AFTER a stellar renewal of this sale in 2021 the opening day of the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale was a somewhat more reserved affair this time around but still produced a steady day’s trade that compared well with many recent editions of this auction.

Twelve months ago this sale benefitted enormously from the downsizing of the Shadwell empire and it produced 16 lots that made €50,000 or more – of which ten were Shadwell-owned - which was quite exceptional in terms of this auction.

At the close of the session the turnover came in at just over €1.8m which was 42% down on last year. The average of €9,494 dropped by 36 points and the median fell back by 25 percent. Meanwhile the clearance rate was 77%. When viewed in the context of the 2015-2020 editions of this sale these figures actually make for good reading.

The highlight of the day came when English agent Alex Elliott, bidding online, went to €80,000 for a son of Dawn Approach from Clare Manning’s Boherguy Stud. This colt is an own-brother to two winners including the Group 3-placed juvenile Strapped.

“He’s been bought for a trading partnership that I have with Grant Tuer. We had a War Command horse who got sold to Hong Kong a couple of years ago and hopefully this horse could do something similar in time,” stated Elliott. “I saw him yesterday and he was my favourite colt in the sale and the mare has been to Dawn Approach twice and produced two horses rated in 90s.”

Earlier centre stage threatened to go to the only Sea The Stars yearling on offer this week after Jim McCartan forked out €60,000 for a daughter of the Cape Cross horse from The Castlebridge Consignment. This filly is a half-sister to two winners out of a French Group 3 winner.

“I thought she was a very smart filly. Obviously she’s a daughter of a leading sire and she’s just a nice filly who had plenty going for her, she stood out a little and I was pleased to get her,” reported McCartan. “She’ll probably go to the breeze-up sales but which one I wouldn’t be sure yet. We’ll get her home and assess her before making any decision on what direction we head with her.”

The former Breeders Cup winner Mendelssohn was another sire who had just one representative in the catalogue and the filly from Gerry Burke’s Glidawn Stud cost the Goffs Scandinavia man Filip Zwicky €44,000.

“She’s been bought for the JC Organisation and she will be going into training in Sweden,” declared Zwicky. “She’s the only filly in the sale by her sire who looks an exciting young stallion and it’s hard to buy his progeny in Europe. She looks like a filly who will suit the programme of racing in Scandinavia and she’s out of a mare who has already produced three winners from her first four runners.”

The early exchanges were headed by a €46,000 son of Due Diligence from Boherguy Stud who was knocked down to the BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohoe.

“I’ve bought him for Hronis Racing who own (Breeders Cup Classic favourite) Flightline,” revealed Donohoe. “They had a two-year-old in training with Jessica Harrington this season called Panic Alarm who won the final of the auction race series at Naas a few weeks ago and is a very useful horse. They kindly asked me to find them another horse for next season and this colt looks a nice, precocious sort. He’ll be going to Jessie.”

Donohoe also spent €50,000 on a Dawn Approach half-brother to the Listed-winning Sometimesadiamond and he went to €33,000 for a daughter of Mehmas from Mountarmstrong Stud.

“The Mehmas has been bought for a ladies syndicate headed up by Tamso Doyle and Amber O’Grady and she will be going to Jessica Harrington,” stated Donohoe. “She’s a nice filly coming from an excellent breeder in Noel O’Callaghan and she’s bred on the same cross as Supremacy. Hopefully she’ll be a nice two-year-old to get the syndicate off to a good start.”

Day 1

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med

2022 280 249 191 1,813,400 9,494 6,000

2021 270 234 214 3,151,500 14,796 8,000

2020 296 167 102 688,100 6,746 4,200

2019 290 254 191 1,130,400 5,918 3,800

2018 290 255 149 862,150 5,786 3,200

2017 277 245 176 1,288,750 7,324 5,000