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

Trade hit top gear during the third and final session of Part 1 of the Goffs November Foal Sale on Wednesday, as a well-touted daughter of Kingman stole the show.

In his end of sale address, Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby offered a pragmatic assessment of trade, saying: "Following an outstanding renewal of the Orby Sale, which was responsible for the two highest priced yearling fillies in the world this year, but an otherwise rather harder yearling sales season, predictions in advance of this week were for an altogether more selective trade.

"And so it has proved over the last three days when, to use two well-worn phrases, it has been as hard as ever to buy the good ones but there were more falling through the cracks than in recent years."

The three sessions of foal trade saw 480 lots sell for a clearance rate of 72 per cent - down from 81 per cent in 2017. In turn the aggregate was down by 20 per cent to €20,311,000 and the average fell by 11 per cent to €42,315. However, the median rose by four per cent to €28,000.

View full Goffs November Foal Sale results and stats

A host of interested parties followed the session-topping Kingman filly into the ring, but it was Outsider Bloodstock's Francisco Bernal, a first-time buyer at the November Sale, who secured the half-sister to Solario Stakes winner Aktabantay with a bid of €350,000.

"We are going to race her, she'll travel to France now and hopefully she'll be trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias in time," said Bernal, a resident of Seville.

"This is the filly we wanted most. She's for a new client who owns the most important sport horse farm in Spain, and now she is beginning a new project with racehorses. We bought two fillies by Teofilo and Siyouni filly at Arqana, and the plan is to buy mares here and at Tattersalls too."

Jockey Hall Stud offered the filly on behalf of breeder Paddy Burns, who paid 145,000gns for the dam, Splashdown, when she was carrying the filly in utero at last year's Tattersalls December Sale, where she was sold by Luca Cumani's Fittocks Stud.

The session was a productive one for Jacqueline Norris's Jockey Hall Stud, as just seven lots before the Kingman filly entered the ring the operation also sold a Sea The Stars half-brother to Listed winner Mind Of Madness to Camas Park Stud for €290,000.

Shadwell spree

A more familiar name among the buyers' list was Shadwell, as Sheikh Hamdan's operation secured €680,000 worth of stock during Wednesday's session. The lion's share of that outlay was spent on a Muhaarar colt who fetched €320,000 as evening set in around Kildare Paddocks.

"He's got the looks, he's got the walk and the pedigree," said Derrinstown Stud's Stephen Collins. "Obviously we have a lot of stock by the sire at Shadwell. Next year is a big year for him and we're very excited."

The colt was bred by Airlie Stud out of Kate The Great, whose five winners include the Group 3 Bengough Stakes scorer Eastern Impact and the Listed-winning Miss Katie Mae. In turn, Kate The Great is a half-sister to the Listed-placed pair Bossy Guest and Liberating.

Muhaarar, an exceptional sprinter by Oasis Dream, will be represented by his first two-year-olds in 2019.

Earlier in the session Collins parted with €170,000 for an Awtaad half-brother to the talented sprinter Spring Loaded offered by Swordlestown Little.

"Shadwell bred and raced Awtaad and he was raised at Derrinstown," said Collins. "He's getting very good-looking stock, we're very happy with the homebreds, we have 15 on the farm and this colt would compliment those.

"He's a strong, well-grown foal, albeit he was only born in May. He had a great walk and seemed to have a very good attitude."

By the close of trade on Wednesday, 21 Awtaad foals had sold for an average of €61,285 and a median price of €58,000, figures well in advance of the €15,000 at which his debut foals were bred.

Dark Angel in demand

From the word go it was clear Wednesday's session was going to be a completely different proposition to the preceding two days, as just the fourth lot through the ring, a Dark Angel filly offered by Neilstown Stud, fetched €300,000 from John McCormack, who heaped praise on the Yeomanstown Stud-based sire.

"She's a lovely filly by a proven sire and out of a proven mare," he said. "The sire just keeps going from strength to strength. Dark Angel might have started off at a low fee but he's kept creeping up and you can't cheat the market; when a stallion keeps moving up it's because it's merited.

"She's for an existing client who'll probably keep her here in Ireland, it's unlikely she'll come back for sale so she'll take her chance on the track."

The filly was bred by Nick and Alice Nugent, who acquired the mare, Noyelles, for just €22,000 back in 2007.

The daughter of Docksider has proved to be quite the producer, having already delivered Chartwell Fillies' Stakes scorer Lily's Angel and the Listed-winning Zurigha, while her current two-year-old, Furious, looked a smart prospect when breaking her maiden at Chelmsford in October.

The further family is also proving particularly active, with Noyelles' Group 3-winning half-sister In Clover responsible for Group 1 winners With You, We Are and Call The Wind.

"It's a very deep family and it's encouraging to see horses owned by Cheveley Park and Godolphin close up on the page as they're people you have to greatly respect when they get involved in a family," added McCormack.

Dark double

The top ten prices featured two lots by Dark Angel, as Harry Sweeney of Japan's Paca Paca Farm spent €250,000 to secure the half-brother to Silver Flash Stakes scorer Jack Naylor sold by Ross Moorehead.

"I was always hopeful but never sure he'd sell that well," said Moorehead, who operates out of Glacken View Stud in Bunclody, County Wexford.

"When you have a sire like that anything is possible though. I bred this horse myself and I actually looked after the sire when he was a yearling at the sales so it's come full circle. Year in, year out I've been leading up Dark Angel yearlings for Gay O’Callaghan [owner of Yeomanstown Stud], so I figured it was time I had a bite of the cherry myself.

"This horse was a pure gent, he had a great old mind on him; he loved his work and his grub. The mare is back in to Dark Angel."

Six foals by Dark Angel changed hands during Part 1 of the November Foal Sale for an aggregate of €1,035,000 and at an average of €172,500. His current foal crop was bred at a fee of €65,000.

Irish National Stud club in clover

Among those toasting a fruitful November Foal Sale were the 22 members of the Irish National Stud's racing and breeding club, after the group witnessed the foal they bred, a filly by No Nay Never, sell to Mick Flanagan for €170,000.

"This is the fourth year of the club and this is by far the best result we've had, it's fabulous, especially as there's 15 or so of us here," said the club's Daniel Clarke. "You never know what to expect but we hoped she'd sell well as she there was a bit of a perfect storm, especially with No Nay Never being the most in vogue sire."

The filly's pedigree has undergone an upgrade during the most recent campaign, as she is a half-sister to Chicas Amigas, who won two races this year for the It's All About The Girls syndicate and Jessica Harrington as well as gaining valuable black type.

"I didn't know a whole lot about breeding before getting involved with the club, but part of the reason for getting involved was to learn and it's been a real education," added Clarke. "We've six horses to run for the club next year too and we should have a Decorated Knight foal out of Realta Rua to sell as well, so there's plenty to look forward to."

More from the Goffs November Foal Sale:

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

Upswing in trade as Showcasing colt steals November Foal Sale limelight

No Nay Never colt leads the way in November Foal Sale opener