A SOLID opening day of Goffs Orby Book 1 was followed on Wednesday by one of booming trade, with the second session’s turnover rising some 25% on the previous year. The total spending over the two-day auction grew seven percentage points to €53 million, the highest since 2007.

The average price of €124,000 has only been bettered once (in 2018) and the median price of €85,000 was just shy of last year’s record median of €87,000. A clearance rate of 87% was down on last year’s 89%, but the catalogue was 6% bigger this year. Over both days 433 lots sold compared to 415 a year ago.

Henry Beeby said: “We have seen a two-day trade of real strength across the board. As is sometimes the case, it seems that there was a greater concentration of the standouts on the second day this year, which has led to statistics that have almost completely flipped from last year. However, we judge the sale in totality and have been pleased to return figures that that have improved on last year’s superb sale, which grew by 24% following a remarkable recovery in 2021.”

Both of the millionaire yearlings emerged during the second session. There were four yearlings by Frankel in Book 1 and one of them topped the sale when realising €1.85 million on Wednesday evening. The filly was consigned by the Hyde family’s Camas Park Stud, who were the sale’s leading consignors, and was bought by Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier, who outbid Kieran Lalor of Al Shira’aa Farms.

The filly is a half-sister to Tilsit, a Group 2 winner for Juddmonte, but they sold the dam Multilingual, a half-sister to Kingman, for $525,000 to breeder Ben Sangster before Tilsit made his debut. “We have a long history with the Sangster family, and in recent years we’ve been very lucky buying off Ben, including with Luxembourg,” said Magnier. “I’m delighted for Ben and all the guys who brought her to the sale. She really has everything, so let’s hope she turns out to be a good one.”

Carmichael purchase

Earlier in the day, Al Shira’aa again played the role of underbidder when a full-sister to dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach sold for €1.65 million. Consigned by Ballylinch Stud on behalf of breeders China Horse Club, the filly was bought by bloodstock agent Amanda Skiffington on behalf of Fiona Carmichael, whose colours have been carried to Group 1 success by Intellogent in recent years.

Exactly one year earlier Skiffington paid €425,000 at Goffs for a full-brother to Saffron Beach. The unraced colt, named Granger Bay, is owned by Carmichael and in training with Jane Chapple-Hyam. The latest purchase represents the biggest price Carmichael has ever paid for a horse and she said: “I saw her yesterday and straight away I knew I really liked her.

“I put a price limit on it but the last bid pushed me out of my comfort zone. I am delighted to get her, I think she’s lovely and she will be an asset to me in the long run.” Asked about the unraced full-brother, Skiffington said: “We’ve always been told he’s special.”

Based on the island of Jersey, Carmichael bought her first racehorse following the death of her husband, Mark, in 2008. Her first big success came in 2012 when she was the joint-owner of the unbeaten juvenile Toronado.