AMERICAN buyers have become an important factor at the Goffs Orby Sale over the years, whether shopping for export or to race in Ireland, and Goffs Group Chief Exective Henry Beeby reports that another strong contingent is jetting in from the US for next week’s sale.
“A number of American buyers, including some new faces, are coming over,” Beeby told The Irish Field on Thursday.
“We have invested a lot of time and resources there this year. Jacob West has been our agent there for a while and this year Louis Dubois, who used to work for Wesley Ward, joined the team. Tom Taaffe has spent a huge amount of time there this year to promote the sales. So, we would be very hopeful of a really strong contingent of American buyers here.”
The strength of the recent US yearling sales bodes well for the market, Beeby adds. “There’s a huge hunger for horses there, and they want turf horses. Of course, the catalogue cover horse [Irish Oaks winner Johanna Walsh] was bought by American connections, Wells Watson and Andrew Cary, last year. They’ll be here, and plenty of others will follow them.”
International buyers are also an important factor at the proceeding Orby Book 2, with Razza Latina and Bobby O’Ryan (who has numerous Eastern European clients) among the top 10 buyers 12 months ago, and consignors will be encouraged by Beeby’s hopes for another good turnout next week.
“We’re expecting a good bunch of people for Orby Book 2, including loads of Europeans including Scandinavians and Eastern Europeans,” he reports.
“Our Eastern European agent has been working hard, ITM [Irish Thoroughbred Marketing] have done a very good job and Joey Cullen’s been all over the place, so we’d be expecting a good contingent there and a strong trade to roll on through the four days at its level.”
Arapaho Gold has flown the flag for Orby Book 2 this season, with Michael Dods’ €42,000 purchase from Newlands House Stud making it four from four in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes. Robson de Aguiar’s Anglesey Stakes winner Ballinea Star was another smart juvenile sourced at last year’s sale, sold by Old Carhue Stud to Fagner Santos for €26,000.
The Orby opener has enjoyed similar success with this year’s juveniles, led by Norfolk Stakes victor Orthodox (€175,000 from Grangeclare Stud to Clive Cox), Group 1 third Velozee (€92,000 from Manister House Stud to Paddy Twomey) and Group 2 winner Green Empress (€55,000 from Norelands Stud to Highflyer and Joseph O’Brien). They are among 123 individual two-year-old winners this year produced by Orby Book 1 and Orby Book 2 combined.
Star draft
O’Brien will no doubt be keen to buy from Norelands again next week, as his Irish Oaks winner Johanna Walsh was sold by the McCalmont family on behalf of Sunderland Holdings for €460,000.
Maribeth Sandford is another US-based owner who recently enjoyed pattern success with an Orby purchase, with Johnny Murtagh’s Jersey Stakes second Take Charge Star (€300,000 from Camas Park Stud to Legion Bloodstock) going one better in a Grade 2 at Kentucky Downs earlier this month.
Twelve months ago, the Starspangledbanner colt secured a €50,000 bonus when winning his maiden and all horses bought at each of the Orby Sales this year are also eligible the programme, along with the €1,000,000 Goffs Million at the Curragh.
The average price paid at Book 2 last year was €25,296, while the median price was €20,000; Book 1 produced corresponding figures of €133,569 and €95,000. Ten Bob Tony is proof that Group 1 winners can be bought for below-average prices, having been sold by Knocktoran Stud for €62,000.
Resold by Thomond O’Mara for €100,000, the flashy chesnut has gone on to win three group races and earn over €1,000,000 in prize money. Bay City Roller (€320,000 from Church View Stables to Clive Washbourn, JS Bloodstock and George Scott) has accumulated similar earnings and two Group 1 victories.
Their sires, Night Of Thunder and New Bay, are well-represented next week, along with the likes of Dubawi, Frankel, Justify, Kingman, Lope De Vega, Mehmas, No Nay Never, Sea The Stars, St Mark’s Basilica, Starspangledbanner and Wootton Bassett.
Seven lots are out of Group 1-winning mares, 22 are siblings to Group 1 winners and a further 46 are siblings of Group 2 and 3 winners. The Book 2 catalogue features 60 yearlings out of blacktype mares and 73 siblings to stakes performers.
Lot 1: Full-brother to dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach (New Bay)
Lot 3: Too Darn Hot colt out of Matron Stakes heroine Fiesolana
Lot 5: Wootton Bassett filly out of Grade 1 runner-up Flirting Bridge
Lot 11: Bayside Boy filly is a three-parts sister to Irish 2000 Guineas second New Energy
Lot 18: Full-sister to group-winning juveniles Great Barrier Reef and Mystery Power
Lot 27: Baaeed half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Goliath
Lot 43: Full-brother to champion older mare Emily Upjohn
Lot 66: Full-sister to three stakes winners, including Sydney Cup winner Shraaoh
Lot 76: Wootton Bassett filly out of a Group 3-winning full-sister to three classic winners
Lot 94: Frankel colt out of Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed Lah Ti Dar
Lot 97: Frankel colt out of the top-class racemare Laurens
Lot 106: Full-brother to impressive Group 1 National Stakes Folsom Blues
Lot 114: Baaeed brother to two group performers, out of Group 1 winner Madame Chiang
Lot 118: Phoenix Of Spain filly is closely related to Group 1 scorer Gold Phoenix (Belardo)
Lot 154: Justify half-sister to champion three-year-old filly Minnie Hauk
Lot 159: Full-brother to Windsor Castle Stakes winner and Prix Robert Papin second King Of Cloughan
Lot 176: Blackbeard sister to Group 1-placed juvenile Velozee (Sioux Nation)
Lot 177: Own-brother to Goffs 500 winner Bolo Neighs and a half-brother to Nunthorpe Stakes second Que Amoro
Lot 178: Kingman filly out of a Grade 1 performer
Lot 186: Dubawi filly out of Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Peaceful
Lot 188: Full-brother to Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Ethical Diamond
Lot 198: Sea The Stars half-sister to Lowther Stakes winner and Group 1 sprinter Swingalong
Lot 217: No Nay Never colt out of Queen Mary Stakes winner Quick Suzy
Lot 222: Paddington half-sister to Matron Stakes winner No Speak Alexander
Lot 246: Night Of Thunder filly out of Group 3 winner and French 1000 Guineas second Sea Of Grace
Day 2
Lot 255: Full-brother to Just A Game Stakes winner Dynamic Pricing (Night Of Thunder)
Lot 316: Frankel colt out of Pretty Polly Stakes winner Urban Fox
Lot 317: Camelot half-brother to Jebel Hatta Stakes victor Alfareeq
Lot 330: Full-sister to four stakes horses, including Grade 1 winner Expensive Queen
Lot 333: Blue Point half-brother to three group performers, including Del Mar Oaks heroine Going Global
Lot 337: Full-sister to Group 2 winner and Group 1 third Aloha Star
Lot 358: Baaeed half-sister to multiple group winner and Group 1 performer Chindit
Lot 359: Full-brother to Prix Vermeille winner Teona, out of Pretty Polly Stakes heroine Ambivalent
Lot 377: Full-brother to two stakes winners, including Lowther Stakes heroine Living In The Past
Lot 384: St Mark’s Basilica half-sister to Group 1 winner Dubai Mile
Lot 388: Modern Games half-sister to one of this year’s top two-year-old fillies in Senorita Bonita
Lot 389: Wootton Bassett half-brother to Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck and Group 1-winning sprinter Bounding
Lot 392: Siyouni half-brother to Group 1 Preis von Europa winner Aspetar
Lot 403: Sioux Nation colt out of a full-sister to the dam of Blackbeard
Lot 409: Coulsty half-sister to Gimcrack Stakes victor Arapaho Gold
Lot 433: Starspangledbanner colt out of a group-placed full-sister to Kingfisher and to the dam of Precise
Lot 436: Ghaiyyath half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Irishcorrespondent
Lot 447: Kingman half-brother to champion two-year-old filly Skitter Scatter
Lot 454: Camelot half-brother to dual Group 1 scorer Jan Brueghel and Irish Derby victor Sovereign
Lot 460: Wootton Bassett half-sister to Lowther Stakes winner and Group 1 performer Besharah
Lot 475: Wootton Bassett filly out of a full-sister to Roly Poly and U S Navy Flag
Lot 477: Siyouni colt out of a full-sister to dual Group 1 winner Capri
Lot 512: Full-brother to Group 3 scorer Create Belief (Awtaad)
Lot 570: Sioux Nation out of a blacktype half-sister to Coventry Stakes winner Rajasinghe
Lot 595: Phoenix Of Spain half-sister to Lonsdale Cup runner-up Stratum
Lot 606: Study Of Man half-brother to a stakes horse, out of a dual listed winner
Lot 624: Native Trail half-sister to three-time group winner Term Of Endearment, out of a Group 1-placed mare
Lot 632: Bungle Inthejungle filly out of Falmouth Stakes heroine Music Show
Lot 666: Full-brother to Group 3 winner Orne, out of a group-placed half-sister to Space Traveller
Lot 671: Siyouni colt out of a full-sister to dual group winner Plumatic
Lot 683: Make Believe colt out of a full-sister to Dawn Approach
Lot 740: Full-sister to dual listed winner and Prix Morny fourth Manhattan Jungle
Lot 744: Blackbeard brother to Flying Childers Stakes winner Final Objective
Lot 745: Space Blues half-sister to Queen Mary Stakes winner Quick Suzy
Lot 751: Sioux Nation filly out of a full-sister to multiple group winner Sovereign Debt
Lot 792: Sioux Nation half-brother to French 1000 Guineas heroine Dream And Do
Lot 832: Mehmas filly out of a Group 2-placed half-sister to Twilight Payment
Lot 870: Phoenix Of Spain sister to Group 1 winner Fiach McHugh