Military Angel Tops Goffs At €210,000

The Group 3 runner-up Military Angel (Big Brown) (lot 746) created a late splash at Goffs on Thursday to top the February Sale at €210,000.

Hugo Merry saw off an attempt by underbidder Darley when conducting the bidding on behalf of his French counterpart Marc-Antoine Berghgracht, who secured the 5-year-old mare for a longstanding client. Out of a sister to Renashaan (Fr) (Darshaan), the dam of champion racemare Alexander Goldrun (Ire) (Gold Away), Military Angel was trained by Michael O'Callaghan to win on debut at Roscommon and she will now head to France to commence her broodmare career.

“She was a really good racemare by a Kentucky Derby winner and her dam won over five furlongs, which is unusual for a Darshaan mare,” Merry commented.

Military Angel was sold just five lots from the end so for most of the day the top spot had been held by the third filly into the ring, Edith Wharton (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was the first of five Ballymacoll Stud fillies to be offered through Jacqueline Norris's Jockey Hall Stud.

If no buyer comes forward for the historic stud and its stock we could well be in for a major dispersal later this year and a hint of what may come was given the hammer fell for the unraced 3-year-old filly (lot 498) at €200,000.

White Birch Farm played a major role when the Wildenstein Stables Dispersal went through the same ring in 2016 and representative Andy Smith ensured that the daughter of champion racemare Islington (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) from one of Ballymacoll's best families was another to join the rejuvenated broodmare ranks of Peter Brant's operation. Smith said, “She'll be sent to France and I believe they are thinking of covering her with Siyouni (Fr). She's likely to head to America eventually.”

Of the Ballymacoll quintet, Olive Branch (Ire) (lot 672), a 3-year-old Arcano (Ire) half-sister to Australian Group 1 winner Sir John Hawkwood (Ire) (Sir Percy [GB}), was another to find favour, with Tony O'Callaghan outbidding Hugo Merry at €60,000.

With 619 horses offered at this extended February auction, it's hard to draw comparisons with last year, when 440 horses went through the ring, bringing turnover of €4,361,750 for the 291 sold. This year, 395 horses of varying ages changed hands for a clearance rate of 64%, bringing an aggregate of €5,145,100, which was up by 18%, albeit from a larger catalogue. The average price of €13,026 was down by 12% and the median fell by 31% to €5,500.

Thursday's final session of fillies and mares saw 153 sold from 216 offered. Turnover settled at €2,903,900, while the average was €18,980 and the median was €8,500.

In common with many recent breeding stock sales, Goffs February included a decent draft from Godolphin, and two well-related individuals from the 31-strong consignment hit the €90,000 mark.

Dubawi's listed winner Sarinda (GB) (lot 640), in foal to Dawn Approach (Ire) on a May cover, was knocked down to Jeremy Mactaggart for €90,000, and he confirmed that she had been bought on behalf of Rabbah Bloodstock. A half-sister to Hong Kong listed winner Pleasure Gains (GB) and from the further family of Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) (Danehill), Sarinda's first foal is an Exceed And Excel (Aus) yearling colt.

Late in the session her price of €90,000 was matched by Expressly (Ire) (lot 726), a Street Cry (Ire) half-sister to top-class galloper and young Darley sire Rio De La Plata (Rahy), who was bought by John Walsh Bloodstock. Cormac McCormack also plumped for a member of the Godolphin draft, going to €80,000 for Permission Slip (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) (lot 556). The 7-year-old treble winner, who was also listed-placed in France, is out of a sister to the group-winning duo of Kheleyf (Green Desert) and Bint Allayl, and was sold in foal to Night Of Thunder (Ire), whose first foals are on the ground this year.

Lots 561 and 564, also from Godolphin, each made the top 10 and have joined the list of mares being amassed by Maurice Regan of Newtown Anner Stud to send to his homebred dual Group 1 winner and new Ballylinch Stud stallion Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The former, sold for €72,000, is the Dubai Destination mare Rhythmic, a treble-winning grand-daughter of Allez Les Trois (Riverman) who has already produced the juvenile winner African Beat (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and was offered in foal to Dawn Approach (Ire). Three lots later the 3-year-old Rockadelic (Bernardini), a daughter of GI American Oaks and GI Mother Goose S. winner Octave (Unbridled's Song), fetched €75,000.

Jockey Hall Stud also featured on the list of leading lots as the consignor of the young Galileo mare La Reveuse (Ire) (lot 516) on behalf of Ballymore Thoroughbreds. The member of a strong Wildenstein family which includes the multiple Group 1 winner Loup Sauvage (Irish River), a full brother to her Group 3-winning grandam Louve, was sold to Matt Coleman for €80,000 on behalf of a “commercial Irish breeder.”

“She's a very good-looking daughter of Galileo and her dam continues to produce really nice stock,” said Coleman. “Galileo needs no introduction as a broodmare sire and he will cover her commercially.”

As the years pass there will be few opportunities left to buy daughters of Darshaan so, despite being 17, the Shadwell mare Hammiya (Ire) (lot 658) didn't slip through unnoticed and fetched a winning bid of €70,000 from BBA Ireland. The Cheshire Oaks winner has herself produced a listed winner in the form of Shaquira (GB) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), and was sold with an April cover to Tamayuz (GB).

Fascinating Rock is not the only new stallion whose book has been boosted with a number of Goffs purchases. Daniel Creighton was busy at Tattersalls last week on behalf of John Dance of Salcey Forest Stud and the farm's new stallion, the Group 2-winning sprinter Pearl Secret (GB) (Compton Place {GB}), looks likely to receive at least six mares bought in Ireland this week, including lot 677, the juvenile winner Kakashan (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).

In his round-up on the extended action at Goff this week, Chief Executive Henry Beeby urged breeders to “focus on quality, saying, “The Goffs February Sale has proved to be one of our real success stories of recent years as the preferred option for so many breeders. Indeed, as Europe's largest mid-winter sale it regularly attracts a diverse catalogue and 2017 turned out to be no exception. Over half the catalogue was devoted to foals/weanlings/just turned yearlings–call them what you will–and we saw a virtual mirror image of the trends at the foal sales in late 2016. The best sold very well but there was a clear rejection of those felt to be the least commercial. However, the upper end of the market made advances with a higher top price than last year and more lots making €60,000 and over. The clear message is therefore to focus on quality as that is what the market requires, although the supply versus demand ratio is a palpable worry for everyone breeding to sell.”

He continued, “Today's breeding stock sale has enjoyed a vibrant trade with the strongest sector again at the top end and a top price of €210,000 in the last few minutes of the sale. It was a genuine privilege to offer the first part of the complete dispersal of Ballymacoll Stud and fitting that their beautifully bred filly, Edith Wharton, was one of the two lots to make the double century at €200,000. That she was bought by White Birch Farm from America, who was so active at Goffs last autumn, is a wonderful vindication of our ability to handle dispersals of such note and market them on a global scale. Alongside their first lots, and the last from the Wildenstein Stables Ltd Dispersal, we were supported with strong drafts from Godolphin, Moyglare, the Aga Khan Studs and several others of note, and we are grateful for their ongoing support of so many Goffs sales. As ever we are indebted to every vendor and all our purchasers from around the globe, and are delighted to have made a positive start to the year.”