GRADUATES of the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale produced four Group 1 winners worldwide this year, but perhaps more impressively, they were bought for an average of €45,250.
The most expensive of the quartet, Folk Melody at €82,000, looked good value even before she’d produced a foal, as she was a 95-rated daughter of Street Cry and Grade 1 winner Folk Opera.
All but one of her yearlings sold for six figures, but it’s for her third foal that she gains her plaudits. Bred by Corduff Stud and Timothy Rooney, Romantic Warrior has won an incredible 10 Group 1s and amassed over €23 million in earnings.
The 2026 1000 Guineas favourite Precise adorns this year’s catalogue cover, as the dual Group 1 winner’s dam, Way To My Heart, was bought at the 2021 edition for €57,000. She, too, boasted a smart profile back then, as a full-sister to Group 1 runner-up Kingfisher.
The Shadwell draft is always popular, and with good reason. BBA Ireland sourced Lamyaa, the dam of Grade 1 heroine Lush Lips, from their 2016 consignment for €28,000. There is potential for further reward, too, as the Ten Sovereigns filly is reportedly staying in training after selling for $3,700,000.
Diana Stakes winner Excellent Truth will begin her breeding career in Japan after selling to Katsumi Yoshida for $2,500,000.
The daughter of Cotai Glory is one of two group/graded performers bred by Sandra Russell out of €14,000 broodmare buy Moment Of Truth, who has also produced two six-figure foals.
Start of something great
The Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale has delivered for bigger spenders too, with Broadhurst Agency’s €210,000 buy Muirin one of the sale’s leading graduates. The very first foal out of Eddie Lynam’s highly-rated Born To Sea mare was none other than top-class two-year-old Blackbeard. Her next produce earned blacktype and her latest runner, Norfolk Stakes victor Charles Darwin, is highly-regarded at Ballydoyle.
Her progeny have sold for up to €1.9 million and €2.6 million, but fellow graduates of the sale have enjoyed commercial success at all levels. American Pharoah mare Twentynine Palms was bought by Old Carhue Stud for €35,000 and the Sioux Nation colt she was carrying topped the recent Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale at €88,000.
The sale’s second highest-priced yearling, a Starman colt sold for €68,000, was bred by Paal House Stud out of their €4,000 purchase Solar Halo, whose stock has commanded up to €150,000.
Last year’s sale was topped by Springfort Park Stud’s offering Her Honour, bought by Alex Elliott for €725,000. The dam of Vadream was sold in foal to Night Of Thunder, as was Elliott’s €320,000 purchase M’Lady Nicole.
Oaks heroine Qualify and Big Mojo’s dam JM Jackson were other highlights, commanding €650,000 and €480,000 respectively. While the sale lacked the wow-factor brought by the Niarchos Dispersal in 2023, returns were positive when comparing the figures without the Niarchos draft.
Crunching the numbers
The average rose by 6% to €51,341, while the median price grew by 22% to €22,000. The clearance rate improved eight points to 79%. Trade benefited from a smaller offering, with 279 going through the ring compared to 405 the previous year.
This week’s catalogue features 12.5% more lots than 12 months ago and boasts its usual selection of leading consignors, including the Aga Khan Studs, Airlie Stud, Ballylinch Stud, Baroda Stud, Derrinstown Stud, Godolphin, Moyglare Stud Farm and The Castlebridge Consignment.
This season’s most talked about sire, Night Of Thunder, is among the popular coverings, along with the likes of Mehmas, New Bay, No Nay Never, Sea The Stars, Sioux Nation, St Mark’s Basilica, Starman, Starspangledbanner and Wootton Bassett. Also featured are the first mares covered by Aesop’s Fable, Auguste Rodin, Big Evs, Big Rock, Charyn, Henry Longfellow, King Of Steel, Look De Vega, Mill Stream, Shouldvebeenaring and Vandeek.
Clare Manning’s Boherguy Stud is set to continue Jim Bolger’s consolidation of his bloodstock interests, her consignment featuring relations to Dawn Approach, Pleascach and Teofilo. Ceistiu is an own-sister to dual Group 3 winner and Group 1 performer Steip Amach, and is offered carrying a Mehmas sibling to Group 3 Gordon Stakes winner Merchant.
Lot 1111: Empress Of Hope is a full-sister to Group 3 winner Valeria Messalina. In foal to Shaquille, she is also a half-sister to another group winner and to two dams of stakes winners
Lot 1136: Valais Girl carries a full sibling to Group 3 winner Alpen Rose (Sea The Stars). From the family of Ali-Royal, Lazzat and Sleepytime
Lot 1155: Athasi Stakes heroine Rehana is a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 sprinter Rayevka and last month’s Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere third Rayif. In foal to Vadeni
Lot 1157: Group 3 winner Zarshana has produced two stakes horses, including Prix Ganay second Zarir. In foal to Erevann, a beautifully-bred son of Dubawi
Lot 1159: Night Of The Star is a full-sister to Group 2 winner Knight To Behold and M’Lady Nicole, who sold for €320,000 12 months ago. In foal to Mehmas
Lot 1161: Group 1-placed Montjeu mare Miss You Too is the dam of Grade 1 hurdler Cerberus and multiple flat group winner Term Of Endearment. In foal to Baaeed
Lot 1164: Group 3 winner Liber Nauticus has produced three blacktype horses, including dual group winner and Group 1 runner-up Trevaunance. In foal to Night Of Thunder
Lot 1174: Stakes-placed Galileo mare North Africa is offered in foal to Wootton Bassett
Lot 1183: Ceistiu is an own-sister to dual Group 3 winner and Group 1 performer Steip Amach, and a half-sister to Group 3 winner Ceisteach. Dam of Merchant, who completed a hat-trick of wins in the Gordon Stakes. In foal to Mehmas
Lot 1202: Dual stakes winner Clever And Cool is in foal to Havana Grey