Moran Stud Farm expands racing and breeding interests at February Sale

The second and final day of the Goffs February Sale heated up on Wednesday with two bold plays by Moran Stud Farm manager Kieran Sheehy, who secured a two-year-old Lawman filly and Teofilo mare in foal to Kodiac for a combined €205,000.

Sheehy signed each docket on behalf of Robert Moran, a Florida-based owner with distinctive yellow and black silks who is building a broodmare band in Rosscarbery in west Cork.

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The first to catch Sheehy's eye was the Lawman filly, already broken in and offered by Baroda and Colbinstown Studs to dissolve a partnership.

"She'll go into training with Michael O'Callaghan," said Sheehy, who signed for the filly at €110,000.

"She ticked all the boxes being out of the Ballymacoll mare La Divina and she has a broodmare's pedigree. We'll put her into training and hopefully she'll end up as a broodmare on the stud farm."

The filly was taking her third turn through the ring, having been sold as part of the Ballymacoll dispersal for 100,000gns as a foal to agent Mick Flanagan, before Ballylinch Stud sold her at the Arqana August Yearling Sale for €150,000 to Oliver St Lawrence.

La Divina, who also has a yearling colt by Lawman, is out of the Yorkshire Oaks heroine and St Leger second Hellenic, who produced no fewer than six black-type performers headed by the dual champion Islington and fellow top-flight scorers Greek Dance and Mountain High.

The two-year-old Lawman filly who will be trained by Michael O'Callaghan for Florida-based owner Robert MoranCredit: Peter Mooney / Goffs

Offered by the same vendor again to dissolve a partnership, Sheehy also stretched to €95,000 to secure the six-year-old Teofilo mare Myopic, offered in foal to Kodiac.

"We loved her pedigree," said Sheehy. "She's carrying a lovely covering to Kodiac. We just thought she would make a good addition to our broodmare band and that's why she was bought.

"She'll likely be covered by a Coolmore sire after she foals down, perhaps by No Nay Never or Caravaggio - probably one from the Scat Daddy line anyway. We'll decide that with Mr Moran.

"We've six broodmares and we're just building on that at the moment - we've got Rionach and two other fillies in training with Michael O'Callaghan, and they all have nice pedigrees so we hope they'll come back as broodmares."

Myopic - who also produced a Kodiac colt last year - won a Newbury maiden and is a half-sister to the Hugo Palmer-trained Listed winner Twitch. Both Myopic and Twitch were bred and raced by the Dukes of Devonshire and Roxburghe.

Rionach won twice last year in the colours of Moran, for whom she was a €140,000 Goffs horses-in-training purchase.

Muirin, meanwhile, was raced by Moran in partnership with David Myerscough and was trained by Eddie Lynam to win a juvenile fillies race at the Curragh and to finish fourth to Happily in the 2017 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Sheehy's other passion is trotting and he combines roles as owner, trainer and sulky driver including with Vigo De Bassiere, last year's trotter of the year in Ireland.

Closing statement

At the close of trade for the two-day sale, Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby said: "Tuesday's weanlings enjoyed a vibrant trade with strong competition for the best from a huge group of pinhookers who turned out in force to battle for the youngsters they feel will be the most obvious candidates for the first-choice yearling sales later in the year.

"Consequently the knock-on effect is a trade that remains unforgiving for those that did not fall into that category; such is the way the market is operating at present as we so clearly saw at all sales and locations through the autumn.

"[Wednesday's] breeding stock and mixed session has performed well with statistics that reflect the first-choice nature of the sale and so we have enjoyed top prices in several categories on both days for the sales taking place at this time of the year.

"We have been delighted to welcome a truly international group of buyers from as far afield as Uzbekistan whilst the home team has also been very active."

Figures

The February Sale concluded with 264 of the 386 lots on offer finding new homes for a 68 per cent clearance - up two per cent on the previous year - with sales amounting to €3,976,150 at an average spend of €15,060 and median of €8,000.

With 69 fewer lots sold than the previous year's three-day auction, the aggregate sales consequently fell by 17 per cent, though the average rose by five per cent and median jumped by 23 per cent.

Beeby added: "The catalogue was smaller by over 150 lots when compared to last year which in turn was 120 less than 2017 so it was unlikely we were going to match the turnover.

"However all the other figures show growth so we have started the year with positivity, and have much to look forward to in the coming months notwithstanding the ongoing uncertainties created by the dreaded Brexit; how I long for the sale where that is no longer a factor in our post-sale assessments!"

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