GOFFS 500 contender Nancy J provided Imad Alsagar with a perfect start to owning in Ireland, when making a winning debut for Jessica Harrington last month. The accomplished owner/breeder breaks new ground next week, as his Blue Diamond Stud makes their Irish consigning debut at Goffs Orby Book 1.

The operation’s Nancy Sexton gave The Irish Field the low-down on their Orby quintet.

Decorated Knight and Nashwa are some of Blue Diamond Stud’s biggest homebred success stories, but tell us a little about the farm’s sales graduates.

Even though the stud hasn’t been selling under its own steam for very long (since 2022), the consignments have already produced a lot of winners like (Beresford Stakes hopeful) Hotazhell, who won the Tyros Stakes for Jessie Harrington. Hopefully he will get his chance in Group 1 company before the year is out because he looks up to holding his own at the top level.

In fact, all bar one of the two-year-old crop to have run so far this year have won, horses like Sashay Away on debut at Ellis Park, Burhan at Deauville, Milford on debut at Hamilton and nursery winners Hackney Diamonds and River Blackwater, so we’re very pleased. And the one that hasn’t won yet is rated 85!

What drew you to selling at Goffs?

Imad attended the Orby Sale last year, the sales team did a very good job of looking after him and I think he was impressed by the number of international buyers there, particularly Americans. The operation is always looking to try new things - Imad bought a farm in Kentucky, Stonereath, last summer - and this is a new angle that the stud was interested in pursuing, especially after having seen it all firsthand last year.

Your Frankel colt (Lot 10) is sure to attract the big spenders. What can you tell us about him?

He’s a fine strong colt with plenty of his sire about him. His dam Tisa River is obviously very well-related herself, being a half-sister to Iridessa, Santa Barbara and Order Of Australia, and so far the indications are that she’ll add plenty to the family too. Her first foal, Bolt Action, was an expensive breezer and then a fast stakes horse by Kessaar and her second foal, Enchanting, has won three races for Imad and the hope is for her to get black-type. She looks progressive anyway. So, it’s a thriving young family and he’s a strong physical to go with it.

Your Siyouni filly (Lot 374) is out of a Galileo mare- a proven Group 1 cross. What is she like as an individual?

She’s a strong flashy filly, very attractive with good limbs and a good head. As you say, it’s that very good Group 1 cross behind Sottsass, St Mark’s Basilica and Al Hakeem among others.

The Saxon Warrior filly (Lot 416) hails from the same family - how would you describe her?

This is one of the stud’s cornerstone families. Majestic Sakeena was one of the first mares bought for the stud and she provided Imad with his first homebred stakes winner, Nouriya, who is still going strong, as well as Yuften and Lady Nouf. In turn, Nouriya foaled Duke Of Cambridge Stakes winner Aljazzi. Bella Nouf has also added to the line in the past few years so it’s a family that continues to run strong, particularly through its fillies.

The Saxon Warrior filly has done really well. She’s an attractive, well-balanced filly with depth.

She’s inbred to Galileo but also via multiple lines to Allegretta, a pattern that seems to have been increasingly successful this year.

Aclaim may not be a sire at the top of everyone’s list, but your filly (Lot 490) is out of a half-sister to his best filly, Cachet. Tell us about her.

By all accounts, she has thrived with work and enjoys it as well. We saw her the other day and remarked that there’s actually a similarity to Cachet. She’s a really good mover who uses herself well, very well-balanced, with a good head. She has a racy look to her. It’s obviously the right cross for the family, which threw another useful one in Cat Ninja, so it will be interesting to see what she can do.