Late twist at Goffs November Sale opener as Mehmas colt brings €140,000

There will undoubtedly be bigger bidding battles to come as the week progresses, but the consensus around Kildare Paddocks on Monday was that the Goffs November Foal Sale had got off on a decidedly solid footing.

The session saw €3,384,500 worth of foals change hands, which helped push the average price up to €19,451, a 41 per cent increase on last year's corresponding session, while the median rose by 60 per cent to €16,000. The clearance rate was 77 per cent as 174 lots found a buyer.

The auditorium was never more packed than when the very last lot entered the ring, and Vinesgrove Stud's Mehmas colt duly topped the session by clear water when selling to Tony O'Callaghan of Tally-Ho Stud at €140,000 - a record price for day one.

The colt is the second foal out of Dutch Monarch, a winning daughter of Dutch Art who cost Vinesgrove's Paul McEnery just 6,000gns in 2018. The mare has quickly recouped that investment as her first foal, a colt by Galileo Gold, sold to Peter Nolan Bloodstock for €95,000 during last month's Sportsman's Sale.

"We loved the yearling and we tried to buy this colt after we saw him in the field in July, but they wouldn't sell him," said O'Callaghan shortly after he had outbid Willie Browne. "He'll come back for resale."

Tony O'Callaghan: Tally-Ho Stud man signed for the €140,000 top lotCredit: Goffs

Dutch Monarch is a sibling to two winners, including this year's Listed-placed two-year-old Gwan So. Cheveley Park Stakes winner Regal Rose features as the Mehmas colt's third dam.

On the stallion, O'Callaghan said: "He's an absolute star and had a very good Breeders' Cup with a winner [Going Global, on the Saturday undercard] and a second [Malavath]. It couldn't be going any better for him."

Starspangledbanner's hot spell continues

Leading the list of prices for much of the day was the Starspangledbanner filly out of Sandtail offered by Airlie Stud, who was knocked down to Glenvale Stud's Ciaran 'Flash' Conroy at €62,000. The dam, a daughter of Verglas, has produced one winner from two runners, namely Goodwood maiden scorer Gold Award.

Sandtail is a sibling to eight winners, most notably Group 1 Criterium International scorer Zafisio and the Group-placed Lansky. The filly, who was conceived at a fee of €22,500, becomes comfortably the most expensive foal the dam has produced.

Lot 125: Airlie Stud's Starspangledbanner filly fetched €62,000 from Glenvale StudCredit: Peter Mooney

"She did absolutely everything right at the sales and we're over the moon," said Airlie Stud's Anthony Rogers. "She had a little bit more size than others in the family. The mare isn't that big so I'd have to credit the sire for that. We might have to have a look at going back to Starspangledbanner next year, although we haven't really decided [on mating plans] yet."

Ciaran Conroy: big fan of StarspangledbannerCredit: Goffs

Conroy's purchase continues a fruitful association with Coolmore resident Starspangledbanner, who has been represented by the likes of State Of Rest, Brooklyn Hustle, Castle Star and Flotus in 2021. Such results have seen the son of Choisir upped to a fee of €35,000 for the 2022 breeding season.

"Hopefully she'll be the top lot next year too!" Conroy said when informed his purchase was heading the market. "Starspangledbanner is a top stallion and I've been lucky with him before. I sold Flotus, who I bought here, so we've a big affiliation with the stallion."

Make Believe colt brings €60,000

Pinhooker Noel Carter, who signs as Rathmoyle Exports, has had some fine results sourcing foals in the Goffs ring, with July and Richmond Stakes scorer Ivawood among his success stories.

On Monday he went to €60,000 for the Make Believe colt out of Swish Dancer, who was consigned by Ballylinch Stud and bred by that operation's managing director John O'Connor and his sister Anne Hallinan.

The dam, a Whipper half-sister to Middle Park Stakes winner Astaire, has bred one winner from three runners and is out of Runway Dancer, a sibling of Gaie Johnson Houghton's Roo, ancestress of Group 1 winners Mohaather and Accidental Agent.

Lot 157: the Make Believe colt out of Swish Dancer sells for €60,000Credit: Peter Mooney

"We bred Astaire and retained Swish Dancer, who had ability but broke her pelvis in training and we never really got her back right," explained O'Connor. "It's a family I've liked for a long time, I was actually underbidder for Roo many years ago, and we've been very lucky with it.

"This colt has always been a very nice horse; he's got plenty of scope, a great action to him and a very good mind. He's typical of the very nice Make Believes, who are popular with trainers; they particularly like them because if they get to a good level of ability they're popular to sell on."

He added: "He's been bought by a very clever man in Noel Carter, whose pinhooking forays I've admired for decades now. I know the colt will come back as a yearling looking extremely well."

John O'Connor: 'He's been bought by a very clever man in Noel Carter'Credit: Goffs

Earlier in the session Ballylinch signed at €48,000 for a filly from the debut crop of the stud's resident Arc hero Waldgeist. Offered by Knockainey Stud, the February born filly is a sibling to three winners, including the Listed-placed Kodiac Gal.

"We've been around and seen pretty much all of Waldgeist's foals here and I'm really happy with what I'm seeing," said O'Connor. "I'm seeing a trend of nice-looking, free-walking, good-tempered horses. I'm delighted to see that coming through so early."

Scat Daddy line sires to the fore

Two stallions from the Scat Daddy line had foals sell for €52,000 apiece, including The Castlebridge Consignment's Caravaggio filly out of Oh Grace. The youngster, who hails from the Jim Bolger-engineered pedigree of Teofilo and Poetic Flare, went the way of Gaelic Bloodstock.

Caravaggio's debut crop of juveniles has yielded 21 European winners, three of whom have struck in black-type company, most notably Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Tenebrism. Caravaggio will stand the 2022 breeding season at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky at a fee of $35,000.

A short while later FC Bloodstock went to €52,000 for Arglo House Stud's colt from the debut crop of Ten Sovereigns. The colt is out of Rip Van Music, a daughter of Rip Van Winkle and Park Express Stakes scorer Danehill Music. Middle Park Stakes and July Cup winner Ten Sovereigns covered his debut book of mares at Coolmore at a fee of €25,000.

The Goffs November Foal Sale continues on Tuesday, with a session starting at 10am.

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