Sale of two halves at Goffs as daughter of Teofilo tops second mares session

Teofilo's emergence as a top-class broodmare sire should not come as a surprise to anyone as his female line, sire and own track record suggested he could excel in that role.

The class inherent in his daughters was emphasised in no uncertain fashion at Newmarket on Guineas weekend as he achieved a feat no stallion had managed in more than a century, with his daughters foaling the winners of both the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas.

A winning daughter of Darley's stalwart sire, who is the damsire of other Group 1 winners including Mac Swiney, successful in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Vertem Futurity, and Dreamloper, heroine of the Prix du Moulin and Prix d'Ispahan, topped the final day of the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale on Saturday.

Offered by Joe Rogers' Ballintry Stud, the four-year-old was claimed out of Ger Lyons' yard after she finished fourth in a Dundalk claimer and won two and was placed twice more at the Louth track during its winter season.

She is a year-older full-sister to Thanks Monica, winner of two starts and third in the Listed Oyster Stakes at Galway for Ralph Beckett and Marc Chan, and was knocked down to Brian Jones for €75,000.

The successful buyer said that the final figure was more than he had anticipating paying.

"She is a nice filly and the price suggests that," he said. "It was more than we thought she would make but hopefully she will turn out to be a nice broodmare."

Like Cachet, who provided Aclaim with his first Group 1 winner when victorious on the Rowley Mile back on May Day, her DNA combines Teofilo and Acclamation.

Her dam, Wedding Wish, is an Acclamation half-sister to Listed Prix du Point du Jour second Faithful One and they are out of Have Faith, a Machiavellian half-sister to Nassau, Matron and Windsor Castle Stakes winner Favourable Terms.

Third dam Fatefully won the Listed October Stakes and is a Private Account half-sister to Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes winner Points Of Grace, dam of Canada's champion two-year-old filly of 2016 Victory To Victory.

Proven broodmare sires in demand

Another Darley sire, the brilliant Dubawi, was responsible for the session's next most expensive mare, Munajaah. The unraced seven-year-old was offered in foal to Kodi Bear by The Castlebridge Consignment and was bought by Cocheese Bloodstock for €42,000.

She is out of Mashoora, who won the Group 3 Prix de la Porte Maillot and Prix Imprudence and was third in the Prix Rothschild for Jean-Claude Rouget and the late Hamdan Al Maktoum. Mashoora is a Barathea full-sister to Lowther Stakes winner Silk Blossom.

Munajaah's filly foal by Teofilo, so bred on a reverse of the cross which produced this season's star-crossed but ill-fated 2,000 Guineas winner Coroebus, had made €28,000 here earlier this week when sold by the same vendors to Clonamery.

The delighted Newtown Stud team with Whispering Sands - Cathy Grassick, Sophie Mellett, Caroline Hannon and Sally Ann GrassickCredit: Goffs

It was a second appearance at this sale for Munajaah, who made €35,000 when sold by Derrinstown Stud to BBA Ireland, in foal to Tamayuz, in 2019.

Dubawi is also the sire of Whispering Sands, a daughter of the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes winner Roses For The Lady, who was also runner-up to Sariska in the 2009 Irish Oaks for John Oxx and Neil Jones.

From the family of the St Leger winner Millenary, Whispering Sands was offered in foal to Gleneagles by the Grassick family's Newtown Stud and brought a winning bid of €31,000 from bloodstock agent Gaurav Rampal.

Impeccably bred daughters of Galileo were all the rage during Friday's opening session of the sale and although €36,000 cannot be described as cheap, in comparison to his day one average of €285,462, Mickley Stud could count the acquisition of It's My Pleasure from Sue Ann Foley's Islanmore Stud a bargain at that price.

Bred on the outstanding Galileo - Pivotal cross which is operating at 33 per cent stakes winners to runners, and with very few new representatives to run, she was offered in foal to Holy Roman Emperor.

An unraced eight-year-old, It's My Pleasure has made a promising start as a broodmare with her first foal, the three-year-old Fastnet Rock filly Sincerest, successful over a mile this year for Joseph O'Brien.

It's My Pleasure has a two-year-old full-brother and yearling full-sister to Sincerest yet to run, and foaled a filly by Calyx this year.

Statistical summary

After Friday's fireworks, Saturday's trade was much more subdued with a less glamorous catalogue than the equivalent day last year. That was reflected in the statistics with just 93 of the 140 fillies and mares offered changing hands for a clearance rate of 66 per cent.

Special moments on a cold November morningCredit: Goffs

They generated turnover of €869,400, a significant decrease of 61 per cent on last year's aggregate of €2,171,600. Saturday's average did not suffer the same level of decline; at €9,348 it was 28 per cent lower than 12 months ago, while the median held steady at €6,000.

Overall, the two days combined produced turnover of €16,501,400, which was a small increase of two per cent over last year's total. The median and average figures showed marked gains, with the median recording the greatest increase; at €24,000 it was up 41 per cent on last year's figure. The average of €55,560 was an increase of 27 per cent year-on-year, while the clearance rate of 79 per cent dipped from 81 per cent in 2021.

The combined November Sale grossed €46,062,400, which represented year-on-year growth of ten per cent with 72 fewer horses sold in 2022. The total average of €45,548 jumped 20 per cent on last year's figure, with the median increasing by the same margin to €24,000. The clearance rate of 80 per cent was only marginally lower than 2021's mark of 82 per cent.

Chairman's statement

Henry Beeby, Goffs group chief executive, reflected on a sale of two halves, which contained some extraordinary trade.

"It’s hard to find the appropriate words to describe trade this week but it can really only be defined in the richest of superlatives," he said.

"The four-day Foal Sale set the tone, especially throughout the marquee Wednesday session when the cream of the Irish foal crop provoked a session of truly frenzied bidding that was the highlight of a sale of depth, consistency and hunger for the best.

"That followed a superb renewal of the Orby Sale with some spectacular pinhooking touches and we look forward to seeing many of those foals back here next September.

Looking to the futureCredit: Goffs

"However strong the foal trade was though, nothing could have prepared us for the level of bidding at yesterday’s premier Breeding Stock Session. Not since the heady days of the historic Paulyn dispersal have we sold as many mares for €500,000 and over, and we witnessed a remarkable day of selling with quality mare after quality mare provoking several truly seismic bidding duels from an international cast of breeders."

He went on: "Whilst every bidder is important, we must single out our great supporter Mr Zhang of Yulong, who was the leading buyer by some margin. His haul of the best dominated the leader board as he and his adviser Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland saw off the competition time after time with the majority bought to support his stallion Lucky Vega, himself a Goffs graduate.

"We are lucky to have his support, and by 'we' I refer to the Irish bloodstock industry, not just Goffs."

Beeby added: "I confess that we thought it would be hard to better 2021’s superb results but this year’s extraordinary statistics are testament to so many major Irish breeding entities who offered drafts of note that provoked a sale of incredible tempo, enthusiasm and hunger that was just breathtaking as a huge cast of international buyers, both in person and online, battled for mare after mare to highlight the enduring attraction of the best Irish bloodlines.

"This year’s alumni will continue to promote the sale for many years as their progeny follow in the footsteps of the likes of Alcohol Free,
Blackbeard, Little Big Bear, Saffron Beach and so many more as breeders from home and abroad tap into the class and quality that was offered.

"Whilst today was at a lower level, there remained competition for those that appealed the most as several overseas entities battled to the end.

"Goffs November has long held a significant place in the calendar and the last week has only underlined its importance to Irish breeders, who sell with us safe in the knowledge that they will always get that little bit more, as well as international buyers who are attracted to Ireland by the quality on offer, together with the unique welcome they receive from the Goffs team and our colleagues at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, who play such a key role in our buyer attraction every year.

"Finally, as we close the sale, I extend a special Goffs thank you to every buyer and each vendor for we are nothing without their support. Bringing both groups together and ensuring they receive equal focus is our perpetual goal.

"Happy vendors and happy purchasers make Goffs happy!"

Read more from the Goffs November Sale:

Good service from Ladies Church as it takes €970,000 to buy her

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

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

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

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