachford, Co Cork. The colt is the first foal out of a mare by American Pharoah and from the family of high class US turf performer Uncle Benny.
JB Bloodstock bought five yearlings this week, including a €45,000 Starman filly from Tally-Ho Stud.
This year's champion first season sire was also responsible for Wednesday's second-highest price, €68,000, achieved by a filly from Jerry Murphy's Paal House Stud. Out of a mare by Harlan's Holiday who has already bred two winners from two runners, she was bought by Francisco Bernal of Outsider Bloodstock.
“I bought her for a Spanish client,” Bernal said. “She will go first to David Byrne in Rochestown Lodge Stud and come to Spain at the end of January. She will be trained in Madrid for one of the best owners, and we hope will be good enough to race in France. I love Starman and I particularly like this cross. I hoped to get her for no more than €50,000. These things happen, and if they are good everyone wants them.”
Sands Of Mali was one of the season's leading second season sires and on Wednesday he was responsible for a €58,000 filly who had cost just €4,000 as a foal.
The filly was offered by Olive O'Connor on behalf of Mark Brady who bought her from Rathbride Farm here 12 months ago.
She was bought today by Adam Potts of BBA Ireland who said: “I was very keen all year to get one by Sands Of Mali. He has 24 yearlings and they are going to be maybe a collectors’ item going forward.
“She has been bought to breeze and she will go to Cormac Farrell. She is out of a 93-rated Elusive Quality mare, one of the best broodmare sires around. The dam has produced two horses rated in the 80s. They got more of a trip but were by middle-distance sires. This is more of a speed mating.
"She looked very nice, and is from a deep Aga Khan family – they always pop up with a good horse. Hopefully, she can be the next one. She was very well bought as a foal because I found her very hard to fault, and I know the right men were underbidders as well.”
Olive O’Connor commented: "Mark loves his racing and breeding, and actually bought this filly as a companion for another. He is a businessman in Dublin and what a result this was.”
Agent Gerry Hogan paid €47,000 for a Churchill colt from Camas Park Stud and revealed it would be trained by Henry de Bromhead.
Like de Bromhead, trainer Gavin Cromwell is more associated with the jumps but both have trained Royal Ascot winners too. Cromwell will train a filly by Kodi Bear consigned by Noel O'Callaghan's Mountarmstrong Stud and bought by Kevin and Anna Ross for €36,000.
Danielle and Johnny Hurley of Woodlands Lodge in Cork gave €42,000 for a colt by State Of Rest and he will be prepared for the breeze-up sales.
"Vibrant renewal"
At the conclusion of business Goffs CEO Henry Beeby said: “Following record breaking results at Orby Books 1 and 2, we are pleased to have continued the positive trends with a vibrant renewal of the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale. Whilst our Orby results may grab the headlines with seven-figure sales toppers and classic-winning graduates, this week is every bit as important to Irish breeders as the catalogue is truly commercial in nature. So, it is crucial that we deliver the whole Goffs package over the three days and the team certainly views each lot to be as significant as any we offer in the year.
“'Goffs is the gateway to the world for Irish breeders' is a phrase we use, but it is much more than a marketing line as Kildare Paddocks clearly showed this week, with buyers from Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mongolia, Morocco, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, and the UK descending in huge numbers from Sunday, giving the sale a truly international flavour. Chief among them was the massive group of over 85 from Eastern Europe all organised by our agent Kishore Mirpuri who continues to raise the bar each year with an ever-bigger team of enthusiastic participants who accounted for over 140 lots.
“Our Italian friends are always a welcome, and sometimes flamboyant, addition to the crowd, and another 50-plus added further colour to proceedings and take home in excess of 50 yearlings. In that regard we are indebted to Angelo Robiati, “Mr Goffs” in Italy for over a quarter of a century. Angelo steps down from his role with our supreme thanks and appreciation, and we were pleased to acknowledge his immeasurable contribution to our fortunes at a dinner last night.
“Kishore and Angelo embody so much that is good about the Goffs service, and it is to our enormous benefit that we have the help and assistance of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing whose hard work is every bit as contributory to this sale as any other in the year. How blessed we are to have such an entity to work alongside our own excellent Purchaser Attraction Team, and their importance should never be underestimated or taken for granted. For our part we will continue to be major contributors to ITM as our clients reap the dividend at each of our sales, none more than this week.
“Whereas the overseas element of this sale is vital, it is should be noted that all bar one of the top 10 lots have been bought to stay in Ireland, and continue to demonstrate the value and quality that is on offer at each Goffs sale. That gives us purpose and continues to drive us forward at each sale. And so on to the market-leading Goffs November Foal Sale which has catalogued a mouthwatering selection of the best Irish foals to be offered anywhere this year. There really is nothing like it, and we can’t wait.”