THE Goffs February Sale concluded on Thursday evening and, after two days of trade at a clearance rate of 65%, turnover amounted to €3,082,400, a notable decrease (-29%) in aggregate on the 2023 sale.
The average of €12,898 and median of €8,000 also failed to match those of last year. Goffs can only sell what is presented to them, however, and the choicer lots certainly made their value.
A few notable supplementary entries at the end of catalogue caught the eye and it was Princess Vega, a winning seven-year-old daughter of Quevega who topped the sale when selling to Gerry Hogan for €150,000.
Offered in foal to Walk In The Park, the same stallion as Princess Vega’s two illustrious siblings Facile Vega and Aurora Vega, the mare consigned by the Irish National Stud would be a fine addition to any broodmare band.
After fending off competition from Catherine Magnier, Gerry Hogan said: “I’ve bought her for Liz Lucas of Swanbridge Bloodstock in England. She bought the mare’s Order Of St George two-year-old filly in December [for €48,000] and really likes her, so she decided to try and buy the mother. It’s a great family, it speaks for itself and I’m delighted she got her.”
Similar to Wednesday’s session when his yearlings were in strong demand, Whitsbury Manor Stud stallion Havana Grey continued that trend on Thursday when a filly by the sire sold to Willie Browne for €90,000. There was plenty of competition for the Castlebridge consigned filly out of Scots Fern and the half-sister to two winners, including the promising 3-year-old Hebridean Nomad, eventually went the way of the Mocklershill maestro.
After signing the docket Browne said: “The sire needs no explaining and she is a very good-looking filly, I haven’t seen one better than her here. She has great strength about her and a lovely walk too. We will bring her back for sale in the autumn, hopefully for the Orby Sale here.”
The filly was bred in England by Tommy Severn, whose equine focus lies mainly in the polo fields. “I’m a polo player by day, so I’m currently in Argentina,” he said via telephone. “It’s our second year in operation and a result like this is so important. We’ve got six mares at home. As a small player, we have to keep trading. Billy Jackson-Stops felt she would stand out a bit here, so we targeted this sale as a result. It’s a credit to the team at Stoneyhill Stud in Gloucestershire, where she was born and bred. We then sent her to Triermore Stud in Meath, where Paul McDonnell and Terry Denning do a great job. The filly has thrived since she went there.”
Havana again
A colt by Havana Grey topped Wednesday’s session when bought by the Yeomanstown Stud team for €85,000. The March-born grey was consigned by Dermot Dwan’s Kellsgrange Stud out of the Danehill Dancer mare How High The Sky, who has bred eight winners from 10 runners. The pedigree traces back to French Guineas winner Silver Frost and multiple group race winner Spiritjim.
“He’s as good a model as you’ll see and we’re delighted to get him,” Yeomanstown’s David O’Callaghan said. “He is by a very good stallion, has a nice dam-line to back it up and there will be plenty of options open to him next autumn. He could be one for Doncaster or an Orby horse, we’ll see how he gets on in the meantime,” he added.
A VERY attractive Galiway yearling colt from Simon Cavanagh and Aisling Noone’s Drumloose Stables was sold on Wednesday for €68,000 to Yeomanstown Stud.
The French-bred chesnut is the third produce out of the Kendargent mare Kenava who has two Galiway fillies, a three-year-old and a two-year-old in training.
“He is a beautiful horse with a huge, athletic walk and is a great model,” David O’Callaghan of Yeomanstown said. “He’s bred on the Galiway-Kendargent cross that has produced the Group 1 winning full-brothers Sealiway and Sunway. He can go to any yearling sale in the autumn.”
It was a great result for the fledgling Drumloose Stables team and a delighted Aisling Noone said: “We sourced him privately in France and have him with a couple of friends. We liked everything about him.
“Galiway is such a good sire and can get you a top class horse on the flat or over hurdles. He has always been a really easy and straightforward horse to look after. When he got here on Monday he settled in straight away, and has been a superstar since he got here.
“Of all the horses we have offered he has been the best we’ve had. Everyone you wanted to see come to the door did and the feedback was so positive. When you have a horse that is bought by judges like the O’Callaghans then you know that you have something special.”
Noone and Cavanagh enjoyed another good result when two shrewd judges in Con and Amy Marnane purchased their Havana Grey colt for €46,000.
This fellow is out of the Dutch Art mare All Back To Mine who won twice over five and six furlongs and another date with a sales ring is in store for the colt later this year.
“It’s a really fast cross and he will be re-offered for sale later in the year,” Amy Marnane said. “He is a cracking colt, a great walker with a big hip and he looks like he will be a runner. We have seven Havana Greys at home for the breeze-ups and they are extremely nice horses. They have such good minds and a will to run, we can’t have enough of them.
“We’ll decide which yearling sale to target at a later date, but if we had to keep him to breeze, we wouldn’t mind,” she added.
THE highest priced jumps-bred horse sold this week at Goffs was a yearling son of No Risk At All who sold to the combination of Tally-Ho Stud and Hamish Macauley for €75,000.
Consigned by Railstown Stud, the chesnut colt is out of the winning Fuisse mare Eccetara and hails from an accomplished family that includes former Aintree specialist Vieux Lion Rouge, Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle winner Marcel and Galway Plate winner Royal Rendezvous.
“I thought he was the best horse here, he looks to have it all and he will come back for the store sales as a three-year-old,” Macauley said.
Jane Davis and Michelle Connolly combined for two significant purchases. They spent €46,000 on a yearling filly and €38,000 on a mare in foal.
The yearling filly is by Kodi Bear and was consigned by Ballylinch Stud. She is out of the stakes-placed Lina De Vega and is a half-sister to Impact Warrior who made a good impression during her short time in Ireland with Paddy Twomey before continuing her career in America where she has already finished third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks. The yearling is also a granddaughter of Group 1 Prix de Diane winner Caerlina.
The same buyers struck again for the stakes-placed Singyoursong, offered by Baroda Stud in foal to Saxon Warrior. This €38,000 purchase is the dam of one winner so far and comes from the family of Group 1 winners Charming Thought and Ballingarry.
Another Baroda mare to prove popular was Neomeris, who was bought by Ana Alice Byrne for €39,000. Placed on her only start in France, the four-year-old filly by Anodin is a half-sister to both French Navy and Sea Lord who amassed 25 wins between them including nine at stakes level.
Baroda Stud also sold Miss McLeod, a six-year-old full-sister to Group 2 July Stakes winner Alhebayeb, to Richard Ryan for €43,000. The mare was sold in foal to Bayside Boy, who was also bought by Ryan as a yearling before carrying the Teme Valley silks to victory in the Group 1 QEII Stakes at Ascot on his final start before retiring to stud at Ballylinch Stud.
Among some of the other popular offerings in the breeding stock section was Hay Chewed, a 13-year-old mare offered by Guy O’Callaghan’s Grangemore Stud in foal to Invincible Army. She was bought by Rathasker Stud for €42,000.
Hay Chewed has bred two winners so far, including the three-time recent winner Beelzebub and she is a half-sister to Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes winner Winter Power.