I IMAGINE there must be mixed feelings for foal vendors if pinhookers make a profit on their purchases – perhaps wishing they had sold for that price themselves, while also glad of the repeat business it will likely bring.
Twelve months on, the 2025 Goffs November Foal Sale appears successful for breeders and pinhookers alike, as breeders benefited from record turnover and an average price of €48,318, minutely short of the 2024 figure which represented a 60% increase from the previous year.
Given the strength of foal trade, it was quite remarkable that 46% of pinhooked foals made a profit as yearlings, gaining a 31% increase on their investments, as outlined in this publication last week, as part of my analysis on the 2025 pinhooks.
Pinhooking highlights from 2025 sale
Peak profits
The foal to produce the greatest profit was sourced at Goffs; Yeomanstown Stud paid a punchy €200,000 and their investment proved shrewd when Godolphin paid 1,300,000gns for the Ghaiyyath colt at Tattersalls Book 1.
That success remains relevant this year, as The Castlebridge Consignment offer the mare’s Sioux Nation filly as Lot 606. She is one of 38 foals catalogued by Sioux Nation, who has enjoyed a standout season led by Sun Goddess.
Ghaiyyath, the sire who supplied the mammoth profit, himself a graduate of this sale, is responsible for 20 lots next week, while other leading sires represented include Blue Point (2), Camelot (6), Dark Angel (18), Havana Grey (5), Lope De Vega (3), Mehmas (18), New Bay (26), Night Of Thunder (1), No Nay Never (9), Sea The Moon (1), Sea The Stars (2), Siyouni (2), Starman (58), Starspangledbanner (9), Too Darn Hot (2), Wootton Bassett (3) and Zarak (3).
They are joined by first-crop sires Aesop’s Fables, Auguste Rodin, Big Evs, Big Rock, Bradsell, Charyn, City Of Troy, Go Bears Go, Henry Longfellow, Isaac Shelby, King Of Steel, Laws Of Indices, Look De Vega, Metropolitan, Mill Stream, Sakheer, Shouldvebeenaring and Vandeek.
The broodmares are equally appealing, with 148 of the catalogued foals out of blacktype mares, and 218 of foals being siblings of stakes performers.
The pedigrees on the first and last day of the sale are of equal strength, increasing in appeal on Tuesday, November 17th and peaking on Wednesday, November 18th. Selling gets underway at 10am each day.
Catalogue highlights
Day 1
Lot 14: Space Blues half-brother to three stakes horses, including Group 1 performer Grocer Jack
Lot 22: Auguste Rodin filly out of a full-sister to Cheveley Park Stakes second Rimth
Lot 151: Starman colt out of a full-sister to Lowther Stakes winner Relief Rally
Lot 179: Shouldvebeenaring half-brother to Group 1 sprinter Twilight Calls
Lot 221: Aesop’s Fables half-brother to dual stakes winner Copacabana Sands
Lot 257: Little Big Bear colt out of a full-sister to multiple group scorer Dutch Connection
Day 2
Lot 269: Sioux Nation filly out listed winner and group performer Flaming Princess
Lot 323: Starman half-sister to two stakes horses, out of dual Group 3 winner Lady Springbank
Lot 332: Awtaad half-brother to Molecomb Stakes winner Steel Bull
Lot 400: Dark Angel half to three group performers, including Group 1 sprinter Big Time Baby
Lot 431: Look De Vega three-parts brother to Group 3 runner-up Lose Yourself, out of dual group winner Stellar Path
Lot 484: Mill Stream half-sister to two Group 3 winners, including Magny Cours, out of a blacktype mare
Lot 491: Henry Longfellow filly out of multiple group winner and twice Group 1-placed Banimpire
Lot 515: Look De Vega half-sister to three-time group winner and Irish St Leger third Baron Samedi
Lot 538: Havana Grey filly out of a full-sister to Expert Eye
Day 3
Lot 546: Night Of Thunder colt out of a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Aunt Pearl
Lot 559: City Of Troy half-brother to four stakes horses, including Group 1 performers Roseman and Baradar
Lot 566: Kingman filly out of a Frankel half-sister to Calyx (Kingman)
Lot 590: Too Darn Hot filly is the first foal out of Group 2 winner Ladies Church
Lot 591: Auguste Rodin half-brother to Grade 1 Natalma Stakes heroine La Pelosa
Lot 599: Study Of Man half-brother to Prix de Diane winner Channel
Lot 601: City Of Troy half-brother to Group 2 winners Atomic Jones and Lapotheose, also second in the Preis der Diana
Lot 625: Charyn half-brother to four stakes horses, including Group 1 performers Arrest, Dinozzo and Detain
Lot 629: Wootton Bassett colt out of dual listed winner Onassis, herself out of Jacqueline Quest
Lot 631: Australia half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Ethical Diamond
Lot 643: Auguste Rodin half-sister to Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner Lucky Vega
Lot 647: Full-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1 third Florida Bay (Mehmas)
Lot 653: Look De Vega half-brother to multiple stakes winner Layfayette and Group 1 filly Atsila
Lot 659: Wootton Bassett colt out of listed winner and Group 3 second Shady Lady
Lot 690: Full-sister to two group performers by Sioux Nation
Lot 694: No Nay Never half-sister to Group 3 winner Marshman
Lot 698: Big Evs half to Gimcrack Stakes victor Lifeplan
Lot 713: Wootton Bassett colt out of a Group 3-placed mare
Lot 733: No Nay Never half-sister to Irish Oaks third Purple Lily
Lot 745: Auguste Rodin half-brother to three stakes winners, including Group 1 winner Never So Brave
Lot 759: Starman half-brother to Group 1 sprinter Forever In Dreams
Day 4
Lot 794: Bradsell half-sister to Richmond Stakes runner-up Khunan
Lot 805: Sioux Nation filly out of a full-sister to Prince Of Lir
Lot 903: Big Evs filly out of a full-sister to Norfolk Stakes winner Baitha Alga
Lot 912: Mill Stream colt out of Group 3 winner Shaden
Lot 926: Make Believe half-brother to group winner Nargys
Lot 962: Starman filly out of a full-sister to Prix Morny third Parliament Square
Lot 979: Space Blues colt out of a full-sister to Group 1 winner Passage Of Time, herself the dam of Time Test