€1.2 million colt sets new record at Goffs November Foal Sale

By Bren O'Brien/TDN Europe

Images courtesy of Goffs Ireland

A Dubawi (Ire) colt out of the Group 1 winning mare Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), already the producer of two Group 1 winners, fetched a record price of €1.2 million (AU$1.96 million) for a colt foal at the Goffs November Sale in Ireland.

Unsurprisingly, it was Godolphin which won the bidding for the colt, given it already owns his Group 1 winning half-sister Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) and his yearling full brother. Sheikh Mohammed's agent Anthony Stroud prevailed in a bidding war with David Redvers for Lot 745 from The Castlebridge Consignment, who is also a full brother to G1 Grosser Preis von Baden winner Ghaiyyath (Ire).

Stroud joked that given Godolphin had spent €6.6 million (AU$10.77 million) on the family, it might as well buy the mare Nightime, but Dermot Weld, who trained Nightime for his mother Marguerite and bred the colt foal through the family’s Springbank Way Stud, said she wasn't for sale.

"Nightime has the place of honour at Springbank Way and she’s in wonderful condition. Of course she is very special to me for the enjoyment and pleasure she gave my mother in her racing days when she won the 1000 Guineas," he said.

"My mother believed in Galileo from the start and she sent Caumshinaun, who was a champion filly, to him in his first year when he was IR£50,000. The result was Nightime and as well as being a very good racehorse she has been a wonderful producer.”

Impressive Numbers

It was the highlight result of the final session of Part 1 of the Foal Sale as the day’s turnover was driven up by 35 per cent on last year to €16,211,000 (AU$26.45 million), with an average just shy of the six-figure mark at €98,248 (AU$160,271) (+32 per cent).

Similarly, the median was also up, by 31 per cent, at €68,000 (AU$110,930), these boosts in the figures being helped in no small part by a session clearance rate of 91 per cent after 165 of the 181 foals found buyers.

For the Sale as a whole, the clearance rate was up from 72 per cent in 2018 to 81 per cent, with the money changing hands for the 525 foals sold amounting to €25,751,800 (AU$42 million)—an increase of 26 per cent. The three-day average rose by 16 per cent to €49,051 (AU$80,000) and the median by 7 per cent to €30,000 (AU$48,940).

The Dark Angel (Ire) half-sister to Classic winner Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) was the star filly of the day, drawing several big owner-breeders into a bidding battle. But eventually Lot 658 ended up in the ownership of Sheikh Hamdan, a confirmed fan of her sire, with Derrinstown Stud’s Stephen Collins lasting longest in the pursuit to secure her for €575,000 (AU$938,000).

“We’re delighted to get her,” he said. “Sheikh Hamdan was very keen on her pedigree. She’s a very well-bred filly and he has had a lot of luck with Dark Angel. She has plenty of residual value as a broodmare.”

Coolmore shuttle stallions in demand

Coolmore's No Nay Never (USA) continues to make an impression ahead of his first Australian 2-year-olds hitting the racetracks this season, and he had the third highest price lot of the day, when his colt out of Gems (GB) (Haafhd {GB}) fetched €360,000 (AU$587,270) to Glenvale Stud.

Overall, No Nay Never had seven foals sell on the day, for a total of €736,000 (AU$1.2 million).

The first crop of his Coolmore barnmate and fellow son of Scat Daddy (USA), Caravaggio (USA) who will return to Australia in 2020 having missed this season, continued to appeal to buyers.

There were eight sell on the day, including the top-price for one of his first crop foals, with a colt, Lot 553, selling for €240,000 (AU$391,000) to Brendan Holland of Grove Stud.

“He’s one of the best foals here,” said Holland. “The Caravaggio foals have plenty of substance and length, and they are good walkers with good minds. He’s had some nice foals here this week and I’m sure there will be some nice ones next week [at Tattersalls].”

He also had a colt out of Positive Step (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {USA}) consigned by Highpark, sell for €170,000 (AU$277,320) to Eaton Bloodstock.

The progeny of another Coolmore Australia stallion Churchill (Ire) were also under the hammer at Kildare, with three sold for the session, including a top price of €170,000 (AU$277,320) for a colt out of Hairy Rocket (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).

Coolmore staple Fastnet Rock also had two sell for an average of €100,000 (AU$163,000).

Ribchester resonates

Darley's Ribchester (Ire) is in his second season in Australia and his first Northern Hemisphere crop were in demand at the Goffs sale, with 19 sold overall, including seven in the Wednesday session.

That included Lot 584, a colt offered by Stanley Lodge who was picked up for €150,000 (AU$244,690) by WH Bloodstock.

There were also three sold on the day by another Darley shuttler in Exceed And Excel, including a top-price of €140,000 (AU$228,380) for a colt catalogued as Lot 639.

Starspangledbanner, now at Rosemont Stud in Victoria, had seven foals sell in the session, with a highest price of €95,000 (AU$155,000), while Highland Reel (Ire), who shuttles at Swettenham Stud in Victoria, has had 13 foals sell this week, including three on the final day for an aggregate of €115,000 (AU$187,600).

Arrowfield's Shalaa (Ire), Darley's Territories (Ire), Rich Hill's Vadamos (Fr) were other shuttle stallions to have foals sell on the day.

Foal Sale a tremendous success

Goffs Group Chief executive Henry Beeby was rapt with how the Foal Sale evolved.

“‘We’re nothing without the horses’ is a phrase we use regularly and it was never truer than today as we witnessed a trade of intensity and strength which was driven by a superb selection of the cream of the 2019 foal crop," he said.

"We are indebted to so many leading breeders, from Ireland and the UK, who have entrusted us with their best foals and are simply delighted to have repaid that trust with some amazing prices.

“We extend our thanks to every vendor, however big or small, and wish each buyer the best of luck whether they have bought to resell or race. Goffs November foals have an excellent record in both spheres so we look forward to offering many of this year’s catalogue at Goffs and Doncaster next year, and then cheering them into winner’s enclosures around the world. For now we turn our attention to some lovely breeding stock and then the Part 2 Foals which are sure to offer more great opportunities.”

The November Breeding Stock Sale takes centre stage on Thursday and Friday before the Part 2 of the Foal Sale completes proceedings on Friday.