Five unmissable lots in the Orby Yearling Sale catalogue

Lot 42

b c Zoffany - Question Times (Shamardal)
Consigned by Castletown Stud

Bred by Sweetmans Bloodstock, this colt hails from Zoffany's most expensively bred crop, having been conceived at a fee of €45,000 in 2016, and boasts just about the most active page in the Orby Sale catalogue.

He is out of the Listed-placed Shamardal mare Question Times, making him a half-brother to Latrobe, who followed in the footsteps of his own sire - Camelot - when winning this year's Irish Derby, and Pink Dogwood, who broke her maiden by no fewer than seven lengths since the catalogue was released.

He is also a half-brother to the Gladness Stakes scorer Diamond Fields, while the family received a further boost on Sunday when Newspaperofrecord, a daughter of Question Times' Group 3-winning half-sister Sunday Times, landed the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont on Sunday.

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Castletown Stud appear to have a particular affinity with the progeny of Zoffany, having consigned his German 2,000 Guineas-winning son Knife Edge and this year's Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes and Albany Stakes scorer Main Edition.

What they say
Joe Hernon, Castletown Stud: "He has a very significant action and moves with real purpose. He's got a lovely demeanour - his temperament is super - and he's handling all his work at the sales very well. He's very willing.

"Obviously, given his pedigree, he's getting a lot of views. The half-sister winning the other day was great. The filly is an Oaks contender and I believe they're very happy with her at Ballydoyle.

"The sire's going very well too. I think Zoffany could be the sire for the future at Coolmore, he's one of the big ones there. I'm very grateful to the breeders for letting us sell this horse."

Lot 125

b c Dark Angel - Thawrah (Green Desert)
Coulonces Sales

At €340,000, this colt is by some way the priciest pinhook in this year's Orby catalogue, having fetched the joint-fifth highest price at last year's Goffs November Foal Sale when signed for by High Valley Equine.

A quick glance at his pedigree goes a long way to explaining such a hefty foal price, as the youngster is a full-brother to Hackwood Stakes winner and Mickley Stud sire Heeraat, and a half-brother to Camacho's Listed-winning daughter Ambiance, while his unraced dam is a half-sister to the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes winner Malhub.

Lot 125: the Dark Angel brother to HeeraatCredit: Goffs

Plenty of Dark Angel's 77 black type performers have been sourced at past renewals of the Orby Sale, including the likes of Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes heroine Persuasive, Group 2 Rockfel Stakes winner Juliet Capulet and Group 3 Princess Margaret scorer Angel's Hideaway, all of whom were bought by Cheveley Park Stud.

Anna Sundstrom, Coulonces Sales: "He's turned out exactly how I'd hoped when I bought him as a foal, he's kept all his quality. He's a lovely horse, he's got the pedigree and the physique.

"I think he's sharp; he looks like he'll be fast and I think he'll be quite early. He's very well put together and shows himself well, he never puts a step wrong and is very focussed."

Lot 165

ch f Galileo - Aleagueoftheirown (Danehill Dancer)
Glenvale Stud

Bred by Lynch-Bages and Longfield Stud, this filly is not only a daughter of perennial champion sire Galileo, but is also a full-sister to his daughter Alice Springs, who - having been purchased by Coolmore's MV Magnier - went from 550,000gns yearling to three-time Group 1 winner.

Alice Springs showed precocity as well as serious talent, having made a winning debut at the Curragh in late June before rounding off her seven-race two-year-old campaign with a runner-up effort behind Catch A Glimpse in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

She showed further progress at three, finishing third to Minding in the 1,000 Guineas before going on to land the Falmouth Stakes, Matron Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes.

Alice Springs wins the Matron Stakes at LeopardstownCredit: Patrick McCann

Out of a Listed-placed daughter of Danehill Dancer, this youngster is also a sister to stakes performers Criteria, Kingston Jamaica and Crocodile Rock. Her second dam, Golden Coral, is a sister to Coronation Stakes winner Golden Opinion.

The Galileo-Danehill Dancer cross has produced 47 winners from 62 runners, notably Classic scorers Minding and The Gurkha.

Ciaran Conroy, Glenvale Stud: "She's a very nice filly. She's a great mover with a lot of quality. She's very like her sister, Alice Springs, physically and mentally.

"She's a very straightforward filly and has had plenty of interest already."

Lot 318

b f Galileo - Green Room (Theatrical)
Ballylinch Stud

This filly boasts a flawless page, being by the mighty Galileo and out of the blue hen Green Room, whose seven successful offspring are headed by a trio of Group 1 winners in Prix Jean Prat scorer Lord Shanakill, Fillies' Mile victress Together Forever and this year's Oaks heroine Forever Together.

Green Room's progeny have realised an aggregate of €2.68 million in the Goffs ring alone, with MV Magnier purchasing full-sisters Together Forever (2013) and Forever Together (2016), both daughters of Galileo, for €680,000 and €900,000 respectively, while Amanda Skiffington went to €1.1m for Signe (2014), a daughter of Galileo's half-brother Sea The Stars.

Forever Together lands the OaksCredit: Edward Whitaker

John O'Connor, Ballylinch Stud: "The two full-sisters were raised and sold by us and she's very similar in many ways. She's medium-sized with great limbs and is a very good mover. She's a particularly nicely made filly who's very correct and vets very well.

"She does everything you'd like her to at this stage and looks like a racehorse. Bringing horses like her to auction is what we're all about."

Lot 383

gr c Lope De Vega - Lucky Clio (Key Of Luck)
Grove Stud

This colt boasts one of the catalogue's most sizeable pedigree updates, with his full-brother Phoenix Of Spain, simply listed as a "winner at 2", having run out a convincing winner of the Group 3 Acomb Stakes on his third outing for Charlie Hills, having been picked up by Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock for 220,000gns.

Phoenix Of Spain, who holds entries in the Dewhurst Stakes and Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes, went on to mark himself down as one of the smartest colts of his generation when finishing a gallant second to the hugely exciting Too Darn Hot in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes on his most recent outing.

Phoenix Of Spain wins the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at YorkCredit: Mark Cranham

This youngster - a half-brother to three other stakes performers in Central Square, Kingsdesire and Lucky Beggar - has already fetched a six-figure sum at auction, having been signed for by renowned pinhooker Brendan Holland at €110,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale.

Holland's judgement has received a ringing endorsement in recent days, with a Kodiac colt he pinhooked for €60,000 topping last week's Tattersalls Ireland September Sale was bought by Shadwell for €275,000.

Brendan Holland, Grove Stud: "He's got a lot of quality and is very well balanced. The mare was already proven when I bought him and I'm a big fan of the sire, though obviously I got lucky with the update.

"I thought he was a lovely colt when I bought him as a foal. He has plenty of scope and plenty of size and has been very busy since he got to the sales grounds. He took his prep in his stride, he's got a very good mind. He's a very sound, clean-limbed horse too."

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