A YEAR of strong results for Goffs yielded another new high last weekend as the company’s November Breeding Stock Sale concluded with a strong set of final figures that surpassed those of 12 months ago.

A top price of €790,000 fell just short of the €825,000 mark which topped this sale last year and the number of six-figure lots dropped from 38 to 35.

However, the number of transactions at €500,000 and beyond came in a seven which was the highest since the famous Paulyn Dispersal year of 2013 which yielded nine such transactions.

A key feature of this year’s sale was the activity of Lucky Vega’s owner Zhang Yuesheng and his advisor Michael Donohoe who picked up a whole host of blue-chip stock.

The combination signed for 18 lots worth in excess of €5.2 million (plus one more for Yulong Investments) and these will all visit Lucky Vega at the Irish National Stud next year which represents a stunning level of support for the former Phoenix Stakes winner whose first crop of southern hemisphere foals have arrived to very positive reviews this year.

All told this sale was another success story to emerge from Kildare Paddocks but there was one aspect to take heed of which was the very muted level of demand on day two which illustrated the struggle that faces those at the lower reaches of the market be they mares, fillies, foals or yearlings.

At the close of proceedings last weekend the aggregate came in at €16.5 million which was a 2% progression on last year. The average of €55,560 finished 27% ahead of 2021 while the median progressed from €20,000 to €24,000. The clearance rate for the smaller catalogue dropped to 79%.

Late show

After last week’s edition of the paper went to print there were a series of major late transactions, all of which concluded with the hammer coming down in favour of Michael Donohoe and the Lucky Vega Syndicate.

The most expensive of these was the unraced Galileo mare Pleasant Dreams who fetched €630,000. She was sold in foal to Starspangledbanner and she is a half-sister to the Group 2 Lowther Stakes heroine Besharah.

Donohoe then secured the next lot into the ring which was Grenane House Stud’s Eaves. Another unraced Galileo mare, she was sold in foal to Wootton Bassett and she is an own-sister to the Group 3 winner and Irish Oaks second Rain Goddess.

Also set for a date with Lucky Vega is Surely who is a daughter of the dual Group 1 winner Again. Surely was sold in foal to Wootton Bassett and she is an own-sister to the Group 1-placed Delphinium, the Beresford Stakes runner-up Delano Roosevelt and the listed-winning juvenile Indian Maharaja.

Winning Teofilo filly

The highlight of the second session was the €75,000 sale of Hightown Heights who was knocked down to Brian Jones.

This daughter of Teofilo cost James McAuley €12,000 when she was picked up from a Dundalk claimer just over a year ago and since then she has won twice while her own-sister Thanks Monica has been placed at listed level. All this made the Ballintry Stud offering the clear standout of the day.

Earlier Cochese Bloodstock spent €42,000 on the Dubawi mare Munajaah who was sold in foal to Kodi Bear. She was sold through The Castlebridge Consignment and she is a daughter of the French Group 2 winner Mashoora.

Overseas purchases

Among those who were bought to head abroad on day two was the Islanmore Stud’s Galileo mare It’s My Pleasure who realized €36,000. She was sold in foal to Holy Roman Emperor and was bought by Mickley Stud.

Meanwhile Joe Murphy’s useful dual winner Silken Ladder cost Huworth Bloodstock €33,000. This daughter of No Nay Never is out of a half-sister to the Australian Group 1 winner Magic Hurricane.