BUYERS from continental Europe and beyond played a major role in underpinning trade at this week’s two-day Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale, where market conditions proved “challenging for many”, according to Henry Beeby.

Owners, trainers and agents from Italy, Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Kazakhstan and, of course, Ireland and Britain, contributed to an aggregate of €3,242,800 and a clearance rate of 76%. The average price given was €8,445 while the median was €5,000.

Goffs CEO Henry Beeby said: “Whilst celebrating our overseas clients we acknowledge that the last two days have been challenging for many and that is symptomatic of the issues facing the industry at the moment.

“Indeed, our sale has followed the trends at other recent sales at this level and it only goes to underline the importance of overseas investment in our produce.

“To put that into context 88 lots from the last two days head to Italy and another 94 will be spread across Eastern Europe, which graphically illustrates their contribution to the market whilst their positivity and enthusiasm ensured a lively atmosphere from start to finish.”

Tough sale

Just three yearlings sold for €50,000 or more. Turnover, average and median figures were all down on the 2022 edition and there was no disguising this was a tough sale for the majority of vendors.

However, credit must be given to Irish Thoroughbred Marketing and the Goffs purchaser attraction team in ensuring such a large number of overseas buyers were in attendance, particularly from Italy and Eastern Europe and their presence was vital.

Italian influence

One of the week’s leading purchasers was Cristiana Brivia of Razza Latina, who trains alongside her husband Endo Botti in Italy. Brivio has been a valued customer of Irish bloodstock for many years now and has enjoyed particular success from this sale in recent times.

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 their squad when successfully bidding €20,000 for the Ladytown Stables lot.

Brivio continued her shopping on Thursday when her spending was headed by a €33,000 son of Sergei Prokofiev from The Castlebridge Consignment. This colt was pinhooked by Peter Kelly last year for 16,000gns and is out of the Singspiel mare Ebrah who has bred two winners so far.

In total Razza Latina spent €141,000 on eight purchases this week. “This has been a very lucky sale for us and the quality is improving every year,” Brivia said. “We bought this year’s Italian Derby winner Goldenas here two years ago so it is a sale we like. The market is fair and hopefully we can continue the success we have had so far,” she added.

THIS week’s sale topper certainly had sire power in her favour, being by the upwardly mobile Havana Grey. The filly, who shares her sire with Vandeek, Elite Status and Shouldvebeenaring, was knocked down to Bobby O’Ryan - acting on behalf of Dermot Weld - for €65,000. Offered by Erenagh House Stud out of the mare Nellie Ellis, the filly proved a very profitable pinhook for her vendor, Downpatrick native Victoria Macauley, who bought the filly last year as a foal for just 8,000gns.

Weld said: “She is a lovely filly and the sire is doing exceptionally well. She is for an existing owner in the yard.”

Bobby O’Ryan was certainly kept busy - working in conjunction with Goffs Eastern European agent Kishore Mirpuri and his many associates to purchase upwards of two dozen horses over the two days - but he found the time on Thursday to purchase another yearling on behalf of Weld.

Sire power was again a factor in this transaction. On the day Darley announced that Blue Point would stand for a covering fee of €60,000 at their Kildangan Stud next year, the only yearling by the exciting young stallion on offer this week was bought by O’Ryan for €50,000.

Offered by Rochestown Lodge the colt is out of the Dalakhani mare Elouges from the family of Pretty Polly winner Urban Fox. O’Ryan said: “The sire couldn’t have had a better year with his first crop and this is a grand colt so hopefully he can go on and do well.”

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 Wednesday’s 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,” Linehan said. “She is a good physical and the sire has also had a good first season.”

The agent was helping Murtagh acquire his 16th yearling 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 a filly with plenty of residual value which is a big help,” the trainer said.

The 40 supplementary lots at the end of the sale provided a few late highlights with Gerry Hogan going to €48,000 to buy an Invincible Spirit filly from Peter Nolan. She is out of Condensed, a half-sister to Dense Star who was a useful juvenile for Joseph O’Brien a few years ago. Soon after, Paddy Twomey signed for a colt by Starspangledbanner from the Morrin family’s Pier House Stud for €40,000. This price was matched when Meadowview purchased a Kodi Bear colt offered by Rathbarry Stud. This colt is out of stakes performer Lumiere Astrale who has also bred a stakes performer in Theme Astral.

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

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 when his purchases included a €30,000 Kuroshio colt from Loughill.

The colt is 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.

A well related Dark Angel filly is another destined for Scandinavia after Goffs agent Filip Zwicky bid €22,000. Offered by Gerry Burke’s Glidawn Stud, the filly out of Overtones comes from a blacktype-filled family that 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.

Meade looking

Having bought the Group 3 winner Caught U Looking at this sale last year for €27,000, Noel Meade and Peter Nolan were back on the hunt for more bargains. Among the 13 yearlings the pair signed for was a filly by Phoenix Of Spain who cost a similar amount at €25,000.

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.

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.