THE second and final day of the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale couldn’t quite match the highs of Tuesday, which saw the average price dropped to £40,856, but strong demand throughout the market saw the median price increase to £35,000 and the clearance rate remain at 86%.
At the close of trade, the figures justified Goffs’ decision to reduce the catalogue, with the final average price of £43,194 marking a 9% increase year-on-year, while the median rose by 17% to £35,000. The clearance rate of 86% suggested that vendors were content with the prices, as they were 12 months ago, when it was 85%.
Twenty-six yearlings sold for six-figure sums – just one less than last year, when four reached £200,000, however bidding peaked at just £190,000 this week. While the sale might have lacked the “fireworks” we’ve come to expect at record-breaking sale after record-breaking sale, the solid trade for commercially-bred horses was perhaps even more important to the bloodstock industry.
Beautifully-bred horses almost sell themselves, and it could be said that a steady stream of customers for the middle to lower-priced stock will lead to less sob stories for a large number of breeders and consignors.
Session topper
Wednesday’s highlight came late in the day, so much so that Jason Kelly bid online while en route to the airport. The object of his affections was a Mehmas half-brother to Queen Mary Stakes runner-up Flowerhead, offered by breeder Tally-Ho Stud.
“He’ll be in the Bond Thoroughbred colours with Geoff Oldroyd,” Kelly said of his £150,000 purchase. “Geoff and PJ McDonald have been on the ground this week and both saw the horse and were keen on him. PJ has been a big part of the team this year. He’s been in Geoff’s yard riding plenty of work and has been a big part of the success this season.”
On the colt’s appeal, Kelly continued: “He’s a May foal but he’s a very strong, powerful horse. Obviously, the half-sister has looked sharp and precocious this year when running to a very high level, so hopefully he’ll be able to do something similar. This mare looks like she’s producing strong two-year-old types.”
On this week’s trade, Kelly commented: “It's been a strong sale and buying has been tough throughout. Every horse was pushed to the top end of their valuation, which is a great sign for the market.”
The O’Callaghan family’s Tally-Ho Stud enjoyed another good result with a Mehmas colt earlier in the day when selling a full-brother to Group 3 runner-up Shelton to Robson Aguair and Amo Racing for £120,000.
Alex Elliott fulfilled press duties and commented: “Robson loved him and he’s a man you’ve got to row in behind when you think about horses like Arizona Blaze and Power Blue.
“He’ll go back to Robson and be one for him to have when his name is on the licence next year. We’ve bought five or six now, including a couple of Persian Forces, and I think it’s good that Kia came up here yesterday and saw a lot of the horses.
“He was very keen to come up and, as he said yesterday, you’ve got to be at all the sales and try to buy the better horses from each one. I think it’s a good change in policy and hopefully it continues.”
Minzaal on the money
Mehmas’ son Minzaal supplied the £190,000 top lot on Tuesday and one of his sons led trade for much of the day on Wednesday, bringing £135,000 from Ted Durcan and Richard Hughes. It marked a successful pinhook for Mimi Wadham and Violet Hesketh’s WH Bloodstock with Atlas Bloodstock, who invested €55,000 in what is now a half-brother to four winners.
Hughes added to the market’s endorsement of Derrinstown Stud’s young gun, saying: “Everything we’ve seen by Minzaal we’ve liked. This is a lovely horse with nice balance and plenty of bone, and he comes from a very good farm. He’s probably for Jaber Abdullah, he has a bit of affinity with Tamayuz mares. I told him we’d look for the nicest colt here for him, and we’ve found exactly that, I think.”
The colt was one of two six-figure buys by Ted Durcan and Richard Hughes on the day, the other being a Sergei Prokofiev filly pinhooked by Yeomanstown Stud, her value increasing from 24,000gns to £100,000.
She is the first foal out of Plagiarise, who was well-beaten on her sole start but that won’t dictate her broodmare career, if her mother is anything to go by. Copy-Cat was unplaced in six starts, the half-sister to Averti has produced 10 winners, three of them stakes horses, for Whitsbury Manor Stud, from modest matings; Notnowcato, Pastoral Pursuits and Efisio.
Proven formula
Angie Bailey’s yellow and purple silks became well known through the exploits of classy sprinters over the years, including Bogart, who was bought at the Premier Yearling Sale by Stephen Hillen 15 years ago. The agent and Kevin Ryan will be hoping history can repeat itself with their latest purchase, a Zoustar filly sold by Tweenhills for £120,000.
“She’s for Peter Tingey and Angie Bailey who owned Brando, and who wanted a filly this year,” Hillen explained after securing the daughter of group performer Moravia. “She’s very scopey and has a bit of pedigree – her dam was very fast. She was my pick of the sale.”