'Everyone you wanted to see come to the door did' - Havana Grey to the fore as Goffs' sales season kicks off

The first day of the sales season at Goffs belonged to the young duo behind Drumloose Stables who brought two weanlings to the February Sale from their Mullinagar base and left as the vendors of two of the session's most expensive lots.

Aisling Noone and Simon Kavanagh's pair were impeccably prepared and presented, and being by two of the hottest sires in any sales catalogue meant that traffic was heavy at Barn P. Once they got there, visitors were impressed by what they saw and the strikingly handsome Galiway colt ignited a bidding battle in the ring towards the latter stages of Wednesday evening.

The interested parties were spread around the amphitheatre, with the Yeomanstown Stud team leading the charge and David O'Callaghan was not to be denied by either of his competitors and brought the hammer down at €68,000.

O'Callaghan was effusive in his praise for the colt.

"He is a beautiful horse with a huge, athletic walk and is a great model," he said. "He's another by a very good sire and bred on the Galiway - Kendargent cross that has produced the Group 1-winning full-brothers Sealiway and Sunway, and Group winners including Kenway and Rubis Vendome."

The purchaser added: "He can go to any yearling sale in the autumn."

Yeomanstown Stud also signed for the session's most expensive weanling, a colt by Havana Grey who was consigned by Dermot Dwan's Kellsgrange Stud and made €85,000.

Drumloose's March-born colt is the third foal, all by Galiway, out of Kenava, who won over nine furlongs for Iresine's trainer Jean-Paul Gauvin. She has a three-year-old filly named Ganava in training with Gavin Hernon, while her two-year-old daughter Liveway is reported to be in training with David Menuisier.

Delight for Drumloose

His delighted consignors were still processing their earlier success with a Havana Grey colt when their second horse so spectacularly lit up the sale ring.

"We sourced him privately in France and have him with a couple of friends," said Aisling Noone. "We liked everything about him. Galiway is such a good sire and can get you a top-class horse on the Flat or over hurdles – Sealiway, Sunway and Gala Marceau are all out of Kendargent mares."

In addition to the proven Galiway - Kendargent mix, he has Montjeu as the sire of his second dam and that wonderful stallion is also the sire of Hurricane Run, broodmare sire of another of Galiway's best performers, Vauban, who, in addition to his three Grade 1 victories over hurdles is a Group 3 winner on the Flat.

Aisling Noone of Drumloose Stables was thrilled with the sale of her Galilway colt Credit: Orla Donworth/Goffs

His family traces back to one of Germany's most iconic – his fourth dam Laurencia is the half-sister of two German Derby winners in the champion Lando, whose Group 1 triumphs included a historic Japan Cup victory, and Laroche.

A strong personality and easy-going nature meant that having to contend with a busy couple of days' showing, before waiting until almost the end of the sale for his turn under the glare of the sales ring lights, was of no consequence to the colt and Noone confirmed that his demeanour has always been professional.

"He has always been a really easy and straightforward horse to look after," she said. "When he got here on Monday he settled in straight away, and has been a superstar since he got here. I don't think he has been in his box for more than ten minutes. Of all the horses we have offered, he has been the best we've had." 

The couple previously sold a Blue Bresil gelding for €95,000 at the Arkle Sale last June, which was their consigning debut at Goffs.

"We have been very lucky here at Goffs in the short time we have been consigning," added Noone.

About 100 lots previously they had sold one of just two colts in the sale by Havana Grey and Amy Marnane signed for the bay, who is the third foal out of All Back To Mine, a winning Dutch Art granddaughter of the Listed Cecil Frail and Abernant Stakes winner Paradise Isle. He made €46,000.

Away from the prices and returns on investments, what made both sales of such importance to Noone and Kavanagh were the buyers.

"Everyone you wanted to see come to the door did, and the feedback was so positive," she said. "When you have a horse that is bought by judges like the O'Callaghans then you know that you have something special.

"I used to work for Con [Marnane] in France, so to be here and sell a horse to him and Amy is fantastic. They are such great judges and it's fantastic that they thought so much of him."

Marnane a Grey fan

Amy Marnane was on purchasing duties for the Bansha House team and she was enthusiastic about the quality of this colt and of his sire, who has seven Group winners from his first two crops.

Amy Marnane was in action early for a Havana Grey colt from Drumloose Stables (lot 91)Credit: Sophie Webber/Goffs

"He is a cracking colt," she commented. "We have seven Havana Greys at home for the breeze-ups and they are extremely nice horses. They have such good minds and a will to run; we can't have enough of them.

"This colt had the best physical in the sale and he will come back for resale. We will decide what sale nearer the time but if we had to keep him to breeze, we wouldn't mind."

His second dam, Exotic Isle, is by Exceed And Excel, who is the broodmare sire of Havana Grey's best offspring to date – the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes winner Vandeek – as well as the Listed winners Holguin and Royal Grey.

Drumloose Stables ended the session as leading consignor by average and second in the charts on aggregate. Yeomanstown Stud, the buyers of their Galiway colt, were the session's biggest spenders, with four bought for €193,500.

The biggest outlay was on the session-topping Havana Grey colt, about whom O'Callaghan was equally positive.

"This is a great model and by a very good stallion," he said. "He has a good dam line to back him up too and he will be offered for resale in the autumn. He is a horse that could easily go to any yearling sale."

His dam, How High The Sky, by Danehill Dancer, has bred eight winners from ten runners and is a half-sister to the French Group 3 winners Homeland and High Rock and to Hidden Silver, dam of Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner and sire Silver Frost and Spiritjim, winner of the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly and twice placed in the Prix Foy.

David O'Callaghan (with cap) signed for the €85,000 Havana Grey colt for his family's Yeomanstown StudCredit: Sophie Webber/Goffs

Yeomanstown Stud also bought a colt for €35,000 by their brilliant sire Dark Angel from Moyglare Stud out of Tina Angelina, a winning Dansili full-sister to Group 3 winner Carla Bianca and a half-sister to Joailliere, dam of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs.

Macauley to the point

The mixed nature of the sale was reflected in the top prices, with the third of three to make in excess of €50,000 destined for the store sales rather than the autumn's yearling sales.

Hamish Macauley was entrusted with bidding duties by the O'Callaghan family of Tally-Ho Stud on the No Risk At All colt consigned by Railstown Stud. Macauley was to the point in his summation of the colt, who had just cost €75,000.

"He was the best horse in the sale and has everything that you could want – pedigree, stallion and physical," he said. "He will be offered at the store sales in two years' time."

The stallion needs no introduction and the pedigree is out of the top drawer. His dam is a winning Fuisse half-sister to Vieux Lion Rouge, a dual winner of the Beecher Chase for David Pipe. She is also a half-sister to the Listed Prix Finot Hurdle winner Azza, who was Grade 2-placed when trained by Pipe, and to Reflexion, successful in the Listed Prix Hardatit Handicap Hurdle and now the dam of Grande Course de Haies de Cagnes Hurdle winner Cote D'Azur.

His second dam, Indecise, is a Cyborg half-sister to Tolworth Hurdle winner Marcel and to the Listed-place Novacella, dam of Willie Mullins' Galway Plate winner Royal Rendezvous.

The top five was rounded out by Ballylinch Stud's Kodi Bear half-sister to last year's Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks third Impact Warrior, who was knocked down to Jane Davis and Michelle Connolly for €46,000.

Out of the Group 3 Fairy Bridge Stakes third Lina De Vega, she has a brilliant broodmare line. Lina De Vega is a Lope De Vega daughter of Prix de Diane winner Caerlina, which makes her a half-sister to the dam of Prix Jacques le Marois winner and sire Al Wukair. Also under Caerlina are Group/Grade 1 performers La Nuit Rose, Haughty, Curren Mirotic and Hikaru Amaranthus.

Davis and Connolly were among the day's busiest buyers, with the duo signing for three lots at a total of €69,500.

That contributed to receipts of €1,452,600 from 111 lots sold, giving a clearance rate of 59 per cent. The session average was €13,087, while the median came in at €9,000.

The second session of the sale begins at 10am on Thursday.

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