LAST year’s Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale will be near impossible to match, the Niarchos dispersal producing a record turnover of €66,685,000.
Alpha Centauri and Alpine Star were the headline acts, the Group 1 winners each selling for €6 million, with another three fetching €2 million plus.
They contributed to a 126% rise in the average price at €125,337, but the median falling by 23% to €18,500 was an indicator of how things fared away from the top tier. The clearance also dropped, from 78% to 73% in the space of 12 months, but it should be noted that the number of lots offered increased by 16%.
Next week’s catalogue of 348 lots is the smallest since 2020, but features all the leading consignors expected, including the Aga Khan Studs, Ballylinch Stud Baroda Stud, Derrinstown Stud, Godolphin, Moyglare Stud, Norelands and The Castlebridge Consignment, among others.
Exceeding expectations
The Derrinstown Stud draft is always popular, and may be even more so next week, following the success of its graduates this year.
Shadwell’s operation sold Fidaaha to Tally-Ho Stud for just €15,000 in 2017 and all three of her runners are group winners, most notably this year’s Group 1 National Stakes victor Scorthy Champ.
De Burgh Equine gave €35,000 for their homebred mare Atab last year and her value has since increased, following her son Lugal’s Group 1 win in Japan.
White Daffodil was another bargain, the €28,000 purchase producing dual Group 1 winner Khaadem and the multiple group-placed Log Out Island for Yeomanstown Stud.
Folk Melody cost a bit more at €82,000, but is now a priceless asset for Corduff Stud and Tim Rooney, who bred Romantic Warrior out of the Godolphin homebred. This year’s top-flight juveniles New Century and Whistlejacket have also justified their dam’s price tags, having been bought at Goffs for €150,000 and €125,000 respectively.
Star lot
Public auction would, of course, be the only way to estimate their new value, and one who everyone will be watching undergo that evaluation next week is Gouache, the dam of Goliath.
The daughter of Shamardal was bought by the mysterious Agrolexica International Trading at last year’s Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale for €200,000, when Goliath was a listed winner who finished fourth in a Group 3.
Offered by Millenium Stud as Lot 1184, Gouache boasts plenty of appeal without her son’s achievements. She is one of three stakes winners out of the listed-winning Dynaformer mare Guantana, herself a half-sister to Group 1 winners Guignol and Guiliani.
The second dam, Italian Oaks heroine Guadalupe, chased home Islington in the Yorkshire Oaks and was beaten a short neck by Black Sam Bellamy in the Gran Premio del Jockey Club. Furthermore, Gouache is offered in foal to Sea The Stars’ six-time Group 1 winner Baaeed, who commanded £80,000 this year.
Other lots expected to fetch notable sums include:
Lot 1128: A half-sister to Group 1 winner Tribalist, Mer Lunaire hails from the family of Beauty Eternal, Brando, Crowded House and Reckless Abandon
Lot 1159: Rainfall Of Colour, a Frankel half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Ribchester (Iffraaj), is offered in foal to Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj)
Lot 1182: Her Honour is the dam of three stakes horses, including dual group winner Vadream. The half-sister to Group 2 winner Swashbuckling is in foal to Night Of Thunder
Lot 1187: M’Lady Nicole, a full-sister to Group 2 winner Knight To Behold, and a half-sister to another two group winners. In foal to Night Of Thunder
Lot 1192: Flight Of Dreams, an unraced own-sister to Champion Older Horse, Cloth Of Stars. The second dam produced Group 1 winners Shiva and Light Shift, herself the dam of Ulysses
Lot 1199: Jm Jackson, the blacktype dam of this year’s Group 3 Molecomb Stakes winner Big Mojo. He is by Mohaather, a son of Showcasing, who she is offered in foal to
Lot 1203: Scarlett O’Hara, placed in a listed race and twice at Group 3 level. Frankel filly hails from the top-class Kilcarn Stud family of Flame Of Tara, Marju and Salsabil