Rare Opportunities At Goffs November

 The breeding stock sales at the end of each year present an opportunity for buyers to restock and revitalise their broodmare bands for the upcoming breeding season, and this year's Goffs November Breeding Stock and Foals Sales Nov. 13 to 19 will offer some rare opportunities, with the Wildenstein Stables Ltd. dispersal headlining a catalogue that includes quality drafts from some of Europe's leading breeders, as well as foals by some of the best sires in the world.

The Wildenstein dispersal, through The Castlebridge Consignment, will offer 49 foals, mares and fillies out of training at Goffs. These offerings are in addition to the 17 yearlings and 40 horses-in-training that were sold at the Goffs Orby Sale in September. Those 57 lots sold for a total of €5,859,000, at an average of €102,789 and a median of €40,000.

“The general consensus for both the yearlings and horses in training [of the Wildenstein dispersal] was they exceeded expectations,” said Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby. “I know David Wildenstein was kind enough to tell me he was delighted with the first part at the Orby sale, and we had a lot of international interest in that. The mares and foals are every bit as, if not more, appealing than what we've already offered.”

The Wildenstein stock are the culmination of a breeding program that has been immaculately pruned since 1923, when the breeding dynasty was established by Georges Wildenstein. Under the care of Georges's son–and David's grandfather–Daniel from 1963, Wildenstein Stables was France's leading owner on 10 occasions. It produced four winners of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe–Allez France, All Along, Peintre Celebre and Sagace–as well as the winners of the G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Oaks, G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. and G1 St Leger, and it even made its presence felt at the Breeders' Cup in 1993 when sending out Arcangues to a historic 133-1 shock win in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Other stars to don the Wildenstein blue silks include triple Group 1 and Classic winner Aquarelliste (Fr) (Danehill); five-time Group 1-winning marathoner Westerner (GB) (Danehill); and G1 Hong Kong Vase victress Vallee Enchantee (Ire) (Peintre Celebre). Many of these names continue to pop up in the pedigrees of elite performers, and they appear on many of the pages in the Wildenstein dispersal.

The most recent example of the astuteness of the Wildenstein programme is the 2012 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Beauty Parlour (GB) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who is set to be offered at the breeding stock sale as lot 1431 in foal to Horse of the Year Kingman (GB). Beauty Parlour is a daughter of the stakes-winning Bastet (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) from the family of international Group 1 winners like Might and Power (NZ), Lucky Owners (NZ) and Mosheen (Aus). Her first foal, a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire), fetched €1.4-million from John Ferguson at the Orby Sale, and her yearling filly by Dansili (GB) will be offered as lot 1201 at the foal sale.

Other Wildenstein standouts include Beauty Parlour's half-sister Blue Kimono (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in foal to Australia (GB) (lot 1432); Peintre Celebre's half-sister Peinture Rare (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) in foal to Dansili (GB) (lot 1415) as well as her Invincible Spirit filly foal (lot 1189); stakes winner Andromeda Galaxy (Fr) (Peintre Celebre) in foal to Charm Spirit (Ire) (lot 1429) and her Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) filly foal (lot 1200); Galateia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), a stakes-placed mare from the immediate family of Pour Moi (Ire) in foal to Mizzen Mast (lot 1406) and her Mizzen Mast filly foal (lot 1183); the stakes-placed Amerique (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of Aquarelliste (Fr) (Danehill) in foal to Pivotal (GB) (lot 1428) and her Siyouni filly foal (lot 1199); stakes winner Adventure Seeker (Fr) (Bering {GB}) in foal to Siyouni (Fr) (lot 1426) and her Pivotal colt foal (lot 1197); G2 Prix du Malleret winner Pacific Rim (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) in foal to Zoffany (Ire) (lot 1412) and her Dansili colt foal (lot 1187). Also on offer will be maiden filly Lady of Kyushu (Smart Strike), a stakes winner and Group 2-placed filly from the family of Classic winner Roderic O'Connor (Ire) (lot 1407). Other foals of interest include a colt by Le Havre (Ire) out of the stakes-placed Altamira (GB) (Peintre Celebre) from a productive family of black-type winners (lot 1198); a Pivotal filly out of a stakes-placed daughter of champion Rolly Polly (Ire) (Mukaddamah) (lot 1192); and a Shamardal colt out of a daughter of G1 1000 Guineas winner Virginia Waters (Kingmambo) (lot 1195).

“This is the strongest breeding stock catalogue we've put together for as long as any of us can remember,” said Beeby. “I won't say ever, because Goffs is 150 years old, but it's certainly as strong as any of us can remember. The whole week, but particularly the breeding stock sale, is headed by the Wildenstein Stables Ltd dispersal. I can't stress enough the magnitude of what that means to us in terms of the endorsement of our service. The general consensus was the horses in the Orby sale, both yearlings and horses-in-training, sold beyond expectations, and we have some absolutely mouth-watering, beautifully bred mares and foals to sell in November.”

Beeby was quick to point out, however, that the November sales don't “start and stop” with the Wildenstein dispersal.

“[The sale] may peak there, but we have some very strong drafts in and around it,” he said. “In the breeding stock sale we have some very strong drafts, not least 77 catalogued from Godolphin, which is another great endorsement of the sales we've had in recent years. We have a good selection from the Aga Khan, Ballylinch, Derrinstown, Moyglare; I think this is the year we can promote this catalogue on an international basis. It's not as big as other breeding stock sales, but in terms of quality I think it stands up to scrutiny on a global basis, and we've been working hard to secure international interest in the sale.”

Beeby pointed out that Hazariya (Ire) (Xaar {GB}), the dam of this year's dual Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), was sold through the Aga Khan draft at this sale two years ago for €480,000.

“There's an enormous opportunity here to buy into some really beautiful pedigrees with that selection of breeders,” he noted. “It mustn't be forgotten that the Aga Khan draft just two years ago included Hazariya, the dam of Harzand, who sold for €480,000. That wasn't a flash in the pan; that's the kind of quality you're going to get here. Having mares like Beauty Parlour; a Deep Impact mare in foal to Kingman, a Classic winner, her first foal sells for €1.4-million–that's a huge opportunity for somebody and that's a pedigree that should have enormous international appeal. But she's just one of many in several drafts that could appeal.”

An increased foal crop and rising demand for spaces saw last year's Goffs Foal Sale bumped up to five days from four, and that format remains this year. The increased numbers understandably made it difficult for figures to keep pace last year, and while the average was down 14% (€31,950) and the median was down 18% (€18,000), those figures in addition to the gross of €25,847,500 remain the second-best figures in the sale's history, second only to the previous year's trade. The Goffs foal sale has set a record price the past two years; in 2014 a Frankel (GB) daughter of Finsceal Beo (Ire) (Mr. Greeley) became the most expensive foal ever sold at auction in Ireland at €1.8-million, while last year's sale-topping Dubawi (Ire) colt became the most expensive colt foal ever sold in the country at €1.1-million.

Beeby expressed optimism about this year's catalogue, saying, “The foals would represent again the cream of the Irish foal crop that is being offered this year. We've been extremely well supported by Irish breeders once again, and so there is a wide diversification, a very strong sire profile–Galileo, Invincible Spirit, Dark Angel, those sorts of sires–and we're very pleased with what we have and we look forward to welcoming a very strong contingent of pinhookers but also some very significant end-users that come to the sale every year.”

In addition to the aforementioned Wildenstein foals, some of the standouts on paper of the foal catalogue include a full-sister to Group 3 winner Stellar Mass (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and six other winners (lot 1050); a Teofilo (Ire) filly out of multiple Grade II winner and Grade I-placed Katdogawn (GB) (Bahhare), and a half-sister to stakes-placed Oor Jock (Ire) (Shamardal) (lot 1051); a full-sister to dual Group 2 winner Adaay (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and five other winners (lot 1056); an Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister to two stakes winners, including Group 3 winner Lily's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (lot 1086); a Sea The Stars son of G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Quad's Melody (Ire) (Spinning World) and half-brother to dual Group 2 winner Here Comes When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) (lot 1102); a Zoffany (Ire) half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}) (lot 1139); a Kingman (GB) half-brother to multiple group winner Breton Rock (Ire) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) (lot 1155); and a Galileo (Ire) colt out of triple Group 3 winner Bewitched (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 1163).
A point of concern of last year's sale was the clearance rate, which dropped to 77% from 85% the previous year, and Beeby said that will be something to be aware of once again this year.
“The foal sale is catalogued on a rising tide basis,” he explained. “I think there will be quality and value every day, relatively speaking, but we expect the sale to get stronger as the week goes on not just in terms of the horses but in terms of the general trade. What we've seen throughout the autumn in Europe is a strong top of the market, a fairly robust middle but some falling clearance rates down at the lower end of the market. I think we have to be cognizant of the fact the foal crop is bigger and that is a slight concern, particularly at the more commercial end of the market.”
With the depth of quality throughout the catalogues, however, there are bound to be plenty of success stories for both buyers and sellers emerging from the Goffs November breeding stock and foal sales.