PAUL and Marie McCartan’s Ballyphilip Stud sold five lots for just over two million gns, and the lion’s share was contributed by a daughter of Dark Angel and a son of Lope De Vega. There was so surprise when Shadwell Stud paid 800,000gns for the half-sister to Battaash, and later Sheikh Hamdan’s brother Sheikh Mohammed gave 750,000gns for the Lope De Vega colt out of the multiple group-placed Montjeu mare Bikini Babe. The latter was bought privately as a foal.

Another Irish vendor with reason to smile was Ger Lowry of Oneliner Stables in Tipperary. He paid 330,000gns last December for a son of Sea The Stars, and watched with joy as Godolphin went to 725,000gns to secure the colt this time. Part of Lowry’s first ever consignment in Book 1, the colt was joined at the sale by a son of Exceed And Excel who was purchased for €100,000 as a foal and sold to join Sir Mark Prescott for 180,000gns.