Written by Richard Edmunds
At A Glance
Overall, the opening day of the November Breeding Stock Sale was a remarkable success with an aggregate of €13,913,500 (AU$21.7 million) – a huge increase on last year’s €5,479,600 (AU$8.5 million).
The clearance rate was 86 per cent, while the average of €70,627 (AU$110,000) and median of €30,000 (AU$47,000) were both more than double last year’s figures.
There were 13 mares who sold for €250,000 (AU$390,000) or more on the opening day – in each of the last two years, there were only three.
Yulong picked up five mares for €1.87 million (AU$2.9 million) including sale-topper Plying (Ire) (Nasaieb {GB}), dam of dual Group 1 winner Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}).
Quality mares for Lucky Vega
The dual-hemisphere bloodstock portfolio of Yuesheng Zhang’s Yulong Investments acquired some extra lustre during Friday’s opening day of the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale, with five new recruits, including the eagerly anticipated session-topper, set to visit Lucky Vega (Ire) in his first Northern Hemisphere season at the Irish National Stud.
In partnership with BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohoe, Yulong paid €825,000 (AU$1.2 million) to secure Plying (USA) (Hard Spun {USA}) – the dam of three winners, two at stakes level including this season’s superb 3-year-old filly Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}).
Lot 1185 - Plying (USA) purchased by Yulong Investments | Image courtesy of Goffs
Plying had changed hands for just €21,000 (AU$33,000) at Goffs three years ago, but Alcohol Free has delivered significant pedigree updates since then with Group 1 glory in the Cheveley Park S. as a 2-year-old last season, followed by stellar victories in this season’s G1 Coronation S. and Sussex S.
Plying was offered in foal to Lope De Vega (Ire), and Donohoe withstood a fierce challenge from Adrian Nicoll to confirm the mare’s place among Yulong’s broodmare band.
“We thought this represented a fantastic opportunity to buy a blue hen mare and I actually think she was good value at that price,” Donohoe said. “I think Alcohol Free is a proper champion filly, she is so tough and honest. She stays in training next year as well, which is great.
“We thought this represented a fantastic opportunity to buy a blue hen mare and I actually think she (Plying) was good value at that price.” - Michael Donohoe
“The Lope De Vega cover is obviously a big attraction as well as he is a stallion very close to Mr Zhang's heart. We haven't decided who we will cover her with next year, we will take our time before deciding, I'm just delighted to have bought her.”
The mares bought by Yulong will be added to the 2022 Northern Hemisphere book of their young shuttle stallion Lucky Vega (Ire) – a Group 1-winning son of Lope De Vega.
Michael Donohoe | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Donohoe went to €330,000 (AU$515,000) for the Aga Khan mare Eytarna (Ire) (Dubai Destination {USA}), who is in foal to Teofilo (Ire) and is the dam of stakes winners Eziyra (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Eshera (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}).
The stakes-placed So Unique (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was knocked down for €265,000 (AU$413,000), while Donohoe paid €225,000 (AU$351,000) each for Grenadine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Sapphire Ring (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) – in foal to Wootton Bassett (GB) and No Nay Never (USA) respectively.
“While Mr Zhang's main aim is to support the foals and yearlings by Lucky Vega in the sales ring, he also wanted to buy a few high-class mares to send to him himself and this mare fit the bill,” Donohoe said.
Gallery: Some of the Yulong mare purchases
Lucky Vega won the G1 Phoenix S. at The Curragh as a 2-year-old, and he was highly competitive in elite 3-year-old racing this season with placings behind Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) in the G1 Two Thousand Guineas and St James’s Palace S.
Lucky Vega stands for an introductory service fee of $22,000 (inc GST) at Yulong Stud in Victoria this season, and he will take up duties at the Irish National Stud in 2022 for a fee of €15,000 (AU$23,000).
