GOFFS concluded almost three days of selling at the Autumn Yearling Sale on Thursday evening with a set of results that were generally pleasing, though for breeders and vendors they did in many cases result in financial losses.

So many factors impact on the value of yearlings at the lower end of the market – conformation, the buyers’ love or otherwise for sires, the record of dams and the strength of the pedigree, as well as the general demand for racehorses.

Most vendors approach such sales with their eyes wide open, and their principal aim when taking a horse to the market is to come home with an empty horsebox.

To this end, Goffs and the team at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing can be pleased that there were so many overseas purchasers present throughout the week and, of the 427 lots that sold, a phenomenal 125 or so are destined for eastern Europe.

Irish bloodstock agent Bobby O’Ryan, who has worked closely with Kishore Mirpuri in this area, had his name on the buyer’s sheet for a record 69 lots over the three days, as well as others at the preceding horses in training sale.

Buyers were not only in attendance from a variety of nations, but they were in purchasing mode, with yearlings bought to race in China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, UAE and, of course, Britain. Italian buyers were very prominent and 55 yearlings are bound for that country, while China is set to receive 15.

”Absolutely vital”

Goffs CEO Henry Beeby acknowledged the highs and lows of the market. He said: “A marginally improved clearance rate of 77% is acceptable as it demonstrates trade and underlines the depth and breadth of buyers, but it must be noted that although the average has improved and the median held steady, they are hardly a cause for celebration, and are at the lower end of the scale. In that context our overseas buyers have been absolutely vital, as a market without them would be unimaginable.”

DERRINSTOWN Stud sent two lots to the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale, selling a son of Masar to their former trainer Kevin Prendergast for €29,000, and topping the sale with a daughter of Mohaather.

A son of Showcasing, Mohaather has had an outstanding first year with his two-year-old runners, 19 winners already chalked up, his three stakes winners including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup fourth Big Mojo, and this was bound to lead to plenty of interest in his only offering at the sale.

Trainer Jack Davison, on the back of an excellent season, and bloodstock agent Barry Lynch combined to acquire the half-sister to stakes winner Al Asifah for €110,000.

Awtaad relation

The filly’s dam, Aneen, was stakes-placed when trained by Kevin Prendergast, and the Curragh handler also enjoyed one of his best days in the training ranks when he won the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas with Aneen’s half-brother Awtaad. Also in this family is the Group 2 winner and Group 1 Derby runner-up Madhmoon.

“She is for an American-based client of mine,” commented Davison. “I wanted to buy a really nice filly and she’s lovely, the nicest filly in the sale, and a real standout for me. So, I am delighted to get her.”

Bloodstock agent Lynch added: “She is a lovely filly, really well-bred, and by an exciting young sire. Jack has a good Mohaather gelding called Glenderry. He won on just his second start, and was runner-up on debut at the Curragh to Aftermath, who was third in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes, so he looks to be a nice horse.”

Pinatubo colt

The sale-topper headed trade on the opening day, while the second best of the week led the way on the final day.

Part of The Castlebridge Consignment, a son of Pinatubo out of the unraced Sea The Stars mare Sea The Sun was sold to trainer Sheila Lavery for €75,000. The colt has been on Lavery’s radar, and possesses one of the best pedigrees around.

A half-brother to the stakes winner Golden Lyra and two other winners, the first three progeny of their dam, he is out of a full-sister to the Group 1 Deutsches Derby winner and Group 1 sire Sea The Moon. The colt’s third dam bred two winners of the German Derby, Schiaparelli and Samum, while their full-sister Salve Regina was placed in the race, but she won the German Oaks.

“He is for a new syndicate that Kevin Flynn is setting up,” Lavery said. She added: “Simon Magnier, who is a friend of Kevin, highly recommended the colt to us. He’s been watching him on the farm all summer, and thought he was a standout. He has a serious pedigree and he’s a lovely horse, so hopefully he will be lucky for Kevin. We stretched our budget to get him, but we are pleased we did.”

Starman stars

The top lot on the second day was another from The Castlebridge Consignment, at a more modest €50,000. A total of 25 yearlings sold for €30,000 or more over the three days, and five of these were by Starman. The first crop of that Tally-Ho Stud sire has been welcomed enthusiastically by buyers all autumn.

The headliner on Wednesday was one of the very first in the ring that morning. Ross Doyle was on the mark for the first foal of a placed daughter of Frankel, Beloved, and that mare’s 10 winning siblings are headed by the Group 1 Japanese Derby winner Deep Brillante (Deep Impact). The female family has been especially successful in Japan. Richard Hannon will handle the filly’s training.

“A very nice, racy filly,” was Doyle’s reaction. “She is very typical of Starman’s stock and she is out of a Frankel mare, which will hopefully be a boost, but it’s a strong page on the dam’s side. We are taking a bit of a gamble on a first season sire, but he is getting consistent types that look strong and athletic, which is what you like to see.”

THE strength of the yearling market this year has been something of a pleasant surprise, but it hasn’t been good news for those looking to buy for the breeze-up market next spring. Many are still trying to fill their order books.

The most significant purchase of the week for that sector was of a son of Mehmas at €60,000, made by Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud.

Consigned by Beechlane Stables, the colt was bought as a foal for €13,000, and was always likely to be profitable, given that Mehmas has sired three Group or Grade 1 winners this year: Scorthy Champ, Vertical Blue, and last weekend’s Breeders’ Cup hero Magnum Force.

The colt’s sale prospects were also helped by the success of a half-brother, who has won three times in 2024, and Whitehead faced stern opposition in the shape of Con and Amy Marnane.

Whitehead said: “He’s a nice horse, straightforward and has a good colour; good size, and obviously the stallion doesn’t need any introduction. We will probably breeze him, and he could head to Doncaster. He’s the type of horse who, if he gallops well, should have plenty of buyers for him.”

Whitehead was beside bloodstock agent Marco Bozzi, and the latter was among the buyers later on Thursday, though he was at the airport at the time. Bidding by telephone, he secured a daughter of Starspangledbanner from The Castlebridge Consignment for €57,000. She is the first foal of a winning daughter of Invincible Spirit, the broodmare sire of the Grade 1 Breeders Cup winner Starlust.

An early morning highlight on Thursday was the sale of Lewinstown Farm’s Nando Parrado colt to David Barron’s Harrogate Bloodstock. The north of England trainer was seated where Tom Whitehead was later, and his €52,000 bid secured the colt who is from the first crop of the Irish National Stud stallion. The colt was described by auctioneer Andrew Nolan as “one of the picks of the day”.

A veteran of the training ranks himself, Barron had to see off Kevin Prendergast for the colt, who is a half-brother to this year’s juvenile winner Lord Roxby. Barron has good reason to buy at Goffs. He said: “Nice horse, and the sale has been a lucky one for us. Looking through the day, he was our standout, and probably a standout for others too.” The colt was one of five lots purchased by Barron this week.