DON’T call it the Sportsman’s Sale, it’s Orby Book 2 and it starts next Thursday.
Last year’s sale produced a record price of €300,000 and an excellent clearance rate of 86% with over €10 million spent. The average price paid last year was €25,017 (up 17%) and the median rose by 24% to €21,000.
There are over 500 yearlings in the two-day sale which comes immediately after Orby Book 1.
All yearlings offered in both Orby Book 1 and Book 2 are eligible for the Goffs Two Million Series in 2024, which is explained on the opposite page.
Graduates of this sale include Gold Phoenix who won the Grade 1 Frank E Kilroe Mile Stakes at Santa Anita this year, a race won in 2020 by fellow Orby Book 2 graduate River Boyne. Gold Phoenix recently landed a Grade 2 at Del Mar for Phil D’Amato who also trained another star graduate of this sale in Going Global, winner of eight graded races including the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.
Sires represented in this year’s catalogue include Acclamation, Blue Point, Bungleinthejungle, Calyx, Churchill, Cotai Glory, Dark Angel, Dandy Man, Havana Grey, Kodi Bear, Kodiac, Mehmas, New Bay, No Nay Never, Oasis Dream, Sea The Stars, Soldier’s Call and Starspangledbanner.
Among the many highlights is a Sea The Stars own-brother to Group 3 winner Alpen Rose, a half-brother to stakes winning two-year-old and group-placed Manhattan Jungle by Shaman, and a Magna Grecia half-brother to Group 3 winner Coral Beach.
Blacktype dams feature throughout and include a Havana Grey filly out of a sister to champion two-year-old colt and leading young sire Soldier’s Call.
Action Point, winner of the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury in July, has a half-brother by Ghaiyyath in Book 2, while a No Nay Never half-brother to Royal Aclaim, who was a listed winner at two in York and was placed in a Group 3 at the same track this season, is also catalogued. Another standout is the Kodi Bear own-brother to multiple listed winner and Group 1 placed Measure Of Magic.
Goffs’ CEO Henry Beeby said: “The support from breeders across Orby Book 1 and Book 2 has seen a significant increase this year and we are extremely grateful as it allows Goffs to deliver on our promise to provide the gateway to the world for Irish breeders and repay their trust.
“The two-year-old strike-rate and value synonymous with Orby Book 2 is what draws such a diverse group of buyers to this sale each year and, with the unique incentive of the Two Million Series where only Orby graduates will compete for a massive €2 million, there has never been a better time to buy a Goffs yearling.”
Catalogue highlights
Lot 636: B c by Shaman - Skylight (Acclamation). Half-brother to listed winner Manhattan Jungle.
Lot 638: B f by Earthlight - Smoken Rosa (Smoke Glacken). Half-sister to Miss Phillyjinks, dam of Prix Marcel Boussac winner Tiger Tanaka.
Lot 712: B c by Sea The Stars - Valais Girl (Holy Roman Emperor). Own-brother to Group 3 winner Alpen Rose.
Lot 743: B c by Magna Grecia - Abbasharjah (Tiger Hill). Half-brother to Group 3 winner Coral Beach.
Lot 752: B f by Almanzor - Albarouche (Sadler’s Wells). From the family of Arc winner Alpinista.
Lot 777: B f by Churchill - Arabian Dream (Oasis Dream). From Juddmonte family of Showcasing and Camacho.
Lot 902: B/gr f by Havana Grey - Fan Dance (Canford Cliffs). Dam is a half-sister to Soldier’s Call.
Lot 955: B f by Night Of Thunder - Jahafil (Kingman). Grandson of Oaks and King George winner Taghrooda.
Lot 968: B c by Ghaiyyath - Khaleesi Wind (Exceed And Excel). Half-brother to 2023 listed winner Action Point.
Lot 969: B c by No Nay Never - Knock Stars (Soviet Star). Half-brother to listed winner Royal Aclaim.
Lot 988: B c by Kodi Bear - Lilly Be (Titus Livius). Brother to high-class sprinter Measure Of Magic.
Sale Info
Sale: Goffs Orby Yearling Sale Book 2
Dates/times: Thursday and Friday, September 28th and 29th
Lots: 511
Tel: 045 886600
Email: winners@goffs.ie
Web: goffs.com