The lots to look out for as Goffs gets set to host its first sale of the year

There's something for everyone as Goffs holds the two-day February Sale, the first fixture on the Irish auction house's calendar for 2019, from 10am on Tuesday.

Some 267 young yearlings were catalogued to sell in the first session, with two-year-olds, horses in training and breeding stock set to come under the hammer in the second.

The auction allows buyers to dip into drafts offered by leading operations such as the Aga Khan Studs, Godolphin and Jim Bolger's Glebe House Stables.

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Indeed, the 2018 renewal was led by the Bolger-trained Glamorous Approach, a classy New Approach mare who had earlier carried home silks to Listed victory, when bought by Ballylinch Stud for €280,000. The sale-topper went on to claim two more Listed seconds for her new owners last year.

There are only two lots from Glebe House Stables this time around but they are Dawn Trouper (lot 327), a four-year-old Dawn Approach gelding who has finished second in Dundalk handicaps on his last two starts and might appeal to jumps buyers, and Group 3 winner and Irish Derby third Stellar Mass (333), a still entire six-year-old son of Sea The Stars.

The next most expensive lot last year, Harrana, hailed from the Aga Khan Studs draft. The winning daughter of New Approach from the immediate family of dual Derby hero Harzand was knocked down to Tally-Ho Stud for €150,000.

There is an eight-strong draft from the Aga Khan for Goffs visitors to get their teeth stuck into this year, including Shareva (343), a placed Rip Van Winkle half-sister to Pattern winners Shamreen and Shahroze, and Rayda (473), a placed Mastercraftsman half-sister to Debutante Stakes scorer Raydara.

Among the yearlings of significant interest are:

22 bay colt Dark Angel-Staceymac (Elnadim)
Consigned by Drumachon Stud

This young horse, born last April, has commercial appeal written all over his pedigree as a son of wondersire Dark Angel and a full-brother to the classy sprint filly Easton Angel, who has a Galileo yearling colt and returned to the Coolmore phenomenon last year.

23 br c Dandy Man-Star Bonita (Invincible Spirit)
Consigned by Hill Head

A brother to Erich Bloch, who was a €38,000 Goffs November foal pinhook resold to Gaelic Bloodstock as a yearling in Doncaster for £100,000. That horse won a 20-runner Naas juvenile maiden for Ger Lyons in November. He hails from the further family of none other than Dar Re Mi and her exciting son Too Darn Hot to boot.

70 b f Kodiac-Acclimatisation (Acclamation)
Consigned by The Castlebridge Consignment

This filly ought to make up into a decent two-year-old, being by the reliable source of precocity Kodiac out of an Acclamation half-sister to Flying Childers Stakes winner Godfrey Street and to Prix de l'Abbaye heroine Gilt Edge Girl.

140A b c Sea The Stars-Fly On The Night (Equiano)
Consigned by Ballintry Stud

A supplementary entry, this Sea The Stars colt is the second foal out of Italian champion juvenile filly and Prix du Bois winner Fly On The Night, a daughter of Equiano from the family of champion sprinter Owington.

191 b c Zoffany-Last Jewel (Invincible Spirit)
Consigned by Moyglare Stud

A rare chance to get your hands on a beautifully bred untried prospect from Moyglare Stud, here is a Zoffany colt out of an Invincible Spirit half-sister to Classic performer Profound Beauty from the family of Carla Bianca, Irresistible Jewel, Princess Highway and Royal Diamond.

The Goffs February Sale can boast a popular recent graduate in Tom Melbourne, a regular Group 1 place-getter in Australia who claimed a Listed victory at Randwick last month. His story began when going unsold at €9,500 at the 2012 auction.

Other alumni include Peterborough Chase winner Charbel (a €10,000 vendor buyback in 2012) and the Group 3-winning sprinter Abel Handy (bought by Oakshott Bloodstock for €7,000 in 2016).