The only Night Of Thunder colt in the catalogue took centre stage on the second day of the Goffs February Sale when fetching €125,000 to head a solid day’s trade that was devoted exclusively to yearlings.

Over the course of the day the 182 horses offered generated an aggregate of just under €2.2 million. The average was €15,665, the median was a respectable €10,000 while the clearance rate for a satisfactory day’s trade was 76%.

The session topper is yet another high profile sale to emerge from the downsizing of the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shadwell empire and he had plenty to recommend him on pedigree.

As well as being a son of one of the most promising young sires around, this colt is out of a Nayef half-sister to a pair of Shadwell-owned French Group 3 winners in Alrahma and Efaadah. Frannie Woods struck the winning bid for this colt who will be back for sale later this year.

“It’s lovely to buy such a nice colt from Shadwell who have been such wonderful supporters of ours in the past. He’s a very nice and well bred colt and he’s by one of the best sires in Europe so it all added up and hopefully he’ll be lucky when we bring him back for sale in the autumn,” said Woods.

David Evans to train

For a brief period a son of Exceed And Excel headed the day’s trade after being snapped up by Finn Kent and trainer David Evans for €75,000. This colt was presented by Ballinafad Stud and he is a half-brother to a useful Evans-trained runner in Bastogne while the Welsh-based trainer also forked out £51,000 for his Camacho half-sister at the yearling sales last year.

“I have bought him for David Evans to go into training eventually,” stated Kent. “He has Bastogne in partnership with my dad and he looks to be a lovely horse. David also has the two-year-old Camacho filly and she is going quite nicely. This colt is a very straightforward horse and an easy one to like.”

Ballydoyle relative

As the session came to a close Hugo Merry forked out €62,000 for a daughter of Decorated Knight and the Prix de l’Abbaye heroine Gilt Edge Girl whose €270,000 Saxon Warrior yearling will form part of Aidan O’Brien’s juvenile string for the coming season.

This filly was consigned by the Irish National Stud and so too was a Profitable colt out of a winning Dragon Pulse mare who cost Michael Carty €54,000.

A return to the sales in the autumn is the plan for a son of Le Havre who cost English pinhooker Jamie Railton €60,000. This colt was consigned by Baroda Stud and is the fourth produce of a Canadian stakes winner.

The appeal of the Shadwell yearlings was in evidence throughout the day and the early exchanges saw that operation offer a colt from the first crop of Blue Point who cost former jockey and trainer Paul Harley €50,000. This half-brother to several winners is out of a mare who numbers the top class Muhaarar amongst her siblings.

First crop sires

Among the other sires to make an impact with their first crop was Soldier’s Call who was responsible for a smartly bred filly who cost agent Margaret O’Toole €45,000. This filly is a half-sister to the dam of last year’s top juvenile and dual Group 1 scorer Perfect Power.

“She is a superb example of what the stallion is producing and he is getting really lovely stock. She has a great page and there are lots of options open to her,” reported the agent.

Day 2 Figures

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AVERAGE MEDIAN

2022 211 182 138 €2,161,800 €15,665 €10,000