'You never expect a price like that' - Blackbeard's sister brings €2.6 million

“How much will she make?” one interested observer asked as Blackbeard’s sister took to the Goffs ring midway through Tuesday's opening session of the Orby Sale. The answer arrived just a couple of minutes later when the gavel fell at €2.6 million, the highest price paid for a yearling anywhere in the world this year.

Blackbeard is raced by the Coolmore and Westerberg axis and MV Magnier was among those who kept a close eye on proceedings as bids began to come from all angles. However, matters ultimately boiled down to US-based agent Jacob West and Richard Knight, with the latter striking the decisive blow from the middle tier of the auditorium to the right of Henry Beeby’s rostrum.

The filly’s brother was catalogued as having won four races, including the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin, but had since taken his record to six victories from eight starts for Aidan O'Brien having annexed the Group 1 Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes on his last two outings, the most recent of which came just three days before the sale.

“I thought she was the absolute standout of the sale even without her brother on the page,” said Knight. “Just as an individual she had everything; she’s a lovely size, a lovely shape and a very athletic filly. Every time I went and saw her she did exactly what I wanted. Then you can add the brother and the sire into the mix too. I’m just delighted to get her.”

Knight has been on something of a spree this sales season, having recently spent $4.875m on six lots at the Keeneland September Sale, headed by a $1.3m Constitution half-brother to Grade 1 winner Kimari. Despite adding to his haul with another seven-figure acquisition, the agent was unable to reveal the identity of his high-rolling client.

On the seven-figure price, Knight added: “It was at the top of where we were thinking she would be but we didn’t want to leave here without her. It’s very exciting. She’ll go back to Britain and be trained there, although no trainer has been decided upon yet.”

Richard Knight signs on the dotted line for the sale-topperCredit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs

Bred by Newstead Breeding, the No Nay Never filly is the second foal out of Muirin, a winning daughter of Born To Sea who finished fourth behind Happily in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes in 2017 for trainer Edward Lynam and owners Robert Moran and David Myerscough. The mare, who in turn is out of Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes winner Girouette, sold to Broadhurst Agency for €210,000 at the 2018 Goffs breeding stock sale.

The filly becomes easily the most expensive progeny of No Nay Never to change hands at public auction, with the previous high mark set by Nay Lady Nay, who sold to Juddmonte Farms for $1.7m at Fasig-Tipton last November. Her price also comfortably eclipses that of her Group 1-winning brother, who fetched 270,000gns from Jamie McCalmont when offered by Norelands Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

“You can never expect a price like that,” said Ciaran 'Flash' Conroy, whose Glenvale Stud consigned the filly. “That said, when you have an animal like that anything can happen. She’s by a top-class stallion who’s had a great year and she’s obviously a full-sister to the best two-year-old sprinter around. Those updates are the things you dream of.

Ciaran 'Flash' Conroy: 'Those updates are the things you dream of'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs

“The Prix Morny was unbelievable and then to win the Middle Park the way he did just shows anything can happen when the horse is in the hands of Aidan O’Brien! When any animal sells well it’s always a great relief because you get only one shot in the sales ring. She’s a beautiful-looking filly and she’s always been a very good physical.”

Coolmore’s No Nay Never has sired 79 stakes performers, headed by five Group 1 scorers. The son of Scat Daddy currently sits in seventh on the British and Irish sires’ table having been represented by the likes of July Cup heroine Alcohol Free and Phoenix Stakes victor Little Big Bear during the 2022 campaign. No Nay Never stood the most recent breeding season at a fee of €125,000.

Newtown Anner joins the fray

Well-bred fillies were the order of the day and second-top lot honours went the way of Newtown Anner Stud after the €750,000 acquisition of the Galileo filly out of Signora Cabello. MV Magnier, Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian and Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland were among the underbidders.

Offered through The Castlebridge Consignment, the filly is the first foal out of the Queen Mary and Prix Robert Papin winner and was bred by Phoenix Thoroughbreds.

PJ Colville was in the thick of the action on TuesdayCredit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs

“She was bought for Maurice Regan’s Newtown Anner Stud,” said stud manager PJ Colville. “She was our pick of the sale, we like the cross, and we’ll just hope she’s lucky. Maurice wants to build up a broodmare band in Clonmel. She’ll come back with me to be broken in and we’ll make a decision about a trainer at Christmas time.”

Signora Cabello won four races for John Quinn, with her Group 2 victories supplemented by successes in the Listed Marygate Fillies' Stakes and a Bath novice event.

The daughter of Camacho, a sibling to three black-type performers and from the family of Kingsgate Native, was raced for the majority of her career by Phoenix and Zen Racing before the former operation bought their partners out at 900,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Donohoe digs deep

The No Nay Never and Galileo fillies may have been a long way clear at the head of the market but there was still plenty of strong trade further down the list of prices, as highlighted by Michael Donohoe’s €525,000 purchase of the Night Of Thunder half-sister to Matron Stakes winner No Speak Alexander.

The May 1 foal is out of the Listed-winning Rapacity Alexander, a Dandy Man sister to Hong Kong Group 1 winner Peniaphobia. She was bred and offered by Noel O’Callaghan’s Mountarmstrong Stud.

“She’s a lovely filly and looks really precocious, like her family would suggest,” said the BBA Ireland man. “She comes from a great breeder in Noel O’Callaghan and I loved everything about her. She’s well made and Night Of Thunder is a proper, proven sire and this is a proper, proven fast family.

"I bought her for an existing client and the chances are she’ll go to Jessica Harrington as she trained the sister.”

Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland: signed for the third and fourth most expensive lots on TuesdayCredit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs

Earlier in the session Donohoe struck a bid of €430,000 for the Galileo filly out of Nickname offered by Baroda Stud. The youngster is the mare’s second produce and a full-sister to Starry Eyed, who topped last year’s Orby Sale when bought by Coolmore’s MV Magnier at €1.5m.

Nickname won the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes during her time in training with Steve Asmussen and was bought by Phoenix Thoroughbreds for $3m at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale of 2017. The daughter of Scat Daddy produced a colt by Wootton Bassett earlier this year.

“Obviously she’s a Galileo filly out of a Grade 1 winner and I thought she was a good physical too,” said Donohoe. “They’re not making those Galileos any more. She’s been bought for the same client. He’s got a broodmare band and is involved in a couple of stallions so she’ll join the broodmare band in time.”

The most expensive colt of the session was signed for by Ross Doyle after Kia Joorabchian struck a winning bid of €360,000 for the Frankel colt out of Miss Keller, whose racing career was headlined by the Grade 1 E.P Taylor Stakes. The colt was offered by Churchland Stud on behalf of Waratah Thoroughbreds.

McStay taps into foundation family

Night Of Thunder is also the sire of the filly out of Princess De Lune who fetched €350,000 from Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock when offered by the Donworth family’s Roundhill Stud.

This is not the first time the dam, a winning daughter of Shamardal, has enjoyed success at the Orby Sale as her first foal topped the 2020 renewal, which was held in Doncaster amid heavy Covid-19 disruption.

The filly in question, the £450,000 Zanbaq, helped boost her sibling’s appeal further still as the daughter of Oasis Dream had won the Listed Rosemary Stakes for Shadwell and Roger Varian since the catalogue was released.

“I thought she was gorgeous,” said McStay. “She’s a lovely filly and it’s an outstanding family and she’s by a top-class sire. We’ve seen what he can do with his fillies this year in Highfield Princess. This filly has a nice update with the sibling being a stakes winner.

"Hopefully she’ll be a very nice racing prospect for her new owner but, more importantly, if the client wants to breed then she’s a foundation mare. She’s been bought for an international owner who races plenty in Britain."

Princess De Lune is a sibling to four black type performers, most notably the Group 2-winning Puissance De Lune and Queen Power, and the Listed-placed His Majesty, all of whom are also by Shamardal. She is also a three-parts sister to Prix d'Ispahan scorer Zabeel Prince, who is by Shamardal’s son Lope De Vega, and a half-sister to Serena's Storm, dam of the Group 1-winning Rizeena and the Group 2 scorer Summer Romance.

Another Night Of Thunder filly to command a significant price was the daughter of Skill Set offered by Lodge Park Stud who drew a bid of €340,000 from Rabbah Bloodstock. Night Of Thunder, whose yearling crop was bred at a fee of €25,000, ended the session with an average for €209,000 for ten sold.

The day saw 208 lots sell from 237 offered, resulting in a clearance rate of 88 per cent. One hundred and four of those brought a six-figure sum, which contributed to a 37 per cent year-on-year increase in turnover at €26,888,000. The average price was up by 25 per cent at €120,269, while the median rose by 33 per cent to a round €100,000.

The Goffs Orby sale continues on Wednesday, with the session starting at 9.30am.

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