Dearth of superstar lots leads to across-the-board declines

The opening session of the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale on Thursday looked set to produce some blockbuster prices, with Ribblesdale Stakes winner Magic Wand, Harzand's dam Hazariya and South African Group 1 winner Cloth Of Cloud - the latter pair in foal to Galileo - among the 255 entries.

But the late withdrawal of all three took the shine off the session and made a significant dent in the figures, with all market metrics running behind the previous two editions of the sale, which had been bolstered by headline drafts from Wildenstein Stables and partnerships including the China Horse Club.

However, a subdued beginning eventually gave way to an evening of vibrant trade as international players traded six-figure bids for the remaining choice offerings.

View full Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale results

At the head was the US Listed winner She's Complete, who will now join the broodmare band of Chinese businessman Zhang Yuesheng - who operates under the YuLong Investments banner - after Michael Donohoe of the BBA Ireland struck the winning bid of €350,000.

The daughter of Oratorio was offered in foal to Sea The Stars, whose name also appears further back in the family through the third dam Anatevka, who in turn is responsible for Allegretta, dam of the great Urban Sea.

A brief moment of confusion ensued as it appeared the underbidder, Eamonn Reilly, had launched one final bid just as the gavel was on the way down, but eventually the six-year-old mare was knocked down to Donohoe, as Henry Beeby quipped: "That livened it up a bit, and gave the auctioneer a heart attack!"

"She had a good Golden Horn yearling at the sales that made 200,000gns and is going to John Gosden," said Donohoe, having signed the docket for The Castlebridge Consignment-offered lot.

"She's a two-year-old stakes winner, a good physical and it's interesting that they've bred back to the family with Sea The Stars, who appears under the third dam, I think he'll really suit her physically so it's an attractive covering."

Mustang go wild

Another Chinese operation building a European-based broodmare band is Rifa Mustang, and two mares were added to the outfit's herd on Thursday, the pricier of which was the €220,000 Lost In Silence, a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor offered by the Irish National Stud in foal to Invincible Spirit.

"She's a lovely mare from a nice Moyglare family and obviously she's in foal to Invincible Spirit, who's tried and tested," said Paul Hensey, who went on to explain Rifa Mustang's background.

"We bought some nice mares last year and hopefully we'll buy some more again this year. Rifa Mustang started in the southern hemisphere a couple of years ago and now the European arm is up and running as well. Our objective will be to keep the quality up."

The Irish National Stud sourced Lost In Silence from the Moyglare Stud draft at last year's November Sale for €65,000.

Earlier in the session Hensey signed a €140,000 docket for Moons Of Jupiter, a winning daughter of War Front offered by Norelands Stud on behalf of the Niarchos family.

Tsuis keep it in the family

Following Moons Of Jupiter into the ring was another Niarchos-bred mare, Niku, a High Chaparral half-sister to Prix Ganay scorer Cloth Of Stars. John Clarke, acting on behalf of the Tsui family's Sunderland Holdings, signed the ticket at €140,000.

"Obviously with the Cloth Of Stars connection she could start off by going to Sea The Stars," said Clarke. "Alternatively, she could even go to France to Born To Sea."

Further back, this is the excellent Niarchos family of Northern Trick also responsible for Light Shift, Ulysses and Shiva.

Sax appeal

Further international flavour was brought to proceedings by Katsumi Yoshida, whose representatives went to €210,000 for I'm Yours, a Listed-winning daughter of Invincible Spirit and the champion Rebelline, offered in foal to Ribchester.

While the mare seems likely to head to Yoshida's Northern Farm in due course, his representatives indicated that I'm Yours would remain in Ireland until next year, when she will be covered by Deep Impact's 2,000 Guineas-winning son Saxon Warrior, who takes up stallion duties at Coolmore at a fee of €30,000.

Front runner

For much of the day trade was headed by Muirin, a three-year-old daughter of Born To Sea who had finished fourth to Happily in the Moyglare Stud Stakes on just her second outing for Eddie Lynam.

Laurent Benoit of Broadhurst Agency, standing with Coolmore's Paul Shanahan and MV Magnier, struck the winning bid at €210,000.

"She's perfect for those Galileo line horses," said Benoit. "She's out of a Pivotal mare too, which is nice, and she's a good, speedy filly with a bit of quality."

The €210,000 mark was hit again later in the session as Outsider Bloodstock, who landed the €350,000 Kingman filly who topped the November Foal Sale, dipped into the mare market to secure Simawa from the Aga Khan Studs draft.

"This is the first mare that we have bought and the plan is to send her to France," said Francisco Bernal, who secured the six-figure lot for the same Spanish client as the Kingman filly.

"Maybe she will board at Haras du Quesnay. She looks fantastic."

Simawa boasts a profile befitting her price tag, as she is a Listed-placed Anabaa half-sister to Sinndar, and is already the dam of Listed Loughbrown Stakes winner Silwana and the Group 3-placed Summaya. She was sold in foal to Gleneagles.

Proven power

Arguably the most accomplished produced on offer during the session was Cottonmouth, who was knocked down to Ballylinch Stud's John O'Connor for €120,000. The 14-year-old daughter of Noverre, offered in foal to Exceed And Excel by Kilmaglish House Stud, is already the dam of five winners, including Group 1 winner Dylan Mouth and the Listed scorers Per Un Dixir and Henry Mouth.

O'Connor is best known as the managing director of Ballylinch, but also keeps his own broodmare band at Limefield Stud, and that seems likely to be Cottonmouth's next home.

"She's probably for myself at Limefield Stud," said O'Connor. "She was a very good racemare and has become a very consistent producer at stud.

"Dylan Mouth was a really good horse and then she's done it with other stallions - she has worked with different horses which gives us a lot of options going forward. I don't usually buy older mares but there was just something about her."

Cottonmouth was herself a talented performer, winning 12 races in Italy including the Group 3 Premio Verziere.

Figures

Some 12 months ago the opening session of the November Breeding Stock Sale was topped by the €1.9 million Inca Princess, but with that kind of headline lot notable by its absence only this time around the year-on-year figures showed some hefty declines.

The aggregate fell by 54 per cent €6,074,900, while the average was down by 47 per cent to €35,945 and the median stood at €20,000 - down 26 per cent.

Of the remaining offerings 169 of 215 fillies and mares sold for a solid clearance rate of 79 per cent.

The November Breeding Stock Sale continues tomorrow at 10am.

More Goffs sale reports:

Harzand half-sister goes the way of Hugo Merry at November Foal Sale

A fresh face steals the show as Kingman filly tops November Foal Sale