Turnover up by 15 per cent to €29.5m as Havana Grey tops final foal session

A filly from the third crop of breakthrough first-season sire Havana Grey topped the market at the final session of the Goffs November Foal Sale on Thursday when hammered down at €68,000.

Offered by Olive O'Connor Bloodstock, the January born foal was bought by renowned judge Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud.

The filly was bred by Havana Grey’s custodians at Whitsbury Manor Stud and is the first foal out of Colouring, a winning daughter of the operation’s leading light Showcasing. Colouring is a half-sister to the Listed-placed Deia Glory and a great-granddaughter of champion juvenile Blue Duster, winner of the 1995 running of the Cheveley Park Stakes.

“Havana Grey has excelled himself,” said McCartan. “I really liked his foals in his first crop and I’ve been very impressed by what he’s done this year.

"She’s a beautiful filly and I like the fact she has Showcasing as her damsire. There’s plenty of two-year-old winners on the page too going back to the champion Blue Duster.”

Havana Grey has posted some impressive statistics with his debut two-year-olds, with the bunch having produced 40 winners across Europe and 13 black-type horses headed by the Group 3 scorers Eddie’s Boy, Lady Hollywood and Rumstar. The son of Havana Gold has been the subject of a well deserved fee increase to £18,500 for the 2023 breeding season.

Paul McCartan (right) has been impressed with Havana Grey's startCredit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs

“She was brilliant up here, she had a lovely way about her and a great walk,” said O’Connor. “She had a nice page too so she was a bit of a standout here today. It’s been a good, strong sale today.”

Ballyphillip Stud signed for six lots across the four-day sale, ranging from a €120,000 Showcasing colt from Harefield Cottage Stud to a €35,000 son of Sergei Prokofiev offered by Pipe View Stud.

Reflecting on the November Foal Sale, McCartan said: “I thought there were some lovely foals here and they were hard bought. We didn’t get everything we wanted, we got some but we were beaten on others too. There’s been great trade here and a good choice of foals. I’m definitely happy with what I got.”

The second and third top lots were also sourced with resale in mind as Bitzen Bloodstock signed the €65,000 ticket for Monanny Farm’s Soldier’s Call half-sister to Dickiedooda, while Fort Middle Stud went to €60,000 for the Zarak filly out of Raeseeya consigned by Browne Brothers Bloodstock.

One purchaser buying with racing in mind was Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, who went to €48,000 for the colt from the first crop of Far Above out of Sageness. Far Above raced in the colours of Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, as did three-time Group 1 winner Perfect Power, whose dam, Sagely, is a sibling to Sageness.

The Soldier's Call filly out of So Dandy who went the way of Blitzen BloodstockCredit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs

This colt, who was offered by Blackbox Bloodstock through Russellstown Stud, is also set to carry the same set of yellow silks as Brown said: “I’ve bought him for Sheikh Rashid, who owned both Far Above and Perfect Power.

"He’s very keen to support both Far Above and Perfect Power and this all added up as this colt is closely related to Perfect Power and he’s a very good-looking colt. He’s been bought to race and we’re delighted to have got him.”

Far Above, who stands at Starfield Stud, had 16 first-crop foals sell at Goffs for an average of €16,719. Fellow Sheikh Rashid colourbearer Perfect Power is poised to begin his own stallion career at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud, where his introductory fee has been set at £15,000.

Four days of strong trade saw some punchy increases across the spectrum of key market indices, most notably turnover, which rose by 16 per cent to €29,561,000. The average price was up by 15 per cent at €40,110, while the median was €24,000, up nine points from €22,000 some 12 months ago.

In his end-of-sale statement, Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said: “Sensational. That is the only description of the amazing trade this week headed by an especially vibrant day of sustained demand at the top of the market yesterday.

“As ever we extend our sincere thanks to every vendor as we know we are nothing without their wonderful horses, and we are so grateful for the huge support from so many vendors who choose the Irish National Foal Sale for their best foals. That allows us to credibly promote the sale as featuring the cream of the Irish foal crop, which drives every serious buyer of foals to Kildare Paddocks.

Henry Beeby: delighted with the Foal Sale and support from vendors and buyersCredit: Goffs

“Indeed, we have welcomed a huge group of purchasers headed, of course, by the mighty Irish pinhookers who have been taken on by bidders from the UK and across Europe. They were joined by several significant end-users, not least from Japan, who bought to race, all of which led to a trade of strength, depth and vibrancy from start to finish."

Beeby continued: “As was very clear at an excellent renewal of the Orby Sale, quality is what is selling best and that was illustrated by the strongest clearance rate of 85 per cent coming on Wednesday, and we look forward to offering many of those top foals at the Orby next year following so many great pinhooking successes here in September.

“The unique Goffs Customer Loyalty Scheme makes that option especially appealing, as does the depth and diversity of our international buying bench this year. In fact, the only real complaint from several overseas buyers at Orby this year was that we ran out of top-tier yearlings, so that is the target next year.

“We now turn our attention to our two-day Breeding Stock catalogue, which continues to be so well supported by leading breeders and enjoys such a superb record with its graduates’ progeny at the highest level.”

More from the Goffs November Sale:

The €2,000 mare whose foals have fetched €1.268 million stars at Goffs

'He was a no-brainer' - punchy pinhook sees Kingman colt top trade at €550,000

Ghaiyyath colt goes clear at €185,000 as Dubawi's sire sons dominate at Goffs