Enhanced catalogue offers exciting start to the year at Goffs

An increased demand for places in the 2022 Goffs February Sale has seen the company expand the event to three days, starting from 11am on Tuesday.

The sale, which offers something for everyone with Flat and National Hunt elements, includes horses in training, youngstock, weanlings, fillies and mares.

By far the largest single section is the weanling one, for which 300 Flat- and National Hunt-bred youngsters have been catalogued and is spread over a day and a half.

One breeder who is both eagerly and anxiously awaiting Tuesday's session is John Kehoe, who offers a beautifully bred colt from the second crop of 2,000 Guineas hero Saxon Warrior.

Lot 188 is the third foal out of Pour Deux, a Dansili half-sister to last season's Prix des Chenes winner Ancient Rome, who was placed in both the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Criterium International for Andre Fabre, and to Group 3 Naas Juvenile Sprint Stakes winner Etoile.

Their dam Gagnoa was a dual Group 3 winner and placed in the Prix de Diane, Prix Saint-Alary and Irish Oaks. She is also a Sadler's Wells half-sister to Derby winner Pour Moi.

"The mare has a lovely page," said Kehoe of Pour Deux, one of two mares he is breeding from. "By all accounts this colt is very nice; everyone who looks at him tells me that, so hopefully the buyers will think that at Goffs this week."

The Goffs February Sale kicks off on TuesdayCredit: © Peter Mooney

Kehoe purchased Pour Deux through Richard Knight at the 2016 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale, where she was consigned by her trainer John Oxx. Successful in a Naas maiden at three, Pour Deux was fourth in the Listed Cooley Fillies Stakes and Kehoe bought her at the end of her four-year-old season.

Her first foal is a three-year-old Australia colt named Najem Shalghoda, who was bought as a yearling by Zied Romdhane and is in training in France. She has a two-year-old Mastercraftsman filly and is due to visit No Nay Never this spring.

"I retained the Mastercraftsman filly because I like the pedigree a lot and I wanted to have a filly out of her that could hopefully go on and achieve on the track, and then I could continue the line," explained Kehoe.

"The fact that she is a daughter of Mastercraftsman was a big influence in that decision as I think he could be an excellent broodmare sire."

That filly is in pre-training at Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connell's Longways Stables and Kehoe is planning on sending her to Joseph O'Brien, who trained his Dark Angel mare Annie B to win at three. Annie B, who is named in honour of Kehoe's mother, is booked in to visit Gleneagles this year.

Kehoe is excited about what is to come in the family, with Ancient Rome potentially making the Group 1 breakthrough this year and their half-sister from the first crop of the unbeaten Triple Crown winner Justify hopefully set to make her debut during the season.

Gagnoa also has a yearling filly by Justify and her half-sister White Hot is the dam of Bobby Flay's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca.

The Aherne family, breeders of Irish 2,000 Guineas and Prix Jacques le Marois winner Romanised, consign the Saxon Warrior colt for Kehoe and he is the only offering from their Prospect Stables.

Champers Elysees' half-brother will be offered at GoffsCredit: Caroline Norris

Other youngsters to look out for include Railstown Stud's half-brother to Matron Stakes winner Champers Elysees (118). The February-born colt is a son of Cotai Glory, who was Europe's leading first-season sire by winners last year.

Another weanling with an eye-catching pedigree is Coolagown Stud's filly from the first crop of the Royal Ascot winner and multiple Group 1-placed sprinter Soldier's Call (221).

For those with their eyes on the long game, she makes perfect sense as a broodmare prospect because she is a half-sister to the dam of Perfect Power, successful in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes last season.

Her second dam Saga D'Ouilly is a Linamix sister to Arc winner Sagamix and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Sagacity and to Shastye, the dam of Group 1-winning brothers Japan and Mogul.

Coolagown Stud's filly by Soldier's Call is likely to prove popularCredit: Laragh De Burgh

On the National Hunt side, Quarry Hall Stud's Maxios colt (112) has plenty to recommend him as his dam Kibara is a winning Sadler's Wells sister to the St Leger and Great Voltigeur Stakes winner Milan, now a leading National Hunt stallion.

Kibara is also a half-sister to Koora, the Group 3-winning dam of the 2021 Queen's Vase winner Kemari.

Cleaboy Stud and Coppice Farm consign the only weanling in the catalogue from the first crop of Haras de la Hetraie's Nirvana Du Berlais (357).

The Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres Hurdle winner is a son of the brilliant National Hunt stallion Martaline. This April-born colt is the first foal out of Dream Of Storm, a three-time winner over jumps in France and a Falco half-sister to last month's Relkeel Hurdle winner Stormy Ireland, who was a Grade 1 winner over hurdles last season for Willie Mullins.

National Hunt breeders looking to add a special mare to their broodmare band, or an ideal foundation mare for a breeder looking to establish their farm, will be waiting until the last knockings on Thursday night for the opportunity to purchase a very exciting young mare.

Bridal Knot (599D) is one of nine supplementary entries for the sale and is a daughter of the sizzling-hot Walk In The Park out of Knotted Midge, which makes her a three-parts sister to the enigmatic quadruple Grade 1-winning chaser Might Bite, whose victories for Nicky Henderson included an unforgettable success over Whisper in the RSA Chase.

As well as the Gold Cup runner-up, Bridal Knot can count the Aintree and Punchestown Grade 1 winner Beat That as a half-sibling.

The five-year-old is out of the Presenting mare Knotted Midge, a winning pointer, and is offered by her trainer Henderson's Seven Barrows operation as the final lot of the sale.

Knotted Midge has two-year-old and yearling brothers to Bridal Knot and a four-year-old Milan sister to Beat That.

The Godolphin draft contains some impeccably bred broodmares and breeding prospects, including Panegyric (580), who is a Monsun three-parts sister to Group 1 winner Ultra and a half-sister to the dam of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Modern Games.

The 11-year-old is the dam of three runners from three winners, including the Listed-placed Lackeen, by Shamardal, and is offered in foal to Cracksman.

Also among the draft is Bergamask (534), the dam of Coventry Stakes winner and dual Group 1-placed Buratino. The Listed-placed daughter of Kingmambo, out of a Sadler's Wells half-sister to Danehill Dancer, is offered in foal to Harry Angel.

The Castlebridge Consignment offers Tates Breath (510), an unraced four-year-old Bated Breath half-sister to Australian Group 3 winner Spirit Ridge out of Tates Creek, winner of the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes and Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap.

She comes from a typically excellent Juddmonte family as a Rahy half-sister to the multiple Grade 1 winner Sightseek and to Quest To Peak, dam of Group 1 winner Special Duty and second dam of Juddmonte's Breeders' Cup Mile winner Expert Eye, who has his first runners this year.

Henry Beeby, group chief executive of Goffs, is anticipating strong trade on the back of such a deep catalogue.

“We're delighted to kick off 2022 at Kildare Paddocks with a February catalogue of real depth and diversity," he said.

"Following the vibrant foal and record breeding stock trade seen at the Goffs November Sale, demand for February Sale places was especially strong and has resulted in the sale being expanded to three days. This catalogue should hold huge appeal for domestic and international buyers alike.”

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