A €1.6 million son of Frankel, who was knocked down to American agent Justin Casse, headed the second and final session of the Goffs Orby Sale which ended this evening with a set of results that were almost on a par with last year.

Over the two days 373 of the 433 lots offered were listed as sold to produce an improved aggregate of just under €41 million. The average of €109,122 was down by less than 1% on last year, while the €65,000 median represented a drop of two points.

For the second year in succession, the Orby witnessed strong demand at the head of the market and the activity beyond the €100,000 and €200,000 marks was very similar to 2016.

For those further down the scale it was tougher going and this gave rise to a trade that seemed quite patchy at times. However, the clearance rate of 86% represented a two-point progression on last year.

The sale-topping son of Frankel represented one of hottest sires in the world and his dam has already produced two pattern winners from three foals so, after impressing over the last few days, there was a general feeling that another seven-figure sale was in the offing.

The colt, who was sold by his breeder Eddie Irwin’s Marlhill House Stud, initially attracted an opening bid of €100,000 before his price sped towards the €1 million mark.

Jeremy Brummit and Kerri Radcliffe were among those in contention at this point but the battle for the colt came down to Anthony Stroud and Justin Casse, with the latter’s offer of €1.6 million too much for the Godolphin team.

“He’s for the Zayats. We came here looking for horses with stallion potential and he has it. The mare is young and she’s already bred two good horses and Frankel is just tremendous,” said Casse, who was acting on behalf of a partnership.

“He’s going to be trained by Aidan O’Brien. Aidan liked him and Justin Zayat liked him and the parties involved know a lot about what a stallion looks like.”

FIRST CROP

There was a flurry of big priced lots towards the end of the day and these were headed by a €650,000 colt from the first crop of Kingman. Baroda & Colbinstown Studs were rewarded for their bold decision to shell out 180,000gns for this colt as a foal when Roger Varian saw off all challengers for this relation to this top miler Immortal Verse.

“He’s a fantastic specimen. I didn’t think we’d have to go that far for him but he’s a very good colt who has got a lot of quality,” remarked Varian, who was acting for Postponed’s owner Sheikh Obaid.

Several minutes later, a Galileo half-sister to Air Chief Marshall and the former Irish 2000 Guineas second Foxtrot Romeo, who are among 11 winners produced by the dam, fetched €625,000. The Barronstown Stud offering was bought by the combination of Coolmore and Mayfair Speculators.

“It’s a proper page and whatever she does she will always be a valuable broodmare. She’s just a lovely filly and we loved her when we first saw her on Satuday,” declared Peter Doyle.

PINHOOKING SUCCESS

The joint third-highest priced lots of the day came in at €500,000 and both were pinhooking success stories of seismic proportions. The first to come under the hammer was a Kodiac colt from Mark Dwyer’s Oaks Farm Stables who was picked up for €82,000 here last November. After a lengthy battle this colt fell to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, with Shawn Dugan as the underbidder.

“We thought that he was an outstanding colt. He’s a lovely, loose moving colt with scope and quality and we felt that he was definitely one of the nicest colts at this sale,” reported Shadwell’s Stephen Collins of the relation to the Prix Morny second Magic America.

Later in the day, the €500,000 mark was matched by a Dabirsim colt from Edie Murray-Hayden’s Gormanstown Stud. This €56,000 colt was his vendor’s only yearling here this week and his sale encapsulated the sort of story that keeps the entire pinhooking fraternity going.

Alastair Donald signed for the colt whose sire’s first crop of runners, which include the leading juvenile Different League, have made a notable impact this year

“He’s just a gorgeous colt by a happening sire who has done well this year and I felt that he was probably the best-walking colt in the sale. It’s yet to be decided who will train him but it could well be Andrew Balding,” reported Donald.

The latter was earlier acting on behalf of Leicester City’s owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, when spending €325,000 on Roundhill Stud’s Shamardal own-brother to the high-class miler Bow Creek.

“He’s going to be trained by Andrew Balding. It was a rare chance to buy a Shamardal own-brother to a Group 1-class miler. I was actually underbidder on Bow Creek as a yearling and this horse is a very similar type,” declared Donald.

Another €325,000 purchase by Donald was a colt from the first crop of No Nay Never who was showing a spectacular return on the €46,000 he made as a foal last November.

GORGEOUS FILLY

As the sale neared its conclusion, the Juddmonte team swung into action for a daughter of Invincible Spirit from the Irish National Stud and who cost €450,000. David Redvers had to settle for the role of underbidder on the filly whose dam is a winning half-sister to the classy pair of Lightning Moon and Song Of My Heart.

“We felt that she was a gorgeous filly. She’s got a lot of class, she looks as though she could be speedy and we’ve been lucky with Invincible Spirit in the past,” reported Lord Grimthorpe.

Elsewhere, Flaxman Stables Ireland, acting through Alan Cooper, spent €420,000 on a daughter of Galileo from Airlie Stud. The filly has the Dewhurst Stakes winner Intense Focus amongst her five winning siblings.

At the outset of the day, Croom House Stud's Dubawi half-sister to Zoffany and Wilshire Boulevard failed to sell in the ring for €380,000 but she was later purchased by Justin Casse for €400,000.

“She’s just a filly with great residual value and she’ll be heading back to America,” remarked Casse. “It’s just so hard to get your hands on a Dubawi – even harder than getting a Frankel – and then you have this filly who is already a half-sister to a stallion and another very good two-year-old.”

LOTS MORE MARKET COMMENT IN THE IRISH FIELD THIS WEEKEND

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Day 2

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med

2017 222 205 178 19,557,500 109,874 64,000

2016 226 209 174 19,238,000 110,563 60,000

Entire Sale

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med

2017 468 433 373 40,702,500 109,122 65,000

2016 472 431 363 39,925,500 109,986 67,000

2015 487 434 373 38,953,500 104,433 62,000