THE Grassick family has enjoyed some memorable days at the Goffs November Sales. Approve and Paco Boy are perhaps the best horses purchased by the late Brian and his daughter Cathy at the venue’s foal sale, but next week, the focus will be on a draft of mares from its Newtown Stud.
Friday will be particularly nerve-wracking, and hopefully successful, as the Co Kildare farm offer three exciting mares as consecutive lots. M’Lady Nicole (Lot 1187) is one of the highlights of the catalogue, as an own-sister to Group 2 scorer Knight To Behold, in foal to Night Of Thunder, whose fee increases to €150,000 in 2025.
“The reason that she’s in the sale is because her breeder Neil Jones passed away earlier this year,” Cathy Grassick explained. “He was the man who set up Abergwaun Farms, who raised some great horses like Millenary and Preseli.
“His family have retained a full-sister to this mare and they’ve also retained the Lope de Vega colt out of this mare, who has been sent to William Haggas. He’s hopefully going to be a nice two-year-old for next year, and hopefully carry on some of the legacy of Mr. Jones.”
Grassick went on to explain how Night Of Thunder’s sire Dubawi has enjoyed great success with daughters of Sea The Stars, most notably producing Group 1 winners Al Husn and Eldar Eldarov.
“Night Of Thunder has worked well with mares with a little bit more stamina,” she continued. “The foal was so nice, and if it worked so well the first time, why not do it again?”
The foal in question will be offered by Newtown Stud at the earlier Foal Sale as Lot 691. According to Grassick, he ticks all the boxes. “He’s got real quality, he’s a good size, and he’s got a lovely walk. He’s got scope, and will be a very nice yearling. He’s what we hoped for when the mating was done, what we were trying to achieve.”
First Lady
Preceding M’Lady Nicole is Floriade (Lot 1186), the dam of Group 3 winner and multiple Group 1-placed Flotus, in foal to Blue Point. “It’s another sad situation,” Grassick said. “We bred Flotus with Tim Pabst, a longtime family friend, a good friend of my mother’s.
“When my father passed away, he was very good to us, and wanted to be involved with mares on the farm. Unfortunately, with him passing away, that’s why she’s in the sale.
“Obviously, it’s very timely given that Blue Point has had such a great year, selling so well. We’ve retained the full-sister to Flotus, Raising The Flag, so hopefully she’ll stand us in good stead.”
Their breeding stock consignment opens with Lot 1185, the blacktype mare Sorry Woman, in foal to Galiway.
“She actually had a winner the other day- her three-year-old Mags won, and she stays in training next year,” Grassick noted. “The mare has a great strike record, and she was obviously very fast, she was an extremely good racemare herself.” Grassick points out that Galiway has done particularly well with speedier mares, his two Group 1 winners being out of a daughter of Kendargent.
Commercial matings
Newtown Stud offer two mares on Saturday, beginning with Eyeshadow (Lot 1263), a half-sister to two stakes horses. “You can see the Galileo coming through in her through her mother, she’s a lovely looking mare.
“She’s in foal to Sioux Nation, mainly because on her page, multiple stakes winner and group performer Estrosa is by Sioux Nation, while her sister by Ten Sovereigns won two stakes races.”
The draft concludes with Nonetheless (Lot 1264), an 80-rated maiden winner for John Oxx, who is offered in foal to Gleneagles.
“Nonetheless is from a very good southern hemisphere family,” she said.
“Her dam Twinkling was an incredible race mare, winning stakes races at three, four and five. Per Contra looked very impressive early on [rated 92], and she’s had some very decent performers.
“She has a beautiful Gleneagles filly foal on the ground here. She’s being retained, so he [New Zealand-based client James Ross Ancell] is selling the mare as he’s got a filly to keep from her.”