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Two weanling colts from Moyglare Stud stole the show at Goffs on Wednesday, the second and final day of the February Sale.
The two-day sale, dominated by newly-turned yearlings, saw 214 of the 320 horses offered find buyers, for a clearance rate of 67% which is slightly up on last year.
The average price was just over €18,000 (up from €12,900) and the median came in at €10,000 (up from €8,000).
Moyglare only sent two horses to the sale and, sold consecutively, they fetched the sale's two best prices.
A son of Blue Point fetched €250,000 and a colt by Study Of Man made €165,000.
Tally-Ho Stud bought the Blue Point, who is the second foal out of the Dansili mare Tina Angelina, winner of a 10-furlong maiden at Leopardstown. She is an own-sister to Group 3 winner Carla Bianca and a half-sister to Joalliere (by Dubawi), dam of Irish 1000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs.
Tally-Ho's Roger O'Callaghan said: “We’ve had a bit of luck with his dad and we like him. I’d say we might have a bit more luck with him, too, in April [at the breeze-ups].”
The Study Of Man colt, from the family of She's Our Mark and Crystal Black, was bought by agent Matt Coleman, who said: “I thought he was the best-looking weanling here over the two days. I have a lot of respect for Study Of Man as a stallion, a sire that has been doing it the hard way.
“He has not had a lot of runners on the track, and has obviously got quality stakes horses, and I think he is a stallion who will do better and better over the coming years. He has Kalpana as his star filly who will be running in a lot of Group 1s this season, and will be his flagship. He is a good son of Deep Impact."
Reacting to the sales-toppers, Moyglare's Fiona Craig said: “They were two lovely foals. The lads at home did a great job on them during the winter. We had eight here in November and they all sold great, but the Blue Point was an April foal and looked a bit loose, and the Study Of Man was not quite big enough, so we decided to bring them here. They have stood out.
“We need to get our numbers down, and hence the last couple of years we have been selling colt foals. We can’t sell yearlings; no one wants yearlings from us. The buyers have now learned that we are selling them and not buying them back. They have worked out that we are not valuing them, we are not putting on silly reserves, and they are here to be sold.
“I much appreciate the buyers, because it was such a struggle for a long time. Now they have worked out that we are selling them and that they are nice horses. If they had made a hundred [thousand] each, I’d have been doing handstands. One was a £12,500 stud fee and the other, at the time, was a €35,000 fee.
“The easiest way for us to get the numbers down is to sell colt foals. We had too many horses – we built up during Covid. We will sell some next November, and probably the November after that, and then we will be down to about the right number. These are nice foals, and typical of what we have in the fields at home. We kept about five colts and they will be divided up, and kept all the fillies."
McCartan outlasts Conroy
Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud paid €92,000 for a Churchill colt from Paddy Kelly’s Ballybin Stud, seeing off fierce competition from Ciaran ‘Flash’ Conroy of Glenvale Stud.
Conroy bought a full-brother to this weanling for €65,000 as a foal and sold it for €225,000 to M.V. Magnier and Joseph O'Brien.
McCartan said of his purchase: “A lovely horse, and I believe his full-brother was a lovely horse too. He has a great pedigree and I love the Holy Roman Emperor [damsire] in it. I am using Churchill too, and this was the one I wanted to get this week, and I am glad I got him. I’d often meet [Flash Conroy] on one. We have similar tastes.”
Conroy had earlier secured a Camelot colt from The Castlebridge Consignment for €90,000. The colt, out of an Aga Khan mare, is related to last year's US Grade 2 winner Dynamic Pricing. Again this is a family known to Conroy who last year sold a yearling full-sister for 575,000gns.
The Glenvale man commented: “Sure he is by a proven horse, with a great pedigree, a superb Aga Khan family. The full-sister last year was very nice.”
Mixed pedigree
Trainer Joe Murphy bought a Space Blues colt for €60,000 and the weanling has a fascinating pedigree. He is a half-brother to Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Appreciate It and staying chaser Danny Kirwan.
Breeder Vanessa Teehan of Charel Park Stud explained: “There are a few of us in the mare, and one of them is a big pedigree man, and he could tell you that between Space Blues and the dam line that they both go back to Queen Maud, and this is a kind of a joining between the two families. Obviously, he has got it right because he has done the matings for Appreciate It and Danny Kirwan.
“Even if it looks for the market like a very strange choice, he believes in what he does, and we will wait and see. The mare is due again and back in foal to Space Blues, so this one better be a machine. She is 21 this year and is in great form, due in April. So, we will sit and wait and hope everything goes okay. She is an amazing mare to have had all along.”
Murphy added: "It's a nice pedigree, and he's potentially a dual-purpose horse, so we will probably bring him back for the yearling sales, although options are open for him. He looks a very nice foal who is athletic, and the sire did very well at the sales."
Broodmare prospect
The top price paid in the breeding stock section was €92,000 for Ashwiyaa, a four-year-old daughter of Sioux Nation who was listed-placed and Group 2-placed for trainer Michael O'Callaghan. She was bought by Yeomanstown Stud. David O'Callaghan said: “She is a very strong filly, with great action. She showed a high level of form on the track. She will visit Mill Stream this year.”
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