THIS time last year, foal buyers bid boldly and breeders rejoiced, as rock-solid demand across various price points saw figures soar at the Goffs November Foal Sale. From a smaller offering, the turnover grew by 26%, while the average price rose by 34% to €48,717 and the median increased by 21% to €29,000.
For me, the most surprising figures came on the third day - the strongest of the week. The best pedigrees yielded a median price of €80,000 - matching that at the venue’s Orby Sale. The average price of €113,849 wasn’t a million miles off the average of the Orby Sale at €128,027.
The 2025 yearling sales, at which these pricey pinhooks were reoffered, were largely strong across the board, but that’s not a guarantee that pinhookers came away in the green. Without calculating profits and losses one by one, I would be confident in saying that there were more investments that broke even or decreased in value, rather than making sizeable profits.
Further proof will be presented at this week’s Goffs November Foal Sale, and my prediction would be that the foal pinhookers, like the breeze-up consignors, will focus on quality rather than quantity this year.
Cut out the middle man
The high prices commanded by yearlings may boost the end-user market this week, beyond the usual heavy hitters of Amo, Coolmore, Godolphin and Juddmonte. The sale’s cover star, Irish 2000 Guineas victor and St James’s Palace Stakes hero Field Of Gold, was bought by Juddmonte from breeders Roundhill Stud for €530,000 as a foal.
Smaller, yet equally shrewd, operators who have entered the foal market in recent years include Gaelic Bloodstock, who bought Sakti for €52,000. After placing in two group races and winning a listed contest, the daughter of Caravaggio resold for 525,000gns.
Stablemate Howd’yadoit, who was bought by Piercetown Stud for €38,000, won the valuable Ballyhane Stakes this season. The same Summerhill Stables draft featured unbeaten Gimcrack Stakes victor Lifeplan, who cost €85,000.
That same renewal produced two Group 1-winning juveniles in Phoenix Stakes victor Power Blue, who cost €30,000, and Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Pierre Bonard, who cost €80,000.
At €21,000, Caballo De Mar was the cheapest of this year’s Group 1 winners sold at the Goffs November Foal Sale, while other notable graduates include Ribblesdale Stakes heroine Garden Of Eden (€160,000) and Geoffrey Freer Stakes victor Further (€65,000).
Sire power
Goffs have declared that the sale contains ‘the cream of the Irish foal crop’, supported by a stellar sire profile featuring Blue Point, Camelot, Dark Angel, Invincible Spirit, Kodiac, Lope De Vega, Mehmas, New Bay, Night Of Thunder, No Nay Never, Sea The Stars, Sioux Nation, St Mark’s Basilica, Starman, Starspangledbanner, Wootton Bassett and Zarak.
The first foals by Ace Impact, Bay Bridge, Bouttemont, Chaldean, Dragon Symbol, El Caballo, Erevann, Good Guess, Little Big Bear, Maries Diamond, Mishriff, Modern Games, Mostahdaf, Native Trail, Paddington, Shaquille, The Antarctic and Triple Time are also set to make their sales debut.
Lot 291: Australia half-brother to Secretariat Stakes victor Bayrir and to the dam of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Balantina
Lot 295: Palace Pier filly out of dual Group 3 winner Big Break, making her a half-sister to stakes winner Georgeville and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf second Pacific Mission
Lot 553: Gleneagles half-brother to 2025 Gimcrack Stakes winner Lifeplan
Lot 598: Wootton Bassett filly out of a full-sister to Roly Poly and US Navy Flag. Second dam is champion filly Misty For Me
Lot 599: Half-brother to recent Doncaster Cup runner-up Pendragon. From the first crop of Little Big Bear
Lot 606: Night Of Thunder half-brother to dual graded winner Pipsy. From the family of Aquarelliste and Artiste Royal
Lot 608: Sioux Nation half-brother to Group 3-winning juvenile Suzie Songs. Grandson of Del Mar Stakes winner Discreet Marq
Lot 612: Naval Crown half-brother to Criterium de Saint-Cloud victor Gear Up and Group 3 winner Guaranteed
Lot 617: Good Guess half-brother to three stakes horses, including Group 3 winner and Middle Park Stakes third Rumble Inthejungle
Lot 636: Mehmas half-brother to two stakes horses, including Ribblesdale Stakes winner Garden Of Eden
Lot 639: Native Trail half-sister to two stakes horses, out of Group 3 Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial winner Lady Springbank
Lot 644: New Bay half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Dreamloper and Group 2 winner Santorini Star. Out of a stakes-winning mare from the family of Talent
Lot 646: Wootton Bassett filly is a full-sister to Group 2 winner Atomic Jones
Lot 651: Mehmas half-brother to Middle Park Stakes runner-up Jash. Minzaal brother sold for €190,000 last year
Lot 658: Mehmas half-brother to multiple group winner and Group 1 performer Al Qareem
Lot 672: Night of Thunder half-sister to two group winners
Lot 675: Ace Impact sister to Grand Prix de Paris winner Onesto, from the top-class family of Banks Hill, Cacique, Champs Elysees, Dansili and Hasili
Lot 678: Awtaad colt is a full-brother to Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Ethical Diamond
Lot 685: Night Of Thunder half-brother to Moyglare Stud Stakes third Eternal Silence. Out of Ribblesdale Stakes winner and Irish Oaks third Princess Highway
Lot 712: New Bay colt is a half-brother to Group 3-winning juvenile Hankelow and multiple group-placed Epic Poet
Lot 713: Lope De Vega half-brother to champion three-year-old sprinter Suesa
Lot 740: Lope de Vega colt out of a listed-winning Galileo mare. Grandson of Del Mar Oaks winner Discreet Marq
JOEY Lyons made a stellar start to consigning under her family’s Summerhill Stables three years ago, with a draft of seven foals producing prices up to €62,000, €60,000 and €52,000.
The 2023 consignment was even more impressive. Lyons’ own Kodi Bear colt, the first foal out of a home-bred blacktype mare, sold for €85,000 and is now better known as unbeaten Gimcrack Stakes winner Lifeplan.
A Nando Parrado colt, bred off a fee of €6,000 and out of a €14,000 mare, fetched €38,000 and, since named Howd’yadoit, went on to win the Ballyhane Stakes, earning him an official rating of 95.
Lyons proved it was not beginners’ luck when selling her 2024 crop for up to €52,000, €62,000 and €88,000 last year. Their strong start in life has stood to Summerhill graduates, with pinhookers rewarded at the yearling sales - vital in attracting return customers.
Summerhill Stables has 10 foals catalogued next week, including a Gleneagles half-brother to Lifeplan and an Australia half-brother to Secretariat Stakes victor Bayrir.
€120,000 to 800,000gns: St Mark’s Basilica colt pinhooked by Fearghal Hogan’s Apollo Bloodstock from the Noralla Stud Farm draft
€185,000 to 475,000gns: Sioux Nation filly pinhooked by Ballyphillip Stud from the Hunting Hill Stud draft
€120,000 to €280,000: Dark Angel colt pinhooked by Croom House Stud from the Abbeville Stud draft
€75,000 to €185,000: Starman colt was pinhooked by Tally-Ho Stud from the Stanley Lodge consignment
€120,000 to 300,000gns: New Bay colt pinhooked by Aughamore Stud from the Neilstown Stud draft