The early-year mixed sales circuit moves to Ireland Wednesday for Goffs's February Sale in Co. Kildare, and the two-day auction will see a full session of short yearlings offered on day one. Breeding stock and horses in and out of training will go under the hammer Thursday.
Some of the highlight pages of the short yearlings bred for the flat are lot 78, a Raven's Pass half-brother to Group 3 winner Dingle View (Ire) (Mujadil); lot 90, an Equiano (Fr) half-brother to a Group 3 winner and a stakes producer; lot 144, a Dutch Art (GB) colt who is the first foal out of a half-sister to Grade I winner Relaxed Gesture (Ire) (Indian Ridge {GB}); lot 151, a Kodiac colt who is the first foal out of the Group 3-placed Slope (GB) (Acclamation {GB}); lot 160, a Camelot (GB) half-sister to five winners, including two stakes winners; lot 168, a Dark Angel (Ire) half-sister to Italian champion 2-year-old filly Singapore Lily (Ire) (Mujadil); and lot 189, a full-brother to the stakes-placed Coolnagree (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
The sale lost its likely leading light last week when Mauresmo (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), the dam of last year's G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Marcel (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), was scratched after showing signs of foaling his full-sibling, and her sale will be handled privately by Goffs. The catalogue is not without other standouts in the breeding stock section, however, and those include lot 335, a winning Street Cry (Ire) filly out of Grade I winner Film Maker (Dynaformer); lot 355, a winning full-sister to Street Cry (Ire) and the dam of Shamardal, in foal to Teofilo (Ire); and lot 369, a half-sister to Group 3 winner Allybar (Ire) (King's Best) in foal to Dark Angel (Ire).
Selling for the first time in Ireland will be Etienne and Anna Drion's French-based Coulonces Consignment, and it offers lot 349, the winning Ginx Johnson (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}) carrying her first foal, by last year's champion first-season sire Zoffany (Ire). Ginx Johnson is a half-sister to dual U.S. Grade II winner Attima (GB) (Zafonic) and the French Group 3-placed San Domenico (GB) (Zamindar).
“We normally only come here to buy horses so we're very excited to be here to sell at Goffs,” said Anna Drion. “She was supposed to go through Arqana's December sale but she was withdrawn so we decided to send her here because her page is very interesting–she's a Montjeu mare in foal to Zoffany, who has gone from one good thing to another.”
She added, “Goffs has done a fantastic job getting people out to this sale; it's gotten better and better every year, and it's a good quality sale. So we thought she was a good sort to come over with. And she'd be one of the better pedigrees in the sale.”
Another offered in foal to Zoffany is lot 444, Oak Leaf Stud's Xaloc (Ire) (Shirocco {Ger}). That resulting foal will be closely related to Xaloc's half-brother Foundation (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), the winner of last year's G2 Royal Lodge S.
The horses-in-training section includes a Lawman 2-year-old half-brother to Group 3 winner and Classic-placed Rehn's Nest (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) (lot 270) and a 2-year-old Raven's Pass filly out of stakes winner Asawer (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) (lot 278). Group 2 winner and G1 Irish Derby third Light Heavy (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) will be offered as a stallion prospect (lot 311).
“The February Sale opens Goffs's 150th anniversary in style with the strongest catalogue buyers can expect to find anywhere in Europe at this time of year,” said Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby. “Peniaphobia and Make Believe are just two recent Group 1 winners whose dams were bought at the February Sale and we couldn't be happier with the high-class mares and covering sires that feature in this year's catalogue. It certainly has huge global appeal.”
The sale begins at 10 a.m. local time each day.
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