At A Glance
Across the two days, 372 yearlings were sold at a clearance rate of 91 per cent.
The overall aggregate of €40,581,500 (AU$65.7 million) was up 74 per cent on last year and a slight decrease on 2019.
The average surged to €109,090 (AU$177,000), up 46 per cent on 2020, while the median was €75,000 (AU$122,000), a 44 per cent jump on last year.
For the second day in a row, M. V. Magnier signed for the top lot, paying €1.2 million (AU$1.94 million) for a Camelot (GB) colt.
Agent Barry Lynch and Clarke Bloodstock/Baker Racing went to €100,000 (AU$162,000) for a Sea The Moon (Ger) colt from Ballyvolane Stud.
Queensland's Canning Downs Stud secured an Aclaim (Ire) half-brother to Listed Singapore Cup winner Qatar Man (Ire) (Archarcharch {USA}) for €100,000 (AU$162,000).
Australian-bred sires proved popular with a filly by Starspangledbanner selling for €250,000 (AU$405,000) and a filly by Zoustar securing €160,000 (AU$259,000).
Camelot colt set to follow his brother
A hugely impressive Group 2 winner with Classic pretensions is just the kind of update every breeder dreams of within days of a major yearling sale, and that is exactly what Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) delivered in the Beresford S. at The Curragh on Saturday on only his second start.
Luxembourg had been sold by breeder Ben Sangster for 150,000 gns (AU$295,000) but his brother, offered as Lot 366 through the Castlebridge Consignment, caused the same buyer, M. V. Magnier, to dig deeper into his pockets for the colt to become the second seven-figure yearling this week at €1.2 million (AU$1.94 million).
“I'm delighted for Ben, Lucy and all the Sangsters,” Magnier said. “This is a great result for them and they have supported our stallions for years. Luxembourg looks like something out of the ordinary. We couldn't believe how good he was on Saturday.”
Luxembourg is not the first good horse produced by his dam Attire (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), an eight-race maiden who was bred and raced by the Sangsters from the family of Breeders' Cup Classic winner Arcangues (Fr). Her second foal Leo De Fury (Ire) (Australia {GB}) won the G2 Mooresbridge S. for Yuesheng Zhang, while Sense Of Style (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) has been Group 3-placed this year. The 12-year-old mare also has a Camelot filly foal this year.
With each day's top lot added to the portfolio, Magnier was the top buyer at the Sale, signing for six yearlings at an outlay just shy of €4 million (AU$6.5 million).
M. V. Magnier
A further €20,931,000 (AU$33.9 million) was added to the Sale's aggregate from Wednesday's trade, when 182 of the 204 yearlings offered found a buyer at an average price of €115,005 (AU$187,000), with the median at €80,000 (AU$130,000).
Such a revival in trade unsurprisingly delighted Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby, who said at the Sale's end, “It's good to be back. Very good indeed. The Irish National Yearling Sale obviously belongs in Ireland at Kildare Paddocks and it is simply wonderful to have returned with a sale of such depth and consistency over the two days after last year's hiatus.
"The Irish National Yearling Sale obviously belongs in Ireland at Kildare Paddocks and it is simply wonderful to have returned with a sale of such depth and consistency." - Henry Beeby
"Indeed, Orby has reclaimed its rightful place at the top table of yearling sales with seven-figure top prices, a six-figure average and a staggering 91 per cent clearance rate that points to a vibrant two days of bidding for the superb catalogue that was assembled.”
He continued, “We are indebted to many people and several entities. Firstly our vendors who placed their trust in the Goffs service at a time when several factors may have worked against making that decision as memories of last year's disappointment combined with COVID-induced uncertainty in the summer made the choice of sale more complicated than ever.
"That so many took that leap of faith is very gratifying and we are just delighted that we have been able to repay their trust with a really good Sale whilst laying such solid foundations for the future.”
Aussie-based buyers active
Bjorn Baker and his bloodstock agent Jim Clarke have had plenty of success sourcing horses from the Northern Hemisphere sales and will be hoping to repeat the dose with the Lot 256, a Sea The Moon (Ger) colt from the consignment of Ballyvolane Stud, which they secured with Irish bloodstock agent Barry Lynch for €100,000 (AU$162,000).
The colt is out of Tegara (GB) (Hard Spun {USA}), a daughter of stakes winner Damanyat Girl (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}), who is in turn the daughter of G1 1000 Guineas runner-up Dabaweyaa (GB) (Shareef Dancer {GB}). Champion juvenile Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) also features on the page.
Canning Downs paid the same price, €100,000 (AU$162,000), for a colt by Aclaim (Ire) out of Dough On The Go (USA) (Bernardini {USA}), who was offered by Baroda Stud as Lot 438. His dam has already produced multiple Singapore stakes winner Qatar Man (Ire) (Archarcharch {USA}) and is from the family of Group/Grade 1 winners Valentine Waltz (Ire) (Be My Guest {USA}) and Sense Of Style (USA) (Thunder Gulch {USA}).
Lot 438 - Aclaim (Ire) x Dough On The Go (USA) (colt) | Image courtesy of Goffs
Starspangledbanner filly shines
Starspangledbanner, who shuttles from Coolmore in Ireland to Rosemont Stud in Australia, has enjoyed a terrific run with his progeny on the track in the past 18 months, with 12 individual stakes winners since the start of 2020.
That success has flowed into demand for his progeny through the sales ring, and on Wednesday. Lot 237, a filly from the Glenvale Stud consignment, secured a successful €250,000 (AU$405,000) from Peter and Ross Doyle.
The filly carries a dual Australian connections, with her grandam being Group 1-winning mare Porto Roca (Barathea {Ire}), who is also the grandam of G1 William Reid S. winner Silent Sedition (War Chant {USA}).
She was one of four Starspangledbanners to sell through the two days of the Sale, with an average of €103,500 (AU$168,000).
Lot 237 - Starspangledbanner x Sibling Honour (GB) (filly) | Image courtesy of Goffs
The first Northern Hemisphere progeny of Zoustar, who shuttled between Widden Stud and Tweenhills Stud, were also well-received, with a top price of €160,000 (AU$259,000) for Lot 300, a filly offered by Lodge Park Stud and purchased by Federico Barberini.
Lot 340, a Zoustar colt put forward by Yellowford Farm, secured €140,000 (AU$227,000) from Avenue Bloodstock in another highlight result. Zoustar's seven yearlings sold at the sale averaged €93,143 (AU$151,000).
Other lots of note from an Australasian perspective saw a colt by Coolmore's Churchill (Ire) (Lot 364) sell for €360,000 (AU$583,000) a colt by barnmate Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Lot 397) sell for €540,000 (AU$875,000), a colt by Cambridge Stud's Almanzor (Fr) (Lot 348) secured €135,000 (AU$219,000), a filly by Darley's Exceed And Excel (Lot 231) fetch €130,000 (AU$211,000) and a colt by Arrowfield's Shalaa (Ire) (Lot 403) sell for €100,000 (AU$162,000).
McPeek's power play
Frankel's (GB) sensational year could get even better on Sunday, with his two Derby-winning colts Adayar (Ire) and Hurricane Lane (Ire) in the top three in the betting for the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Owners from both sides of the pond were investing in his young stock on Wednesday, with Kenny McPeek extending his shopping spree significantly when signing up Marlhill House Stud's colt out of Belesta (GB) (Xaar {GB}) for €900,000 (AU$1.46 million).
The trainer, who was acting on behalf of Swiss Skydiver's owner Peter Callahan and Paul Fireman of Fern Circle Stables said, “I spoke to both of them this morning and they were happy to play. We may get a couple of others involved. This is the kind of colt you could play at a high level and if he does it then he's a stallion prospect.”
It's no empty claim as Lot 377 is already a half-brother to three black-type horses, including the G2 Herbert Power S. winner Adjusted (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). His dam, bought by breeder Eddie Irwin for 280,000 gns (AU$550,000) from George Strawbridge, is a daughter of the Group 3 winner Bellarida (Fr) (Bellypha {Fr}) and thus a half-sister to In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), the dam of three Group 1 winners in With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}), We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and Call The Wind (GB), the latter also being a son of Frankel.
McPeek, one of a sizeable group of American buyers at Goffs this week, was the second-leading buyer at the Orby with four yearlings bought for €1.61 million (AU$2.6 million).
He added of the Frankel colt, “My wife and I walked through the group and he was a 'wow' horse. He looks to have a great mind, too.”
Happy days for Hayes
There was a very special start to the day for breeder John Hayes when the hammer came down at €650,000 (AU$1.05 million) for his filly by Frankel out of Sophie Germain (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}).
Hayes has owned the mare for almost all of her 14 years, having bought the daughter of the Oaks d'Italia winner Nydrion (USA) (Critique {USA}) at Goffs as a foal for €25,000 (AU$41,000). She never made it to the racecourse but has been a success in her secondary career, with her first foal, the Andrew Slattery-trained Creggs Pipes (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), having won seven of her 23 starts, including the G2 Lanwades Stud S.
Lot 254 - Frankel (GB) x Sophie Germain (Ire) (filly) | Image courtesy of Goffs
“This has exceeded my expectations, I'm absolutely thrilled with that result,” said Hayes after Lot 254, consigned by Pa Doyle of Galbertstown Stables, was bought by Kieran Lalor to add to the half-sisters to the Classic winners Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) bought on Tuesday for Al Shira'aa Farm.
He added, “Thanks to Pa who has brought her here in wonderful condition and to my long-suffering wife Una.
“It's a big responsibility having a mare of that quality. I was very lucky, I had no clue when I bought her mum here all those years ago, but her mother was a Group 1 winner and Roberto was on the bottom line of the page, whom I love. I'm really a student of pedigrees, that's my thing, and (the filly) is the product of all that study.”
Star turn for No Nay Never
“He's the star of the show,” Timmy Hyde Jr told TDN in the days leading up to the Orby Sale of Lot 276, outlining the No Nay Never colt's similarity to Group 1 winner Ten Sovereigns (Ire).
Lot 276 - No Nay Never (USA) x Sweet Charity (Fr) (colt) | Image courtesy of Goffs
Bred by Camas Park Stud, Lynch Bages and Summerhill, Ten Sovereigns won the G1 Middle Park S. and G1 July Cup for Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners, and the colt out of the Listed winner Sweet Charity (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) will follow the same path to Ballydoyle after being bought by M. V. Magnier for €620,000 (AU$1 million).
Three lots earlier (273), a No Nay Never filly went the way of Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy, buying together for Amo Racing. Bought at €300,000 (AU$486,000), the Diamond Creek Stud-bred is a granddaughter of the G3 Ballyogan S. winner Lesson In Humility (Ire) (Mujadil {Ire}), her dam Surprisingly (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) being a sister to Irish Derby and Melbourne Cup runner-up Tiger Moth (Ire).
Hot cross for Newtown Anner Stud
A Galileo (Ire) filly out of a Scat Daddy mare topped the first day of trade at €1.5 million (AU$2.43 million) and the second bred on that pattern to be offered at Goffs by breeder Phoenix Thoroughbreds brought the more modest price of €360,000 (AU$583,000). Bids were exchanged for a time between Michael Donohoe and PJ Colville, with the latter finally succeeding in signing up Lot 280.
“She's been bought for Maurice Regan of Newtown Anner Stud,” said Colville. “It's the same cross as the filly who made all the money yesterday. We liked both of them so we're very happy to get her.”
