The opening session of the two-day Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale on Wednesday was aided in no uncertain terms by a large contingent of buyers from Europe and beyond.

Owners, trainers and agents from Italy, Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Kazakhstan and, of course Ireland and Britain, contributed to an aggregate of €1,367,600 and a clearance rate of 70%.

The average price given was €7,906 while the median was €5,000.

Important update

Lot 385 received an update all vendors and breeders hope for when her half-sister Caught U Looking won the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh in September.

Offered by the Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of breeder Peter Kelly, the Inns Of Court filly topped the session when knocked down to Eddie Linehan and Johnny Murtagh for €50,000.

“It was a great pedigree update and she is a fine filly with plenty of size and scope. She is a good physical and the sire has also had a good first season,” Linehan said.

The agent has helped Murtagh acquire 16 yearlings so far this autumn and Murtagh was quick to add that this filly was bought on spec and was for sale. “Hopefully I should be able to find an owner for her, she is filly with plenty of residual value which is a big help,” Murtagh said.

Sottsass colt

The sole offering in the sale by young Coolmore stallion Sottsass proved popular when selling to Hana Polednikova for €37,000. Lot 447 was consigned by Treadstone Bloodstock out of Bahama Spirit and is a half-brother to the stakes performer Nimbostratus as well as three other winners.

Italian buyer

Another international buyer, Cristiana Brivia of Razza Latina, has been a valued customer of Irish bloodstock for many years now and the Italian owner-trainer purchased subsequent Italian stakes winner Just Do It for €12,000 at this sale two years ago.

Among her purchases on Wednesday was a Ribchester filly who cost €33,000. Consigned by Cloney Stud as the property of Noreen O’Donovan, the filly out of Pile Ou Face is a half-sister to Sphere Of Fire, a nine time winner in Italy and also stakes placed in the Razza Latina silks, having also been bought at this sale by Brivia in 2019 for €5,000.

Later in the sale the Razza Latina team added a Soldier’s Call colt to its squad when successfully bidding €20,000 for the colt consigned by Ladytown Stables.

Bound for Norway

Bloodstock agent Edgar Byrne bought one of the top lots at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on behalf of Norwegian trainer Niels Petersen and he was again shopping on behalf of Petersen on Wednesday.

His purchases included a €30,000 Kuroshio colt from Loughill, a half brother to four winners from the family of a Breeders’ Cup winner in Escena.

Byrne struck again soon after when buying a colt by US Navy Flag from Ballinafad Stud who cost €32,000.

Bargain hunters

Having bought the above-mentioned Group 3 winner Caught U Looking at this sale last year for €27,000, Noel Meade and Peter Nolan were back in the hunt for more bargains and one that went their way was a €25,000 filly by Phoenix Of Spain.

The Kiltale Farm offering is the second produce out of Reiwa, an unraced Camelot half-sister to Group 3 Solario Stakes winner Talwar.

Harzand, the sire of Caught U Looking, was responsible for another good sale when his son from Clonmartin Farm was bought by George and John Joseph Murphy for €30,000.

A well-related Dark Angel filly is another destined for Scandinavia after selling to Goffs agent Filip Zwicky for €22,000.

Offered by Gerry Burke’s Glidawn Stud, the filly out of Overtones comes from a blacktype-filled family which includes American graded stakes winners Innuendo and Criticism.

Zwicky also signed for a good-walking Sands Of Mali colt offered by Knockatrina House. The son of blacktype winner Sahool cost €29,000 and is a half-brother to Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes winner Laraaib.

The O’Callaghans of Tally-Ho Stud rarely leave a sale empty-handed and they purchased a filly by James Garfield from Rathbarry Stud. The half-sister to two stakes performers out of a winning half-sister to Group 3 Brownstown Stakes winner Queen Catrine set the Tally- Ho team back €27,000.

The sale continues on Thursday.