KILKENNY’S Ballylinch Stud sold 14 lots in Book 2 and their sale receipts came to 1,000gns more than two million. Their quality draft averaged almost 143,000gns.

The farm had a great day on Wednesday when they consigned the overall sale’s top filly, in addition to the second-best colt of the session. The sale of their athletic Lope De Vega filly out of a Galileo mare developed into a head-to-head battle between Coolmore and Godolphin, the latter emerging on top after Anthony Stroud’s bid of 650,000gns was not responded to.

A smiling John O’Connor said: “I knew she’d sell well. I did not expect that, but when you get a clash between two very interested buyers these things happen. This is a family we have been associated with a long time. I originally bought [the third dam] Ingabelle from Tom Lacy, and we have bred most of the blacktype on this page.”

Blacktype addition

The blacktype winners include Chriselliam, winner of the Fillies’ Mile and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Priory Belle, Eva’s Request and Opinion. The most recent blacktype addition came from the yearling filly’s own-brother Oviedo who was placed in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes.

O’Connor continued: “Lope De Vega’s stock appeal to so many people, he is such a good sire. We have been blessed to have him.” Anthony Stroud added: “It is very exciting, she is very nice, very athletic. She is for Godolphin.”

New Bay

Stroud also purchased the stud’s New Bay colt out of a Lope De Vega mare for 425,000gns. The colt is out of the premier handicap winner and stakes-placed Fact Or Folklore who was bred and raced by Ballylinch. Since the catalogue was printed, Fact Or Folklore’s four-year-old daughter Statement, by Lawman, became a stakes winner, adding the Group 3 Concorde Stakes to victory in a listed race. Last year she was a short-head runner-up to Alcohol Free in the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes.

O’Connor said: “This horse was a beautiful horse, free-moving, well-balanced and he took everything really well. The trainers really like the New Bays, and with the kind of mares he is covering now he has the opportunity now to step to a higher level again. Every horse has to take that opportunity, but we believe he can.”

Anthony Stroud reported that the colt was bought on behalf of Peter Harris, and is going into training with Jane Chapple-Hyam.