A first-crop daughter of the treble Classic winner Camelot (GB) (lot 160) took top billing during the first day of Goffs's February Sale, with Hamish Alexander winning the battle for the Abbeville and Meadow Court Studs-consigned filly at €80,000.
A half-sister to the German listed winners Skagen (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}) and Scoville (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}), her dam has a clean sheet of winners to runners with five scorers from her six previous foals.
“She's a beauty and she's been bought for a syndicate who would like to bring her back here later in the year for the Orby Sale,” said Alexander, who also signed for an Acclamation filly at €20,000 (lot 45) earlier in the session, which was devoted solely to Flat and National Hunt yearlings.
Eimear Mulhern's Abbeville & Meadow Court Studs draft enjoyed a good day and was also responsible for lot 190, a colt from the final crop of High Chaparral (Ire), who was bought by Anna and Etienne Drion's Coulonces Consignment for €54,000. His unraced dam Zanzibar Girl (Johannesburg) is a granddaughter of the Kilfrush Stud matriarch Mill Princess and has had one placed runner to date, the Dermot Weld-trained 3-year-old Whiskey Zulu (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}).
A clearance rate of 63% was indicative of how selective the market remains for young stock, with 142 of the 224 yearlings offered being marked as sold. The day's aggregate of €1,967,650 was down by 20% on the equivalent day of last year's sale, as was the median of €8,000. The €13,857 average represented a drop of 16%.
Another partnership with their eyes on the Orby Sale stepped in to buy lot 78, a Raven's Pass colt who missed his engagement in the November Sale with a stone bruise but had plenty of admirers on Wednesday when he was led up by his breeder Robert Berns. Julie Lynch bought the colt on her partners' behalf at €68,000 and said, “He caught my eye immediately. He's a lovely well-balanced colt with a wonderful temperament. I'm a big fan of Raven's Pass and have a mare in foal to him back at the farm.”
The Clonagh Stables consignee's half-siblings Vhujon (Ire) and Dingle View (Ire)–both of whom are black-type earners by Mujadil–won 11 races each, including the G3 Go And Go Round Tower S. for the latter. Lynch plans to reoffer the colt through her Naas-based operation, Fastnet Stud, in the autumn.
The young offspring of Kodiac (Ire) usually attract plenty of attention and this was certainly the case for lot 20, one of the early leaders after selling to Tony O'Callaghan for €64,000. The April born-filly is the second foal of the dual juvenile winner Excel Yourself (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), a full-sister to the G2 ITM Gimcrack S. runner-up Taajub (Ire).
Kodiac also featured as the sire of one of the leading colts of the day, lot 151, the first foal of the G3 Grangecon Stud Balanchine S.-placed Slope (GB) (Acclamation {GB}). The grey colt was offered by Frank Motherway's Yellowford Farm and selected by BBA Ireland for €55,000.
Richard Knight was one of a high number of English agents at the sale and he picked up colts by Camacho (GB) and Dutch Art (GB) for €57,000 and €38,000, respectively. Of the former, lot 223, he commented, “He's an athletic colt by a stallion I really like and he will be for resale. Both he and the Dutch Art colt (lot 144) are for the same client. The last time I bought a Dutch Art foal it was Garswood (GB), so let's hope this one is as good.”
Knight's Dutch Art colt was from Moyglare Stud's seven-strong draft, which also included an Iffraaj (GB) colt out of Free Eagle (Ire)'s winning half-sister Amber Romance (Ire) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}). As with many of the day's youngsters, he too will be returning to a sales ring once the autumn yearling sales begin, having been bought by Dermot Cantillon for €50,000. He said, “It's lovely to be able to buy into such a good Moyglare family. The dam's by Bahamian Bounty, which should hopefully have introduced a bit of speed to the pedigree.”
As well as G1 Prince Of Wales's S. winner Free Eagle, the dam's other half-siblings include the Group 2 winners Custom Cut (Ire) (Notnowcato {GB}) and Sapphire (Ire) (Medicean {GB}), while GI Matriarch S. winner Dress To Thrill (Ire) (Danehill) and G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Trusted Partner (Affirmed) are further celebrated members of the family.
Action returns to the Goffs ring today from 10 a.m. with a session of fillies, broodmares and horses in training.
Mauresmo In Good Order At Oghill House…
Mauresmo (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) was all set to be one of the stars of Thursday's broodmare section of the sale but was withdrawn after showing signs that she was close to foaling a full sibling to her 2015 G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Marcel (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}). The 12-year-old has remained at home at Oghill House Stud, where potential buyers are able to view her and make offers though Goffs.
On an unseasonably warm and sunny afternoon on Tuesday, Mauresmo was content in her paddock and keeping stud owners Hugh and Pat Hyland waiting for the birth of her latest foal. “Our biggest battle is keeping her clean for people to come to see her, but it's good for her to be out on such a lovely day,” said Hugh.
The TDN will be featuring the ITBA Special Merit Award-winning Hyland brothers next week.
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