Son of Churchill Takes Command at Goffs

KILDARE, Ireland-The Goffs sales year got off to a relatively low key start on Tuesday as the first session of the two day February Sale got underway. Yearlings were the order of the day and it was a handsome son of Coolmore stallion Churchill (Ire) who topped proceedings when selling to leading pin-hooker and breeder Ciaran Conroy of Glenvale Stud for €82,000. This price failed to match the corresponding top price of €120,000 from 2019 but nevertheless trade more or less mirrored last year with 154 of the 237 offered horses changing hands at a clearance rate of 65%. The aggregate of €1,979,900 came in a fraction below last year as did the average of €12,856 while the median rose €1,000 to €8,000.

“We liked him a lot and we thought he was a standout horse here today,” remarked Conroy after signing for the sale topper – lot 183 – the first foal of the Cape Cross (Ire) mare Najma (GB), who was consigned by Riverview Farm. “He might come back here for the Orby Sale but we'll see how he develops over the year. He is a very mature horse and I must say Churchill is producing outstanding stock, I will be very surprised if he doesn't make a very successful stallion,” Conroy added of the grandson of G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Silkwood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}).

Those thoughts were echoed by the yearling's co-breeder Jane Mangan who said.

“I'm delighted with that price and with the home he is going to. I bred him along with my mother and it's a great start with the mare. Churchill certainly seems to be stamping them in his own image, this lad included and I think we will have to strongly consider sending the mare back to him based on this outcome.”

Like the sale topper, a return for the autumn yearling sales is on the cards for lot 64, a filly by Profitable (Ire) which was knocked down to Mags O'Toole for €75,000.

“She is for Lynn Lodge Stud and is a lovely filly,” O'Toole said. “It's a good family and she has a few smart horses running for her and I think she could come back for any of the select sales later in the year,” she added.

The filly is a half-sister to Listed Bosra Sham S. winner Cape Factor (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) while another sibling Court House (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) was second in the Listed Winter Derby Trial S. at Lingfield last weekend. The John Gosden trained 5-year-old is a leading contender to go one place better in the G3 Winter Derby in a few weeks' time, a race he finished second in last year.

For Kildare breeder Gerry Callanan the sale of lot 64 was profitable indeed, the chestnut filly conceived from a €12,000 stud fee and out of a mare Crossanza (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) that Callanan also bred. Callanan actually brought the filly to the November Sale but fate intervened and it appears now that it was possibly for the better.

“She just picked up a bug here last time and I withdrew her and while it was disappointing at the time it has all worked out well in the end,” Callanan said. “She is a lovely filly and she has done well since November. The brother [Court House] finishing second last week was no harm either and it is a family that has been very good to me. I actually had the mare here in a sale as a foal 15 years ago but she broke a bone just before the sale and I had to keep her. She has been a great broodmare and we've been well paid for a few of her progeny. She is barren at the moment but she will be going to Blue Point (Ire). I am delighted with the sale of this filly and hopefully she will be lucky for her new owners.”

Tally-Ho Stud rarely leave a sale empty handed and they snapped up lot 83, a filly by their own stallion Kodiac (GB). Ballintry Stud consigned the yearling on behalf of breeder Debbie Kitchin and the half-sister to stakes performer Al Hamdany (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was knocked down to Tally-Ho for €42,000. It was the turn of the Yeomanstown Stud branch of the O'Callaghan family to express an interest in the second of the three Kodiac (GB) yearlings on offer and it took a bid of €52,000 from Gay O'Callaghan to secure lot 146 from Phoenixtown Stud. This colt is the first produce of the former Godolphin owned Leyburn (GB) (Shamardal) who is a half-sister to stakes winners Centennial (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Siren's Song (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}).

Four time Group 1 winner Ribchester (Ire)'s first foals were well received in 2019 averaging over €50,000 for 30 sold and that trend continued when lot 253, one of two yearlings by the sire in the sale sold to BBA Ireland for €54,000. Offered by Belmont Stud the easy walking colt is out of the Empire Maker mare Surface Of Earth, herself a daughter of French stakes winner and influential broodmare Wild Planet (Nureyev). Meanwhile a well related Australia (GB) filly (lot 98), the first produce of the dual winner Filante (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) sold to MP Bloodstock for €52,000. Filante is a half-sister to GI Northern Dancer Turf S. winner Forte Dei Marmi (Selkirk) as well as two other international stakes winners. Fellow Coolmore stallion Starspangledbanner (Aus) was represented by just a single yearling in the sale but lot 204 from Jossestown Farm made its mark when selling to Pegasus Bloodstock for €40,000. The bay filly is a half-sister to French listed winner Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) while another sibling Johan Zoffani (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) showed smart form in maidens last year for trainer Michael O'Callaghan.

Matt Houldsworth and Geoffrey Howson were on the ball early in the sale picking up two of the first three lots into the ring. Lot 2 was a son of Fast Company (Ire) out of a winning half-sister to G2 Lowther S. winner Living In The Past (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) that cost €27,000, while two lots later the pair signed for a colt by Churchill (Ire) offered by Baroda Stud on behalf of Paul Hensey of Rifa Mustang. Houldsworth went to €40,000 to secure lot 4 who hails from the family of Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Lot 31 from the McCalmont family's Yeomanstown Lodge Stud received a timely update last week when his half-brother Mr Mooj (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) broke his maiden at the second attempt at Dundalk and the son of Decorated Knight (GB) went the way of Willie Browne after he saw off Kevin Blake with a bid of €38,000.

The sale resumes at 10a.m. Wednesday when a mix of 2-year-olds, horses in training, breeding stock and stallion prospects come under the hammer.