'I'm delighted we're looking' - Godolphin flex muscles at Orby with two colts snared for €1 million-plus spend

Godolphin had been absent from the Goffs Orby buying bench since 2019, when their four-strong haul included the Group 1-winning Creative Force. On Tuesday morning Sheikh Mohammed's operation made an eyecatching re-entry to the market with the €625,000 purchase of Yeomanstown Stud’s Frankel colt out of Promised Money. 

Described by auctioneer George Stanners as “a bit of a rockstar”, the April-born colt is not only out of the Listed-winning daughter of Dark Angel but is a sibling to some high-class talents, most notably his five-year-old brother Fivethousandtoone, a dual winner and runner-up to Alkumait in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes. 

Alex Elliott and Ralph Beckett played their part in the six-figure tussle, but it was Mark McStay who was consigned to the role of frustrated underbidder by the Godolphin buying team of Anthony Stroud, Charlie Appleby and David Loder. 

“He’s for Godolphin,” said Stroud after signing the docket from the team’s position on the top tier of the auditorium. “Charlie, David and myself all saw this horse and we all liked him very much. 

"He’s by Frankel and comes from a very good farm. He’s very smooth and came within the range we thought he would. He’s just a very nice horse.”

There is plenty of juvenile form on the page as Promised Money won the Tipperary Stakes as a juvenile, while her half-sister Beldale Memory claimed the Marygate Stakes. The Frankel colt was catalogued as a sibling to three winners but that became four when his Invincible Army half-sister Miss Mach One opened her account in mid=August. 

Anthony Stroud signed for the Frankel colt out of Promised Money on the opening day of Goffs Orby Book 1 Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

Stroud said it was too early to tell whether the colt would display a similar level of precocity.

“He isn’t an over-big horse, he’s a neat, attractive type, so I’d have thought it would be reasonable to think he could be running around July next year but we’re a long way off from that,” he said, adding: “I’m delighted to be here and I’m delighted we’re looking because there are some nice horses here.” 

Later in the session Godolphin added to their haul with the €400,000 purchase of the Dubawi colt out of Solage from Ballylinch Stud. 

The dam won the Listed Bluebell Stakes during her time in training with Jim Bolger and has since bred one winner from as many runners, with the two-year-old Kingman filly Opera Mundi scoring at Deauville in August. Solage is a sibling to the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette winner Rumi, while further back it is the Wertheimer family of Pulmania and Left Hand.

No Nay for McStay

The €400,000 point was reached again later in the piece when Mark McStay secured Glenvale Stud’s No Nay Never filly out of Ultrasonic. The Listed-placed dam has produced two winners and hails from the same Juddmonte family of the brilliant Enable.  

“She’s as nice as there is on the grounds here,” said McStay, whose purchase was made on behalf of an undisclosed client. “I thought the price was probably around right because the sire is having a phenomenal year and she has a very good pedigree, so what’s not to like? There was plenty of competition so I’m delighted to get her.” 

Mark McStay: "The competition has been stiff so I’m delighted to get one in the bag"Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

The agent said training plans remain fluid, noting that the strength of trade meant landing the youngster was his primary objective. 

“I’ll speak to my client [about training plans] but they have a number of trainers and horses in Britain and Ireland,” he said. “Trade has been strong today, which is a credit to Goffs and a credit to ITM too for getting the buyers here. The competition has been stiff so I’m delighted to get one in the bag. She was very well presented by Ciaran Conroy and his staff. Hopefully she’s very fast.” 

Ghaiyyath gaining momentum 

Ghaiyyath’s debut crop was all the rage at last year’s foal sales, and that early momentum has been maintained by his first yearlings. The O’Callaghan family of Tally-Ho Stud went to 130,000gns for the filly out of Shenoya at Tattersalls last November, and turned a handsome profit when the youngster was resold to Peter and Ross Doyle for €360,000.  

Tally-Ho Stud's Ghaiyyath filly out of the stakes-placed Shenoya sold to Peter and Ross Doyle for €360,000 Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

“She was bought for Stall Perlen and Magne Jordanger from Norway and she’ll go to Richard Hannon,” said Ross Doyle. “She was in our top five over the two days physically, and the way she moves is very impressive. Obviously she comes from one of the best nurseries in the game. When you stand into her you’d think she’s big but when you watched her in the back ring she looked more like an elegant, medium-sized sort of filly. The ultimate goal is to get them a good racehorse and hopefully she is capable of being that.” 

The filly is the second foal out of Shenoya, a daughter of Zoffany who was a winner at two and also Listed placed having finished third in the Prix des Sablonnets. The pedigree could receive a boost in the near future as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-bound Bay Bridge appears beneath the fourth dam.

Redvers on a mission

Qatar Racing, the China Horse Club and David Howden have hatched an ambitious plan to source stallion prospects of the future at the yearling stage. The group have already secured a $585,000 Kitten’s Joy colt at Keeneland, and added to the squad with the €460,000 acquisition of the Wootton Bassett colt out of Prix Marcel Boussac victress Albigna.  

“He’s a horse that, as a group, we’ve had on our minds since we first saw him,” said Qatar Racing’s racing manager David Redvers. “He’s by a phenomenal sire of two-year-olds out of a Group 1-winning two-year-old. 

"We’re looking to buy colts for Sheikh Fahad, China Horse Club and David Howden with a view to one day turning them into a stallion. He’s just a rockstar of an individual and definitely has a wonderful temperament.” 

On the buying mission, Redvers added: “It’s incredibly difficult to buy these horses once they’re proven at Group 1 level, so we’ve got little choice but to try and identify them at this stage. Between us we’ve been quite successful in the past, China Horse Club have a tremendous record as well, so we just have to hope one of them strikes gold.” 

David Redvers in action at the Goffs Orby SaleCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

Kameko and Roaring Lion are among the sires Redvers has unearthed at the yearling sales, while China Horse Club’s biggest success on this front is the US Triple Crown hero Justify. 

The Wootton Bassett colt was offered by Camas Park Stud having been bred by the Niarchos family’s Flaxman Stables Ireland. Last week it was announced the Niarchos family are “restructuring” their interests, with yearlings set to be followed by 44 blue-chip mares being offered at the Goffs November Sale. 

Reflecting on the news and the opportunity that this presents for other operations, Redvers said: “It’s always nice knowing there’s a genuine reason for sale. If top-class bloodlines like this were to come up for sale from another hotel you might wonder why they were selling. They’re like hen’s teeth, genuine Group 1 mares producing really lovely horses like this. They just don’t come on the market.”

West moves for Kingman filly

Another Niarchos-bred offering was the Kingman filly out of the Group 2-winning Bocca Baciata. The blue-blooded youngster was knocked down to US-based agent Jacob West at €400,000 when offered through Glenvale Stud. 

“She was kind of the pick of the litter from a filly perspective,” said West, who signed for another filly by the sire at €200,000 earlier in the day. “She was bought for Mike Repole to go back to America, so I’d assume she’ll go into training with Todd Pletcher. 

"We’ll keep our fingers crossed as we’re opening up a new turf division for Mike. We’ve bought two Kingmans today and as I got off the phone to Mike just now he said don’t call him tomorrow because he’s done! That’s Mike Repole in a nutshell.” 

The filly made plenty of appeal on pedigree coming into the sale, and her family received a further boost when her Galileo half-sister Foniska landed the Listed Navigation Stakes just hours before the yearling sibling came under the hammer. 

Jacob West: "I love this sale"Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“The update with the filly winning today only helped and we’re happy to secure her,” said West. “Kingman has done well in America, I think his stock appreciate the firm going we have.” 

He added: “We’ve bid on a few today but it’s strong for the right ones, there’s plenty of trade. I love this sale, it produces top runners year after year. I feel like there’s value here and they’re raised right and come from good people. It’s a great sale.” 

Bocca Baciata herself was sold during last year’s November Sale, when she joined the Yulong Investments’ broodmare band at a cost of €530,000. She delivered a filly by Mehmas on January 30.

Scott makes a big noise with New Bay colt

Ebullient owner Clive Washbourn purchased his first horse with George Scott when the trainer landed the New Bay colt out of Bloomfield at €320,000.

Offered by Church View Stables on behalf of John Connaughton, the dam was a dual Listed winner during her time in training and has got her second career off to a perfect start with one winner from one runner. The pedigree goes back to Trevor Stewart's Cassandra Go clan, meaning Auguste Rodin is among the myriad Group 1-winning names back in the pedigree.

“Clive Washbourn has been a friend for a long time and has always wanted to have a horse with us,” said Scott, who signed alongside bloodstock agent Billy Jackson Stops. 

“He has very strict criteria and this horse ticked all the boxes for him. He loves the stallion and likes the mare to be a certain age. He does very deep pedigree analysis, and for us he’s a lovely physical and a great moving horse too.” 

Washbourn became something of a social media sensation after he was videoed letting out a roar after making a purchase at Tattersalls earlier in the year. Scott was rather more measured after landing the New Bay colt, although he revealed the owner had encouraged him to follow his lead.

Day one of the Orby produced much to talk about but it's only half-time for Book 1 Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“He wanted me to shout, ‘Get in my son!’ when the hammer came down, which is what he did at Newmarket the other day, but fortunately I managed to avoid that,” said Scott. 

“He’s a real enthusiast and he just wants quality stock. This horse has a huge pedigree and a great physical so we’re excited about getting him.”

Trade ebbed and flowed throughout the opening session of Book 1, but by the end of selling the aggregate, average and median had all dipped by ten per cent compared to last year’s comparable figures. Turnover reached at €24,297,500, while the average was €112,490 and the median €85,000. The clearance rate was 85 per cent as 216 sold from 253 offered. 

The Orby Sale continues on Wednesday at 10am.

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