Night Of Thunder colt tops first session at Goffs UK

Written by Brian Sheerin, TDN Europe

Cover image courtesy of Sarah Farnsworth/ Goffs UK

The opening day of the 2022 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale followed a familiar theme with Mark McStay, who was busy at the first European yearling sale of the year at Arqana just over a week ago, once again opening his shoulders to secure the top lot, a £230,000 (AU$390,000) colt by Night Of Thunder (Ire).

The sire of last Friday's breathtakingly good G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Highfield Princess (Fr), Night Of Thunder was labelled a rock-solid stallion by McStay, who felt that Lot 170, for all that he looked like a son of Dubawi (Ire), was the standout colt on Day 1.

So much so, in fact, that the leading agent, who would not disclose who the Mountarmstrong-consigned colt was bought for, went to £230,000 to secure him.

“Lovely colt by a proven sire at this stage in his career,” McStay said. “He actually looked like a Dubawi to me. He was well-produced and comes from a very good nursery in Mountarmstrong. Noel O'Callaghan breeds and sells good horses, and I thought he was the standout colt on offer here today.”

McStay added; “We had to stretch to buy him. I thought we'd get him for quite a bit less but my client is brave and encouraged me to keep going and to secure him. We're seeing what Night Of Thunders are doing on the track and I don't think that they are going to get any cheaper.

“I can't say who he has been bought for but he's been bought for an existing client. He'll be broken-in in Ireland and plans are fluid.”

The Night Of Thunder colt hails from a cracking family. He is out of Pious Alexander (Ire), a winner by Acclamation (GB), who is out of the dual Group 3 winner Lady Alexander (Ire) (Night Shift {USA}). The latter is the dam of 10 winners, including Dandy Man (Ire) and Anthem Alexander (Ire) (Starspangledbanner).

Good trading

It proved a bountiful day for consignors on Day 1, with many buyers, be they agents, trainers or breeze-up operators, relaying that there was stiff competition for the nicest horses, which was evident in the figures.

Of the 218 lots offered, 199 were sold, representing a clearance rate of 91 per cent. The aggregate, average and median were all up as well.

An aggregate of £8,954,500 (AU$15.3 million) represented a 28 per cent rise on last year, while the average was up 15 per cent to £44,997 (AU$78,000) and a median of £38,000 (AU$65,000) cemented a 27 per cent rise on 2021.

Renowned bloodstock agent Ross Doyle reflected on an encouraging day's trade after purchasing Lot 211, a Baroda Stud-consigned colt by New Bay (GB), late in the day for £200,000 (AU$340,000).

That brought Doyle's total spend on Day 1 to £642,000 (AU$1.1 million) across nine yearlings and he was quick to praise Goffs for assembling a fantastic bunch.

“It's been very good, very strong, which is great to see,” Doyle said. “I’ve never seen so many people here than over the past few days, which is a testimony to Goffs and all their team.

“You only have to look around the pictures on the walls. Some very good horses have come out of this sale so they deserve people to turn up and get stuck in. We'd a very good shortlist and we're the same tomorrow.”

Kinane on the hunt for Hong Kong

In his role of sourcing European horses on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, former jockey Mick Kinane has already come up trumps with this year's Hong Kong Derby winner Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), and the legendary rider revealed that Lot 57, a £200,000 (AU$340,000) colt by the same sire, will chart a similar path.

The Trinity Park Stud-consigned son of Acclamation is from the family of Puncher Clynch (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), who did well in Hong Kong, and Kinane is hopeful that his latest acquisition can forge out a career for himself in that jurisdiction in time.

“He has a champion in Hong Kong (Puncher Clynch) and is a similar type,” Kinane said. “He's a nice horse. I was here the past two years but I didn't find them (good horses). There's nicer horses here this year. He'll be broken and will go into pre-training, and then we'll see what he can do. Hopefully he'll do well in Hong Kong.”

The Acclamation colt was consigned by Trinity Park Stud on behalf of Peter Gleeson, who bought and raced the dam, Isole Canarie (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), a dual Listed winner in Italy.

From the family of Puncher Clynch who did well in Hong Kong, Lot 57 was fancied by those closest to him to go down well with the buyers, but the price fetched in the ring exceeded all expectations.

Becky Marsh, of Trinity Park Stud, said; “I thought we had a very nice horse but I wasn't expecting that. I said to Henry Beeby this morning when he came to look at the horse before he auctioned him that I would be delighted if he made £100,000 (AU$170,000). Obviously, I'm overwhelmed.”

Land Force poised for first-season honours

Jake Warren of Highclere Stud, which stands Land Force (Ire), is confident that the young stallion has what it takes to be champion first-season sire in 2023.

A total of 17 yearlings by the son of No Nay Never (USA) were catalogued in the sale, eight of which found new homes on Day 1 averaging a highly respectable £34,500 (AU$60,000) for a stallion who stands at just £5000 (AU$8500).

However, what was most notable were the stables that the Land Force yearlings have joined as multiple Group 1-winning trainer Clive Cox and renowned breeze-up consignors Katie Walsh and Con Marnane featured among the list of buyers.

Warren said; “It's always a nervous time when you bring a new stallion to the market, but the thing with Land Force is, and one of the main reasons why we've had the confidence to keep breeding to him over the past three years, is that he throws these powerful, strong, good-shouldered, big physicals that are just what breeders are looking to produce.

“It's also what 2-year-old buyers are trying to secure. He's just ticking those boxes. There's no first-season sires with more offerings at this sale so he has the numbers to back him up.

“No Nay Never has had an amazing year with his 2-year-olds and there's no reason why Land Force can't be the champion first-season sire next year. It's exciting.”

Soldier’s Call emerges strong

Land Force was not the only young sire making waves at the Goffs Sale.

Joe Foley expressed his confidence recently in the progeny of his own Ballyhane stallion, Soldier's Call (GB), and, less than 24 hours later, he put his money where his mouth was in securing Lot 212, Tinnakill's chestnut colt by the classy sprinter for £105,000 (AU$180,000).

Lot 212 is a half-brother to Marygate S. winner Sardinia Sunset (Ire) (Guitafan {Ire}) and was sold by Tinnakill House Stud on behalf of Kevin Blake's Golden Farm Thoroughbreds.

Seven of the eight yearlings by Soldier's Call were sold with Mick Easterby forking out £65,000 (AU$110,000) to bag Trickledown Stud's colt by the sire (Lot 48), and Oliver St Lawrence went to £50,000 (AU$85,500) for Manister House Stud's offering, Lot 190.

Andrew Balding also picked up two by the sire, Ballyhane's Lot 59 for £30,000 (AU$50,000) and Lot 109 for £22,000 (AU$38,000).

Of the seven yearlings sold by Soldier's Call, they averaged at just under £50,000 (AU$85,000) apiece.