Showcasing Colt Takes the Honours at Goffs

KILDARE, Ireland–Goffs got their 2019 sales season off to a respectable start on Tuesday when the opening day of the February Sale posted a predictable set of results given the current European bloodstock climate. Last year's top-priced yearling sold for €130,000 and Tuesday's topper came in just below that when Philipp Stauffenberg bid €120,000 for a son of Showcasing (GB) offered by Paul and Sara Thorman's Trickledown Stud.

Last year's opening session had 66 less horses catalogued so direct comparisons are difficult; however Tuesday's aggregate of €2,026,700 for 134 sold fares quite favourably with last year's opening day tally of €1,367,900 for 120 sold. The average for the day was €15,125 (+6%) while the median was €7,000 (-7%) when compared to all of the short yearlings that went under the hammer during the 2018 sale. Trade was undoubtedly tough for a lot of vendors on Tuesday however and the clearance rate of 62% backs up that theory.

For much of the day the pace had been set by a pair of €100,000 yearlings by Sea The Stars (Ire) and Lope De Vega (Ire), but when lot 248 entered the ring, admittedly after some cajoling from Paul Thorman, it soon became clear that this colt would also be making six figures. The chestnut is the first produce out of the stakes winner Porthilly (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) who won in both France and Germany and Philipp Stauffenberg, a particularly brave pinhooker, was glad to hear the hammer drop in his favour.

“He wasn't cheap and I had to stretch but I am very glad to get him,” he said. “I like him a lot and he is out of a fast filly who is a big rangy mare herself and this horse is a great walker. Ed Harper [of Whitsbury Manor Stud] tells me the Showcasing/Pivotal cross is one of the best for the stallion, so I hope that turns out to be the case. He is for resale so hopefully he goes the right way.”

Stauffenberg made a big contribution to the sale as he has had earlier purchased a son of Belardo (Ire), lot 113, for €52,000. Offered by Gerry Callanan's Nanallac Stud the colt is a half-brother to two stakes performers including the Listed Bosra Sham S. winner Cape Factor (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}).

“I tried to buy a few by Belardo last year but was unsuccessful, so I am very happy to have purchased this colt,” Stauffenberg said afterwards. “He is a quality horse, one of the nicest here today I thought but is a May foal so he will most likely come back for one of the later yearling sales in October. He is closely related to four 100+ rated horses, so his pedigree stacks up and I thought there was a lot of Lope De Vega about him also.”

The first yearling of the day to breach the six-figure mark was one of the supplementary entries lot 140A, a Sea The Stars (Ire) colt offered by Ballintry Stud which sold to Uzbekistan native Avaz Ismoilov for €100,000. The colt is the second produce out of the mare Fly On The Night (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) who was champion 2-year-old filly in Italy in 2015 and he was reared and prepped by Joe Rogers of Ballintry Stud who indicated the yearling would probably go to France to race.

“I'm delighted with the price,” said Rogers. “He's a very athletic horse with plenty of quality and comes from a good fast family. He's been a pleasure to prep and took everything in his stride.”

Ballintry Stud is based not far from Fairyhouse Racecourse and is home to around 25 boarding mares and it has been a rewarding few months for the farm.

“We sold a Shalaa (Ire) colt here in November for €125,000 and results like this are important to us,” Rogers said.

Meanwhile Avaz Ismoilov made a number of purchases on Tuesday including a No Nay Never filly (lot 93) for €20,000 and he also owns the Meydan regular Furia Cruzada (Chi) (Newfoundland) who won the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 two years ago and was most recently third in the G2 Cape Verdi last month.

Given the year her sire Lope De Vega (Ire) had in 2018, it was no surprise that lot 206 proved popular and and it took a bid of €100,000 from Cathy Grassick to land the Tara Stud consigned yearling.

“She is a beautiful filly by an established top-class stallion who is doing particularly well with fillies,” Grassick said after signing for the half-sister to five winners out of the stakes-placed mare Maramba (Hussonet). “I've bought her on behalf of an existing client who will offer her for resale.”

After a muted start, the auction was suddenly brought to life when a Dark Angel (Ire) colt from Drumachon Stud came into the ring. Lot 22 is a full-brother to the former Michael Dods-trained multiple stakes winner Easton Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and the bids came hard and fast for the son of Staceymac (Ire) (Elnadim) with Gay O'Callaghan's bid of €80,000 sealing the deal.

“He is a smashing horse, the standout here today for us and a full-brother to a very good filly,” said the master of Morristown Lattin Stud. “We actually bought Easton Angel as a foal and she was very good to us. This colt is the best foal I've seen out of the mare since and he has the same at strength as Easton Angel. He will be back for resale in the autumn.”

There was plenty of competition for the more sought after yearlings and it took a bid of €87,000 from Noel Hayes to secure lot 70, a filly by Kodiac (GB) offered by The Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of breeder Ennistown Stud. The filly is the second produce of Acclimatisation (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) who is a half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}).

Hayes signed the docket under M D Investments and said, “She was easily our pick of the day and she is a quality filly with a great page. I've bought her for a set of investors and she should have no trouble getting into a yearling sale of our choice later in the year.”

Awtaad's popularity in the sales ring carried on from last year when his son out of G1 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Aoife Alainn (Ire) (Dr Fong) came into the ring. Lot 82 eventually went the way of Bobby O'Ryan for €65,000 and it appears likely the Deer Forest Stud-bred colt will return to a sales ring later his year.

There was a strong buying presence at Goffs from mainland Europe and Marc Antoine Berghgracht of France based MAB Agency made his presence felt when going to €60,000 to acquire Rathbarry Stud's daughter of Camelot (GB). Lot 243 received a pedigree boost recently when Gorgeous Noora (Ire) (Raven's Pass), a half-sister to this filly's dam, finished second in a listed race at Lingfield last weekend.

Matt Houldsworth of Howson & Houldsworth picked up lot 23, a colt by Ballyhane Stud stallion Dandy Man (Ire) that cost €35,000. Offered by Hill Head, the colt's full-brother Erich Bloch (Ire) showed smart form in maidens last year for Ger Lyons, finishing second three times before winning at Naas in November. Erich Bloch went from a €38,000 foal to a £100,000 yearling and Houldsworth is hoping for something similar with this March born colt.

“I've bought him for myself, Geoffrey [Howson] and a group of friends. His own brother is a smart horse and the stallion had a great year in 2018 so let's hope both continue to progress as he'll be re-offered at the sales in the autumn.”

Moyglare Stud brought a nicely bred draft of yearlings to the sale and among those they traded on were lot 191, a son of Zoffany (Ire) that sold to Castlehyde Stud for €46,000 and lot 110, a colt by Australia (GB) bought by Goodwill Bloodstock for €40,000. Elsewhere Joe Foley snapped up a Starspangledbanner (Aus) colt offered by Airlie Stud. Lot 195 is out of the French stakes winner Lungwa (Ire) (One Cool Cat) and was hammered down to the Ballyhane Stud owner for €46,000.

The sale continues on Wednesday from 10 a.m. local time with a selection of 2-year-olds, horses-in-training and breeding stock.