'The family has just been a mainstay' - end of an era as Gestut Hony-Hof dispersal heads to Goffs

The renowned Gestut Hony-Hof will be offering its high-quality breeding and youngstock at the Goffs November Sale, with mares from some of the finest German families among the draft. 

Owned by Manfred and Edith Hellwig, the operation has punched above its weight from a relatively small broodmare band. It has bred the likes of Prix du Cadran winner Princess Zoe, multiple Group winner and Deutsches Derby runner-up Palace Prince, US Grade 2 winner Salve Germania and Group 2 Diana Trial winner Miss Europa among 25 black-type performers.

Manager Simon Minch said: "The reason for the dispersal is the owners have got very old and don't have anyone to take over the farm. Unfortunately, their one and only daughter died about six months ago and so they just decided now was the right time to wind it up. It's sadly what happens."

On the draft, he said: "It's a very good opportunity for people to get into those bloodlines and we've got some very nicely bred mares. The lovely thing is there are plenty of young mares too. We were beginning to go through a generational change where maybe some of the older mares weren't producing what they used to. With these younger mares, there'll be plenty to run for them."

Among the draft at Goffs are two black-type-producing daughters of Preis der Diana heroine Salve Regina in Salve Haya, by Peintre Celebre, and Salve Aurora, by King's Best. 

The former is the dam of Sea The Stars' Group 3 German Derby Trial winner Sea Of Sands and the Listed-placed Salve Annetta, while Salve Aurora's progeny include Listed winners Sun Of Gold and Salve Venezia. It is the hugely talented family of Samum, Schiaparelli and Sea The Moon.

Minch said: "It's been a fantastic family for us over the years, we had our first ever Group winner outside of Germany with it in Salve Germania in America. She didn't quite have the stamina for a mile and a half, and she wasn't quick enough for a mile, but those mile and one races over there suited her very well. She won the Ballston Spa Handicap for us, which was great. 

"Sea Of Sands and Sun Of Gold were other highlights; the family has just been a mainstay."

The mares, of whom some are offered in foal to Lope De Vega, Magna Grecia, Sioux Nation and Gleneagles, number 11, alongside foals by St Mark's Basilica, Sioux Nation, Galiway, Starspangledbanner and Ten Sovereigns. 

"You've got to be brutal and say the standard of stallion in Germany isn't that high at the moment," said Minch. "We don't have a Monsun, Soldier Hollow is getting on and our younger stallions like Torquator Tasso aren't proven yet. 

"If you want to sell your mares for what they're worth, then they've got to have sexier covers to appeal to buyers. We've got some lovely pedigrees though, for example Ocean Fantasy, who was a champion two-year-old.

"I bought her as a foal from Deauville for €30,000 and her half-sister, La Mehana, was third in the Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp on Arc weekend. That was a very nice update for the page."

Minch will always have fond memories of his time working for the stud and added: "I would like to say my thanks to the Hellwigs for letting me do my thing over the last 20 years. 

"We started off having never bred a Group winner and we ended up breeding 25 black-type horses from a small and select band of mares. It was a hell of a run while we had it, but that's the way life is with nobody to take on the farm."

The team's string of racehorses is set to be sold at the BBAG October Sale, which starts on Friday. 

They include Palace Sunshine (lot 10), the two-year-old Best Solution half-sister to Princess Zoe and to Group 2 winner and German Derby runner-up Palace Prince, Sun Of Kings (22) and Spanish Sea (21).

Sun Of Kings is a three-year-old gelding by Camelot out of Salve Aurora, while Spanish Sea is his year-younger brother by Lope De Vega. 

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