HORSES make fools of us every single day. They defy the odds dictated by their conformation, pedigree, and sales price- whether that be a disappointing blueblood, or an ugly duckling transformed.

The Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale is a reminder of this, having produced nine individual blacktype winners in 2024, all from humble beginnings. Birthe, successful at listed and Group 2 level this term, was bought by J.D. Moore for just €10,000 from Tara Stud two years ago.

That same edition produced Group 3-winning juvenile and listed-winning three-year-old Caught U Looking, who finished third in another two Group 3 contests and finished fifth in both the Epsom and Irish Oaks.

She is reportedly heading to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, to recoup on her yearling price of €27,000, paid by Peter Nolan and Noel Meade for the Castlebridge Consignment offering.

Natalia Lupini’s juvenile Rebel Diamond rewarded connections earlier this week when selling to Blandford Bloodstock for 300,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale. Vendored by Rathasker Stud for €46,000 at last year’s Autumn Yearling Sale, he has won his last three starts, most recently at listed level, bringing his rating to 101.

Chris Waller’s acquisition of the highly-rated Etna Rosso came in a private deal, but it’s safe to presume that he cost Australian connections more than the €40,000 bid by Kevin Ross three years ago, when he was sold by Clonsast Stud.

The same presumption can be made regarding Stone Farm’s €48,000 buy Easy, the Derrinstown Stud graduate having sold to Team Valor following her debut win. The lightly-raced filly is now a listed winner.

US owners Eclipse Thoroughbreds acquired Quick Suzy following her impressive Curragh maiden win and were repaid handsomely with Royal Ascot glory in the Queen Mary Stakes. Bought by Aoife Dunphy from Cloney Stud for €20,000 as a yearling, she fetched $600,000 as a broodmare prospect two years later.

Con Marnane achieved the most impressive return on his €11,000 outlay when Givemethebeatboys topped the Goffs London Sale at £1.1 million. Sold as a yearling by Ard Erin Stud, the Bungle Inthejungle colt currently boasts two Group 3 wins, a listed success and Group 1 placing to his name.

It wasn’t the first time Marnane struck gold at this sale, having bought Funny Money Honey from Newlands House Stud for €11,500. Later a listed winner and Group 3-placed, she later resold for 165,000gns.

One of the best success stories of the Autumn Yearling Sale is Group 1 victor Laws Of Indices, who was bought by Dermot Farrington for just €8,000. Sold by Rathasker Stud on behalf of breeder Nicky Hartery, the son of Power has also placed at the highest level in Australia, France and Hong Kong.

That’s not to say the sale’s more expensive graduates don’t justify their price tag, either, with Ostraka the most recent example. Sold by Abbeville Stud to Garrett Freyne for €95,000, she shaped like an exciting prospect when making a winning debut at the Curragh, but after some disappointing efforts, resold for just €9,000 at the venue’s February Sale. She has won three of her last five starts for Danny Murphy, most recently winning the Group 3 Mercury Stakes.

Many of the other talented graduates were commercial failures, their prices only celebrated by purchasers. Next week will be a difficult time for those selling, most having lost money 12 months ago, judging by the average price of €8,373 and median of €5,000. The clearance rate dropped one point to 76%, and given that the catalogue has increased from 574 to 619 this year, we should expect more of the same, if not worse.

The 2024 European yearling market has been one of highs and lows, the highs of the recent Tattersalls October Yearling Sale perhaps a reason for some to be optimistic next week, given that those at the lower end will have struggled to fill their orders. Vendors will discover their fate immediately after the HIT Sale, with selling expected to commence from 3pm on Tuesday, November 5th. The sale begins at 10am over the next two days.

There are 28 supplementary entries for this sale, and this is is the final opportunity to buy a contender for next year’s Goffs Two Million Series and Harry’s Half Million, as several lots were originally catalogued in the Orby Sale or Doncaster Premier Sale.

Lot 203: Three-parts brother to the 98-rated Motawaj, out of a listed winner. He hails from the first crop son of Space Blues

Lot 211: Sottsass half-sister to three horses rated 90 and above, including listed winner and Group 3 third Melbourne Memories

Lot 235: Ghaiyyath colt out a listed-winning and twice Group 3-placed mare, from the family of Vadeni

Lot 247: Starman half-sister to stakes filly Body Sculpt and three-time Grade 2 winner Hong Kong Harry, who also placed at Grade 1 level

Lot 271: Sioux Nation filly out of listed winner Aine, herself out of listed winner and Group 3 third Antinnaz

Lot 318: Space Blues colt out of a group-placed Kodiac mare. Half-brother to a 95-rated sprinter

Lot 324: Half-brother to three stakes horses, including Group 3 and listed winner Belcarra. From the first crop of Nando Parrado

Lot 357: Half-brother to Mill Reef Stakes second Hierarchy, from the first crop of Starman

Lot 366: Starman colt is closely related to Grade 1 Belmont Stakes second Canndal. Calandagan also appears under the first dam, herself listed-placed

Lot 390: Soldier’s Call half-brother to six-time stakes winner and Group 1 performer Dubday

Lot 395: Ghaiyyath half-brother to Melbourne Cup victor Fiorente, and to the dam of Australia Group 1 performer Tom Melbourne

Lot 440: U S Navy Flag filly out of Group 3 and listed winner Euphrasia, who finished third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup

Lot 448: Belardo colt is a full-brother to Bellabel, a dual graded winner in America and twice placed at the highest level

Lot 492: Colt from the first crop of Supremacy is a half-brother to dual stakes winner and multiple Group 1-placed Gabrial, as well as to two dams of stakes horses

Lot 657: Teofilo (Galileo) filly out of a Galileo own-sister to Soldier Of Fortune and Heliostatic

Lot 685: Iffraaj filly out of a highly-rated daughter of Group 1 winner Quiff

Lot 686: Calyx half-brother to Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner King’s Apostle. Grandson of champion two-year-old filly Embassy

Lot 713: Teofilo half-brother to two blacktype horses, out of a listed-winning and group-placed Kingmambo mare

Lot 738: Pinatubo half-brother to a listed winner, out of an own-sister to Sea The Moon