Modern Games filly tops day 2 at Goffs Orby

Cover image courtesy of Goffs

What a difference a year can make in this business. Less than 12 months after walking away from the yearling sales dejected, breeder Michael Gaffney enjoyed an emotional result when his Modern Games half-sister to Group 1 winner Senorita Bonita (Starspangledbanner) sold for €1.3 million (AU$2.1 million) to Godolphin.

Every breeder’s dreams coming true

It was around this time last year when Gaffney brought Senorita Bonita home from the yearling sales. She then charted a path to the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale through Egmont Stud's Mark Flannery and the rest, as they say, is history.

Senorita Bonita realised 900,000gns (AU$1.77 million) at that sale in the spring, highlighting the fact that there is always a plan B for a vendor, but a Group 1 success in the Prix Morny for Simon and Ed Crisford's star juvenile exceeded all expectations for Gaffney and played a pretty substantial role in his latest windfall at Goffs on Tuesday.

“It's been an unbelievable year,” Gaffney said, fighting back the tears. “In 12 months the whole thing has changed so much. I have to thank my family, my brother Tom, it's brilliant. I also have to thank Mr (Anthony) Stroud, David Loder and all the people at Darley for having faith in our family.

“That's every breeder's dream. It's nerve-wracking, and it's brilliant, and it's the most fantastic feeling of all time. This is what dreams are made of, and this is the pavilion for dreams. It's unbelievable what a horse can do.”

Gaffney added, “In 12 months I've gone from trying to sell her sister at the yearling sales and failing, to this, it's unreal. I'm so thankful to everybody involved, my wife and my kids and everybody at home, and the lads here with me in Carl and Rachael, they've done a super job altogether.

“If you sell something and it can win a Listed race, you've done an amazing job. To say we've gone from a maiden, to second at Royal Ascot, winning a Group 2, then winning a Group 1 and now this. A kick? I've sky-rocketed! It's brilliant.”

Gaffney, who trades under Churchtown House Stud, revealed that Belicious (Ruler Of The World) is in foal to Coolmore Stud's Camille Pissarro and has a Sioux Nation filly foal at foot. There are zero plans for the breeder to cash in on his newly-found blue hen.

He explained, “I'm a breeder. Her mother was bred to be a mare on the farm, and it's impossible to try and buy those types of mares in the ring. If you have a good family, you try and work with it and build it, and that's what we've always done. It works! You try to tell the lads, have faith, hold the line and it does come right. It's taken me 40 years, but hold the line!”

Bloodstock agent Anthony Stroud, who purchased Senorita Bonita at the breeze-ups on behalf of Victorious Forever, signed for her Modern Games half-sister at €1.3 million (AU$2.1 million). It proved to be the ultimate act of support of the young Darley-based stallion given Godolphin had earlier purchased a colt by the multiple Group 1 winner from Baroda Stud for €750,000 (AU$1.22 million).

Stroud said, “Senorita Bonita is very good, as she showed when she won the Prix Morny. There was a genuine excuse for her run the other day. She's undoubtedly talented, and there'll be other good days for her. She's a top, top 2-year-old. I've told you about Modern Games. Not only that but also the Gaffney family at Churchtown House Stud are fantastic breeders, they do a great job.”

He added, “She'll go to Newmarket and the principal will decide where we're going from there. We're just delighted to have a half-sister to a very good horse. It's great to see MV (Magnier, underbidder) bidding so strongly on a Modern Games.”

Baroda's Modern Games colt represented one of the shrewdest pieces of pinhooking this sale has ever seen given Matisse Bloodstock, which was headed by Longview Stud's Eugene Daly, sourced the horse for €225,000 (AU$366,000) at the Goffs November Foal Sale.

On that colt, Stroud said, “He is a very good mover – I remember him as a foal and he really was an excellent foal. Super nice foal. He's by Modern Games and this is his first crop of yearlings. Of course, he raced for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin and won the French 2000 Guineas, at the Breeders' Cup and more. He was a very resolute horse and Dubawi is becoming a real sire of sires.

"He was one of the horses we particularly liked at this sale. He is the first Modern Games we have bought – I hope there will be more. He looks like all of our foals and yearlings at home by him. They are very nice. He has all of the credentials to be a very good stallion. It was a strong price but that is what the good ones cost. Longview Stud do very well and are very good at what they do. More importantly, they produce good horses who do it on the racetrack.”

Strong Book 1 thrills Goffs management

Goffs chief Henry Beeby said, “It's all about the horses. Whatever an auction house does to market a particular sale, it's worth very little if we don't have the raw material. Every year we implore Irish breeders to send us a share of their best and we felt they had listened to our entreaties like never before in 2026. Then, of course, it's down to the purchasers and it gives us enormous pride that so many seemed to concur, leading to two days of truly vibrant trade for an Orby Book 1 that has set new benchmarks for every metric.

“Twelve months ago, we celebrated a record-breaking sale and a trade that has consistently climbed since the pandemic in contrast to market trends. Every time a record is set the challenge is to match, or even better it and that becomes a greater achievement each time. So, to return a record average, record median, a clearance rate of 88% and a sale headed by two seven figure lots is very gratifying and testament to the yearlings presented by our vendors and we simply cannot thank them enough.

“We know there are alternatives, but the Irish National Yearling Sale exists to serve Irish breeders with Orby Book 1 at the top of the market and the measure of any sale, anywhere as it showcases many of the best Irish yearlings to a global audience. Indeed, the huge numbers from home and abroad that have descended on Kildare Paddocks since Friday demonstrate the ongoing appeal of Orby yearlings, the USP of the Goffs Two Million Series and the uniquely special welcome and customer care provided by the passionate Goffs Team and our friends at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing who combine to work so hard to deliver for vendor and purchaser alike.

“The record breaking statistics have flowed from a 48 hours of depth and consistency with a remarkable increase in the number of yearling surpassing €750,000 and €200,000 (15 more) whilst there were 197 who released €100,000 or more.”

He added, “I know we keep saying it but simple truths bear repeating: we are nothing without the horses so I make no apology for sincerely thanking every vendor once again, whether they have sent us one yearling or a large draft whilst I extend our gratitude and best wishes to each purchaser for investing in an Orby 1 yearling safe in the knowledge that only they can chase the unique €2 million in the Goffs Two Million Series whilst they may also have found the next Classic winner, Group 1 winner, Royal Ascot winner, top 2-year-old or Goffs Million winner to follow in the illustrious footsteps of so many Goffs champions. One thing is certain – we'll cheer every one of them home.”

Qatari owner goes big at Orby sale

Abdullah Ali Althani, a relatively new face on the sales circuit, made his presence felt when going to €800,000 (AU$1.3 million) on Baroda Stud's Sea The Stars colt out of Group 1 winner Ambivalent. Bred by Ace Stud, the Sea The Stars colt was bought to fulfill the Qatari native's dream of winning the Derby at Epsom. He will go into training with William Haggas.

Ali Althani said, “He looks fine and he's very well bred, but he has to perform well now. Not every horse with a good pedigree runs well, and not every horse with a bad pedigree will run badly, you have to have luck as well. We'll have to wait and see if this is a good one, and with his pedigree we might have to wait two or three years, but that's fine. He is bred to win the Derby. Isn't that everyone's ambition in this sport?”

The owner added, “I owned horses when I was young, and came back into it with my daughter (Mrs Alanood Althani). I buy horses for her and sometimes for myself, and this one is for myself. We have around 15 horses in training and we don't expect to buy many more yearlings after Goffs. We're just hoping to be lucky, like everyone else here. The colt is going to William Haggas, I have some unraced horses with him including a colt by Sea The Stars we bought from Germany.”

There was huge poignancy to Ali Althani's purchase of the Space Blues colt from Church View Stables at €420,000 (AU$683,000) given lot 364 was bred by the late John Connaughton, who enjoyed a huge degree of success at Goffs down through the years, notably through the sale of Bay City Roller here in 2023.

Tom Whelan, who has been a big part of Connaughton's success, said, “It was emotional and a good sale. Poor old Johnny [Connaughton], God rest him, is gone, but his daughter Julie and granddaughter Saoirse have continued it with great help from the farm manager John O'Shea.

“Look, they reared the horse and I had him for the last few months. I did the polishing, they did the groundwork. He was always a lovely, easy horse. When he was inspected first he was a little bit too babyish for this particular sale, but by the second inspection he transformed. He has done so well and come on again.”

Whelan added, “He just kept improving and took everything in his stride. Most of the good ones, when you come up here, you find out what's in their heads and their hearts, and he was very good. Johnny had two great families, this one and then Bloomfield, who died unfortunately, the dam of Bay City Roller. The two grandams in each were basically the foundations of these two great families. This price was way above expectations. He's Johnny's [Murtagh] horse, I am delighted.”

The Space Blues colt hails from a family Murtagh knows well, given he trained the half-sister Divine Legend, and he benefited from a timely update when his brother City Of Dubai (Mehmas) finished a gallant second in the G2 Beresford Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

Murtagh said, “The sister [Divine Legend] and brother [City Of Dubai] both look good. It's a good family and we know it well. I had seen him down the yard and I directly recommended him to Mr Althani. I have a few horses from him at the moment. The owner said 'could he be a horse for the million?' and I said 'yeah, he could be'. He told me not to rush him, take my time. Listen, I am delighted to get him. I loved him down the yard. His sister took a bit more time; she's big and tall. This fellow is going to get even better with a bit of time.”

Ace Stud goes “back to the well” with Night Of Thunder colt

Not only was Ace Stud active on the vendor side of things, but the powerful outfit also signed for a Night Of Thunder colt to the tune of €600,000 (AU$976,000) from Lynn Lodge Stud. Of course, Ace Stud owned the ill-fated Gewan, the G1 Dewhurst Stakes winner.

Ace Stud's Paul Curran said, “We're going back to the well with Night Of Thunder. He's not done us too badly before. This is a nice colt, he's probably the standout Night Of Thunder in the sale.

“We liked him on first inspection and actually saw him four times; he kept getting nicer every time we saw him. He's a nice, straightforward colt and he's going to go to Andrew Balding. He's heading across to Britain to be pre-trained by George Peckham and then into Andrew's system.

“We've had one Group 1 winner sending the progeny of Night Of Thunder to Andrew and we're hoping this colt could be the next one. His progeny just have something different about them. This colt is a very athletic sort, that's something that his progeny tend to have, and they obviously progress into lovely 3-year-olds.”

On selling the Sea The Stars colt for €800,000 (AU$1.3 million), Curran added, “We're delighted with the Sea The Stars colt out of Ambivalent, that was a great result. We're taking out as well as putting in, and that's all part of our business model. It's been a good start to this week, and hopefully it'll carry on next week too.”

Kaitlyn Ryan charity auction raises €135,000

A combined sum of €135,000 (AU$220,000) was raised at a charity auction prior to Tuesday's Goffs Orby Sale to support Kaitlyn Ryan, the 21-year-old amateur jockey who suffered a gallops fall last week.

Coolmore, Tally-Ho, Yeomanstown and Ballylinch studs came together to offer nominations to City Of Troy, Zavateri, Mill Stream and Bayside Boy respectively in aid of the young rider.

Juddmonte paid €60,000 (AU$97,600) for the City Of Troy nomination, Eddie O'Leary went to €25,000 (AU$41,000) to secure the nomination to Tally-Ho's new signing Zavateri while Stanley Lodge Stud went to €45,000 (AU$73,000) on Ballylinch Stud's first-season sire Bayside Boy. An unknown buyer snapped up the nomination to Mill Stream for €5,000 (AU$8,130).

Ryan, a native of Tipperary, celebrated her first winner in July when partnering the Bill Durkan-trained Eagle Fang to victory. She suffered a severe spinal cord injury in the gallops fall last week.

“The owners (the Abdullah family) actually read about the auction online this morning, they called and said they wanted to support it,” Juddmonte's Barry Mahon said after snapping up the City Of Troy nomination.

“The story of Kaitlyn resonated with them. It can be a dangerous industry to work in, as we've seen, and accidents do happen, which is unfortunate. That's why the owners wanted to get behind the initiative.”

He added, “City Of Troy was obviously a phenomenal racehorse and we've already bred to him ourselves and have some good stock. The owners were keen to support the auction and he was the stallion they picked out.”

Australian mare Dawn Wall’s Justify colt sells well

Consigned by Marlhill House Stud, the Justify colt from Australian Group 3 winner Dawn Wall (Fastnet Rock) sold to AC Elliott for €420,000 (AU$683,000). Winner of four races including the G3 Arrowfield Classic at Kembla Grange and the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet, Dawn Wall was a $1.3 million purchase at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale by BBA Ireland.

She has spent her whole breeding career in Ireland where her first foal is G3 Curragh Flame of Tara Stakes-placed Albula. From the family of G1 Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment (Teofilo), Dawn Wall is a half-sister to two stakes winners. Dual Group 3 winner Osaila (Danehill Dancer) and G3 Curragh Dance Design Stakes victrix Obama Rule (Danehill Dancer) who is the dam of Group 2 winner and G1 Ascot British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes-placed Insinuendo (Gleneagles).

Book 2 continues on Wednesday and Thursday.