TWO yearlings shared top billing at €80,000 at Goffs on Thursday, the opening day of Book 2 of the Orby Sale.

As expected, trade came down several notches from the dizzy heights of Book 1 and the session ended with a clearance rate of 71%. On the same day last year it was 78% and it was 74.5% for all of Book 2 in 2023, further evidence of the drop in demand for commercial bloodstock.

Thursday's average price was €21,563 and the median was €15,000. This compares with a day one average price of €23,995 a year ago and a median of €20,000. Last year's two-day average was €23,248 and median was €18,000.

Even though there were 12 more horses sold on Thursday than on the corresponding day last year, turnover was down 15%.

The leading buyer on the day was Millennium Stud, who paid €176,000 for five yearlings. BBA Ireland also bought five horses for an outlay of €117,000. In terms of numbers, Cristiana Brivio of Razza Latina led the way with six purchases, totalling €86,000.

The first yearling to make the joint top price of €80,000 on Thursday was an Acclamation colt consigned by Clare Manning's Boherguy Stud on behalf of pinhookers Scarlett Mullion and Brendan Whelan.

A half-brother to five winners, including recent Newbury listed scorer Englemere, he cost €40,000 as a foal here in November when sold by Alice Kavanagh's AK Thoroughbreds. Englemere is a 66/1 shot for Sunday's Prix de l'Abbaye.

The Acclamation yearling was bought today by Johnny Murtagh who has a connection with the vendor.

Mullion, a schoolteacher, is a granddaughter of Lady Clague, owner of stars such as Namid, Winona and Key Change who Murtagh rode to big race wins when riding for trainer John Oxx.

Mullion said: “We're delighted that Johnny has bought him because he used to ride for my grandmother, so having that connection is lovely. I'm hoping to come back for the foal sales and have another crack at it.

“This colt went to Clare Manning at Boherguy Stud. She took him on for me as I'm a Montessori teacher so this is a little bit of a hobby, although I don't know which is harder work!”

Murtagh added: “I had a lot of luck over the years with Scarlett’s granny Lady Clague. She was a pleasure to ride for.

“Scarlett gave a good report on the horse and he looks sharp and fast; a real ready-made two-year-old. He could be one for the Goffs Bonuses and Million race. Hopefully after the weekend he’ll look cheap.”

Supremacy filly

Also fetching €80,000 was a filly from Yeomanstown Stud by their own first season stallion Supremacy. The dam's only runner to date has shown very little in four starts this year but that didn't put off today's buyers Legion Bloodstock, acting for Graham Grace Stables.

Legion Bloodstock has so far bought seven horses at Goffs this week and most will go back to the US but some will stay in Ireland to be trained by Johnny Murtagh.

“We always get good value here so we enjoy coming over each year,” said Legion Bloodstock’s Kristian Villante. “We’ve bought a few today but this is the most expensive one, although she made a lot of sense at that price point.

“She’s a pretty filly out of a More Than Ready mare, which is something we’re familiar with at home, and there are some good US-bred horses under her second dam. She’ll go to Micheal Conaghan, who advises us and is a big part of the team, and then she’ll head stateside.”

Not everything that Legion Bloodstock has bought this week will be going to the US, though, as the team have had their heads turned by the rich rewards of the Goffs €50,000 Bonuses and Goffs Million race.

“Most of the purchases will go to America but we’re leaving three in Ireland with Johnny Murtagh,” continued Villante. “We’ve ticked the box for the Goffs Two Million Series for all of those, and hopefully we’ll win those races next year.”

Breeze up buyer

Breeze-up maestro Norman Williamson landed a touch when purchasing a Starspangledbanner colt from last year’s Goffs Orby Book 2 for €60,000 and reselling him at the Goffs Doncaster Breeze-Up Sale for £300,000, so it was no surprise to see him back replenishing his string during today’s opening session.

The Oak Tree Farm man signed at €72,000 for Oghill House Stud’s Hello Youmzain colt out of the Listed-winning Elusive City mare Beauty Of Love (Lot 627).

"The sire is doing really well, and we felt that he was a nice individual,” said Williamson. “He's a strong looking horse, with a lovely walk.

"He’ll be going breezing all being well, and fingers crossed he's lucky. We got on well with our purchases from this sale last year but it’s not easy, we’ll keep trying.

"You never know what you’ll find in Book 2, though. There are some nice horses here, and we’ll see if we can buy a few more tomorrow."

The Starspangledbanner colt from last year’s auction blossomed into the useful two-year-old Catalyse, an easy winner on debut at Hamilton and not beaten all that far in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Dods returns

North Yorkshire trainer Michael Dods has often made hay with his purchases from Goffs Orby Book 2 and its earlier guise of the Sportsman’s Sale, and to underline the point one of his purchases from last year’s renewal, Eve’s Boy, was the impressive winner of a competitive novice stakes at Ayr’s Western Meeting last month.

He was busy restocking today, and stretched to €70,000 for a Kodi Bear colt out of the winning Dark Angel mare Deidra (Lot 707) offered by Railstown Stud on behalf of Dan Breen, who paid just €13,000 for him at the Goffs November Foal Sale last year.

“I didn’t think I’d have to go that far but I’m pleased to have got him,” said Dods. “He has a very speedy pedigree and he looks like a nice horse. We’ll take him home and get him broken in, and go from there.

“The expansion of the Goffs Bonuses to Britain is interesting, and will definitely be worth a go. Every little helps.

“This sale has been lucky for us, we’ve often done well here. I always enjoy coming back again each year.”

New owners

Michelle Connolly and John Hall are recent additions to the ranks of owners but they have had a charmed introduction to the sport, with their early horses in the care of Alice Haynes representing them well on the track.

Solvency became the first horse to carry Connolly’s own silks to victory when scoring by clear water on debut in a Hamilton maiden on Monday, while Naana’s Diamond has won a listed race in Italy for Hall.

The pair joined forces today to buy Abbeville Stud’s Dark Angel colt out of the listed-placed Siyouni mare Ghazawaat (Lot 763) for €70,000.

Co. Offaly native Connolly said: “He’s just a lovely sort, with good bone to him and nice conformation. He moves well and we liked his attitude.

“We’ll take him home to my farm in Offaly and get him broken, and then we’ll race him, probably with Alice. Hopefully he’ll be one for the Goffs Bonuses and maybe even the Million race.

“I haven’t come back down to earth since Solvency won his maiden, and Naana’s Diamond is doing well for John. I’ve always had horses, and we both enjoy racing, so we thought we’d get into it for a while, and see how we go. It’s going okay so far!”

Pinhooking coup

Peter Vaughan’s Moanmore Stables pulled off a clever looking pinhook coup when he received €60,000 from agent Eoin Sullivan for a colt by leading North American first-season sire Tiz The Law (Lot 662) who he had sourced in Kentucky in January for a mere $8,000.

A modest Vaughan played down any suggestions of genius though.

“We buy a few in Kentucky each year and liked this one as a model, so took a bit of a punt on him,” he said. “We were just extremely lucky that the sire has really taken off since.

"He's got a good chance of being champion freshman sire in America and he had a nice winner with Aidan O'Brien at Listowel just the other day. We wish the buyers every success with him.”

Tiz The Law’s debut crop has yielded 15 two-year-old winners so far, including the aforementioned promising Ballydoyle filly Medici Venus.

The Book 2 sale concludes on Friday.