Five that caught the eye
Lot: 76 (f) Zoffany – Innocent Air
Vendor: The Castlebridge Consignment
Purchaser: Eric Long
Price: €210,000
Among the many pinhooking success stories that took place this week was this daughter of the late Zoffany whose price represented quite a mark up on the €55,000 she cost as a foal last winter when she was knocked down to M R Bloodstock.
Lot: 120 (f) U S Navy Flag – Maria Lee
Vendor: Clare Castle Stud
Purchaser: Al Shira’aa Farm
Price: €220,000
Midway through the first session Al Shira’aa Farm substantially bolstered their broodmare band with the purchase of two regally-bred fillies by first-season sires Sioux Nation and U S Navy Flag.
The Sioux Nation is a half-sister to Mother Earth, while this filly boasted an equally impressive 2021 update as her siblings are headed by Jim Bolger’s teak-tough and top-class 2000 Guineas hero Poetic Flare. These fillies will join their owner’s increasingly signifiant portfolio which also includes the likes of Rumi and Mutamakina who have won at Group/Grade 2 level on either side of the Atlantic in recent months.
Lot: 159 (f) Gleneagles – On Location
Vendor: Lynn Lodge Stud
Purchaser: Bo Bromagen, Agent
Price: €90,000
It has been a fine year on the track for Gleneagles whose fillies have excelled themselves with the the likes of the German-based Novemba, Joseph O’Brien’s high-class juvenile Velocidad and the Willie McCreery-trained Insinuendo all making their mark at Group 2 level.
The exploits of these and others all aided the cause of this filly who showed an excellent return on the 20,000gns she made as a foal when she was knocked down to Margaret O’Toole. A career in America looks to be on the cards for this granddaughter of the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup heroine Film Maker.
Lot: 237 (f) Starspangledbanner – Sibling Honour
Vendor: Glenvale Stud
Purchaser: Peter & Ross Doyle B’stock
Price: €250,000
It has been a particularly impressive season for Starspangledbanner with the Choisir horse producing a fresh host of quality stakes runners and his talents amply advertised at Newmarket last weekend when he supplied runner-up finishers in both the Cheveley Park and the Middle Park. The 14 yearlings on offer by the sire this week averaged in excess of €100,000 and his top-priced representative was this filly who was showing a stunning return on the €36,000 she cost as a foal. She is out of a winning Bernardini half-sister to the Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso.
Lot: 295 (f) Zoffany – Toi Et Moi
Vendor: Mount Coote Stud
Purchaser: MyRacehorse.com/P Antonacci
Price: €250,000
Another daughter of the much-missed Zoffany, this filly represents an intriguing development for racing in Ireland as she was purchased on behalf of the micro-share syndicate MyRacehorse.com.
A relatively new venture, which sells micro shares for as little as $150 covering all costs for the duration of the horse’s career, Myracehorse.com has already achieved notable success as the outfit was a stakeholder in last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and is now expanding into Europe to go with arms in Australia and America. Joseph O’Brien will take charge of this filly.