Blackbeard's sister tops opening session at Goffs Orby

Written by Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin, TDN Europe

Cover image courtesy of Sarah Farnsworth

No Nay Never's brilliant year well-rewarded

The victory of Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. was really just gilding the lily of his sensational juvenile season, which has also given a tremendous boost to his yearling sister who topped the opening day of the Goffs Orby Sale in Ireland at €2.6 million (AU$3.9 million).

From a start to proceedings at Kildare Paddocks that could be described as relentlessly solid, the auditorium suddenly filled with people around lunchtime on Tuesday as the dark brown daughter of No Nay Never (USA) entered the ring to an almost instantaneous bidding frenzy, fuelled by interested parties from China, America and Britain.

In the end, it was Richard Knight who prevailed, adding the smart filly to a swathe of choice purchases for an unnamed individual who, it is believed, is returning to the racing scene after a hiatus.

Even without the stellar start of her brother, whose near-faultless season for trainer Aidan O'Brien has included victories in the G1 Prix Morny, G2 Prix Robert Papin and G3 Marble Hill S., the filly was adjudged to be an appealing physical specimen.

Add to that the excellent record this season of her sire, the decent page of her young dam (which could yet be enhanced by a potential trip to the Breeders' Cup for Blackbeard) and a buying bench packed with international visitors, it was a safe bet that the Glenvale Stud-consigned filly would be the day's star attraction.

A number of parties made an attempt to secure her, including Michael Donohoe, Amanda Skiffington and eventual underbidder Jacob West, but none had the staying power of Knight.

“I thought she was the absolute standout of the sale, even without her brother on the page,” said the bloodstock agent, who bought five yearlings at Arqana for €1.98 million (AU$2.95 million) and then signed for another six at Keeneland for US$4,875,000 (AU$7.6 million).

“Just as an individual, she had everything,” Knight said. “A lovely size, lovely shape, and a very athletic filly. Every time I went to see her, she came out and did exactly what I wanted. She had the brother, the sire and we're just delighted to get her.”

He added of the filly’s lofty price-tag; “It was at the top of where we thought she'd be but we really wanted her. We didn't want to leave here without her. It's very exciting. She'll go back to the UK but a trainer hasn't been decided on.”

The filly (Lot 93) is the second foal of the winning Born To Sea (Ire) mare Muirin (Ire), who was fourth in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. on just her second start for Robert Moran when trained by Eddie Lynam.

Four years ago, she passed through the same ring as a 3-year-old and was bought for €210,000 (AU$315,000) by Laurent Benoit's Broadhurst Agency for the partners in the Newstead Breeding syndicate. Muirin also has a colt foal by No Nay Never this year.

Her consignor, Ciaran 'Flash' Conroy of Glenvale Stud, said; “You never expect that kind of return on any animal really. We expected her to sell very well, but we were a little more conservative in our expectation than what she made.

“Blackbeard has been a wonderful horse. He's improved with every run and Aidan has done a very good job with him. The filly is quite similar (to him); same physique, very strong, good limbs and a good mover.”

Rousing start to the Orby

With a top price more than €1 million (AU$1.5 million) in excess of last year's sale-topper, the average for the first day of trade shot up by 25 per cent to €129,269 (AU$193,000), but the market had plenty of depth to it as well, as the median of €100,000 (AU$150,000) (+33 per cent) demonstrates.

Turnover for the 208 yearlings sold from 237 offered (88 per cent) weighed in at €26,888,000 (AU$40,137,400), a rise of 37 per cent. A total of 104 yearlings sold for six- or seven-figure sums on Tuesday compared to 139 across the whole of last year's Orby Sale.

Well-bred fillies were the order of the day and Lot 215, a Galileo (Ire) daughter of Royal Ascot heroine Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}), proved predictably popular with Newtown Anner Stud coming out best at €750,000 (AU$1.12 million).

One of 11 Galileo yearlings in the sale, the daughter of the 2016 G2 Queen Mary winner attracted strong interest from Coolmore and Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland, but it was PJ Colville, acting on behalf of Newtown Anner, who fought hardest.

“She was our pick of the sale," he said. "We liked the cross, so let's hope she's lucky. Maurice (Regan) is trying to build a broodmare band. I'll break her in myself and we'll make a decision about where she's trained around Christmas time.”

The pedigree of last year's top lot was on display again in the catalogue and the sister to Starry Eyed (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was third on debut for Aidan O'Brien last Friday at Dundalk, took high order at Goffs when bought by Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland for €430,000 (AU$642,000).

The agent declined to name his client, whom he described as an owner-breeder who races horses in Ireland.

Bred by Coolmore Stud and Phoenix Thoroughbreds, Lot 111 is the second foal of the Grade I-winning juvenile Nickname (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) and was consigned by Baroda Stud.

Night's good day

Night Of Thunder (Ire) is currently responsible for the fastest filly in Europe in John Fairley's triple Group 1 winner Highfield Princess (Fr), and he featured prominently among the leading sires at the Orby.

After signing for the Galileo filly, Michael Donohoe added Mountarmstrong's Night Of Thunder filly out of G1 Matron S. winner No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) to his list of purchases at €525,000 (AU$785,000).

Lot 164 is also entitled to be pretty fast when she hits the racetrack as she is a daughter of the Listed Prix La Flèche winner Rapacity Alexander (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), herself a full sister to the G1 Hong Kong Sprint winner Peniaphobia (Ire).

Two years ago, Shadwell bought Zanbaq (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) from the Orby Sale for £450,000 (AU$750,000) and a timely update from that filly in Friday's Listed Rosemary S. at Newmarket will have done no harm to her yearling half-sister by Night Of Thunder who was bought by Mark McStay for €350,000 (AU$525,000) from her breeder, Roundhill Stud.

For Roundhill's Bobby Donworth and Honora Corridan, this is a family that just keeps giving.

The filly's dam, Princess De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal {Ire}), is a winning full sister to Group 2 winners Puissance De Lune (Ire) and Queen Power (Ire), as well as being a three-quarter sibling to G1 Prix d'Ispahan winner Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

“You're talking to a very happy man. I thought she was gorgeous,” said McStay after signing for Lot 147. “She's from an outstanding family and by a top-class sire. Hopefully she'll be a good racing prospect for her new owner, who is an international owner and races horses in England, and if that person wants to breed, she's a foundation mare.”

McStay had earlier bought Lot 75, the Sea The Stars (Ire) three-parts brother to Mekhtaal (GB), who was a Group 1 winner by the same stallion, for Bon Ho. The colt's dam, Miss Aiglonne (GB) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), is also a half-sister to the Group winners Democrate (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Normandy Bridge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).

The agent added; “Bon Ho loves Sea The Stars and he's had a great season with Deauville Legend and James Ferguson. Hopefully that will continue with Deauville Legend, who is by the same sire, heading to Australia next month for the Melbourne Cup.”

The 10 Night Of Thunder yearlings sold during the first session returned an average price of €209,500 (AU$313,000).

Amo ‘branching out' with Frankel colt

Ross Doyle and Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing joined forces on the balcony to bid for Lot 77, a colt by Frankel (GB) out of the G1 EP Taylor S. winner Miss Keller (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), for €360,000 (AU$540,000).

Bred by Paul Fudge's Waratah Thoroughbreds, the colt is a full brother to New Horizons (Jpn), a four-time winner in Australia.

“His sire has done very well, the pedigree looks good, the mare is a bit older but she has produced some good horses in the past and we just liked the way he moved,” said Joorabchian. “He looked like he was gliding.”

Amo Racing bought the G2 July S. winner and multiple Group 1-placed Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) at last year's Orby Sale for €225,000 (AU$336,000) through Peter and Ross Doyle.

Joorabchian continued; “We want to have all kinds of horses. We've had a lot of fast 2-year-olds but now we are branching out into the longer-term horses.

“We turned down a very big offer for Persian Force and he is a horse I think we will keep as a stallion. That's what we are trying to do, create our own stallions, and I think he will be one of the first. This sale has been very good for us.”

Macauley and Maher snare well-related son of Mastercraftsman

Earlier on in the afternoon, British-based bloodstock agent Hamish Macauley teamed up with Ciaron Maher to purchase a son of Mastercraftsman (Ire) for €150,000 (AU$223,400).

Bought for owner Mike Symons, the colt, who was catalogued as Lot 86 and offered as part of the Coole House Farm draft, is out of the winning Key Of Luck (USA) mare Monte Solaro (Ire), making him a half-brother to multiple Grade 1-winning National Hunt Champion Altior (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Grade 2-winning hurdler Princess Leya (Ire) (Old Vic {GB}).

“He's been bought to go jumping in Australia, but hopefully he can run on the flat too. Altior was obviously a brilliant jumper, but I think if he would have run on the flat he would have probably been a stakes horse,” Macauley told TDN AusNZ.

“I bought it for an owner of Ciaron's called Mike Symons to go to Australia. We think he is forward enough to run on the flat here if he is good enough. He was a lovely horse, but I think he was possibly in the wrong sale, because if you had had 20 National Hunt boys follow him in he would have made more money.

“I think Antony Bromley was the underbidder on him and he was buying it to resell, which shows it was probably a bit of value. He will be broken here and we will take his time and then the plan will be made next year.

“When I saw him in the catalogue, I called the owner because I knew him because he has come up to Cheltenham (races) a few times and we bought a jumper together for Ciaron and Dave (Eustace) a few months ago. I put this guy up to him and sent it to Ciaron and he liked it as well, so we thought we'd have a go. We thought he would make a bit more than that, so we were delighted to get him.”