‘We realigned the target’ - Elliott switches to plan B as the Aga Khan’s Shamalza tops February Sale closer at €190,000

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Some choice offerings from the Aga Khan Studs helped fuel another day of “extraordinary” trade as the Goffs February Sale concluded with turnover having more than doubled year-on-year. 

Thursday's market was headed by the lightly-raced Shamalza, who was knocked down to Alex Elliott at €190,000. 

The three-year-old, a Lope De Vega half-sister to Railway Stakes winner Shartash, made just the two starts for Dermot Weld and the Aga Khan Studs team, winning a Navan maiden on her debut before failing to fire on her only subsequent outing on heavy ground. 

Shamalza was initially identified as a high-end breeding prospect, but will instead get the chance to enhance her race record after the successful purchaser decided upon a change of plan.

“When I came over I thought she was the best breeding prospect in the sale on page,” said Elliott. “I was looking to breed her to Kingman. Shartash is by Invincible Spirit, so the Green Desert line has worked well, and Indestructible, who’s by Kodiac, is under the second dam. I thought Kingman was an obvious horse for her with that in mind. 

“But actually, when I saw her and did a bit of digging, there was potentially some racing upside there as well. She won well on her debut after hitting the front a bit early on good ground, then they ran her back on bottomless ground when she got stuffed. Looking at her move at the sale, I wouldn’t imagine she’s going to want very soft ground.”

• Read the report from the first day of the Goffs February Sale

He continued: “We realigned the target a bit and we’re going to send her to Ralph Beckett, who’s had great success with Lope De Vega fillies, and she’s been bought for Anthony Ramsden’s Valmont. We’ll give her a chance on better ground, so we’ll probably see her in early summer. 

“There’s always good residual there and she’s got a Wootton Bassett half-sister who’s a yearling, and the mare is getting bred back to Camelot; it’s a young family with lots of upside. She’s got a rating of 86, so we’ve got options to go handicapping or straight into black-type races, which is where the uplift will be.”

Alex Elliott: 'When I came over I thought she was the best breeding prospect in the sale on page'Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

On Shamalza’s session-topping value, Elliott said: “She fell below the top of where we had her. Put it this way, I don’t think it’s a long way to fall, even if we don’t get any updates. She’s a really good breeding prospect, even if we’re going to postpone that for a year.”

The Aga Khan Studs sold five lots for a total of €478,500 at an average price of €95,700. Only leading vendor The Castlebridge Consignment generated more gross receipts, with the outfit’s 23 lots bringing a combined €515,000 and an average of €22,390.

The mixed two-day auction produced some hefty year-on-year gains right across the market indices. Turnover more than doubled to €6,301,400, a 63 per cent gain, the average price rose 37 per cent to €24,615, while the median went up by 48 per cent to €14,750, having been €10,000 12 months ago. The clearance rate was 68 per cent as 256 lots sold from 375 offered.

More action for Tally-Ho

Fresh from investing €292,000 on three weanlings on day one, the Tally-Ho Stud team were busy replenishing their herd yesterday, with €314,000 spent on three breeding prospects. Those signings took the firm’s February Sale spend to €606,000, over three times more than any other entity on the leading buyers’ table.

Heading day two’s haul was the €165,000 Katashuna, a winning daughter of Night Of Thunder purchased from the Aga Khan Studs. The filly is out of Kataniya, a daughter of Raven’s Pass who beat Sea Calisi to land the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont during her time in training. She also finished second to that same rival in the Group 2 Prix de Malleret.

Katashuna did her bit to uphold family honour by winning one of her five starts for Weld, with victory gained in a Navan maiden. Tony O’Callaghan was initially undecided as to whether Katashuna would return to training or be covered this year, but later updated his position, saying she would head into training with Joseph O’Brien.

Tally-Ho snapped up Katashuna for €165,000Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

“He was the first person to pick up the telephone and ask to have her, and I admire that in someone,” he said. 

Asked whether she could do both jobs and be covered while in work, O’Callaghan added: “I don't like covering fillies in training, I think it affects the size of the foal.”

Tally-Ho also went to €115,000 for another member of the Aga Khan Studs draft in Sindafa. The three-year-old daughter of Siyouni did not make the racecourse but is a sibling to four winners, most notably the Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed sprinter Sonaiyla.  

More top-flight form was added to the page last year when Sibayan, who is out of a Listed-winning half-sister to Sindafa and Sonaiyla’s dam, landed the Preis von Europa.

“I’ll take her home and cover her with Mehmas, a proven sire, and give her the best possible start,” said O’Callaghan. “She’s a lovely filly.”

Kyprios a potential date for Cameletta Vega

Auctioneer Henry Beeby gave Cameletta Vega quite the introduction when the daughter of Camelot and the brilliant Quevega took to the ring.

“This is probably the pedigree of the year and we’re only in February,” he said, adding: “If you were writing a pedigree in your dreams, you’d write a pedigree like this.”

Robert McCarthy was among those in agreement, and duly bid €110,000 to add the dual winner to the broodmare band at The Beeches Stud.

Cameletta Vega could set for a date with KypriosCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

The seven-year-old, whose three winning siblings include the Grade 1 scorers Facile Vega and Aurora Vega, was presented by Willie Mullins’ Closutton Stables, for whom she landed a Galway bumper and a Cork maiden hurdle.

“We’re delighted to be taking her home to The Beeches,” said McCarthy. “She’s a lovely young mare; most likely she’ll be covered by Crystal Ocean or Kyprios. We’ll sit down when we get home and decide. She has as good a pedigree as you could find, and I think she was a bit of value, I really do. I’m delighted to have her.” 

There should be plenty more to come from this pedigree too, not least as Quevega and her daughter Aurora Vega, a €450,000 signing by Coolmore’s Gerry Aherne at last year’s Punchestown Sale, visited Wootton Bassett in 2025.

La Guapisima brings six figures

The other six-figure lot was the Oghill House Stud-consigned La Guapisima. The four-year-old daughter of City Light was signed for by Wansdyke Farms at €100,000. 

La Guapisima failed to cut much ice on her two starts for Gavin Cromwell, but retains plenty of residual value having landed a two-year-old Listed race in France during her time with Christopher Head. She won the Prix des Jouvenceaux et Jouvencelles in the colours of Tony Parker’s Infinity Nine Horses. 

La Guapisima during her €100,000 sale at GoffsCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

La Guapisima was appearing at public auction for the fourth time. She first cost Chantilly Bloodstock Agency €50,000 at the Arqana V2 Yearling Sale in 2023 before going unsold at €340,000 at the following year’s Arc Sale. She was subsequently knocked down to co-owner Joseph Burke at €82,000 at the 2024 Deauville Breeding Stock Sale.

O’Leary lands €98,000 slam dunk

Eddie O’Leary confirmed himself a fan of up-and-coming Ace Stud stallion Shaquille when bidding €98,000 for the well-bred five-year-old Empress Of Hope, who was carrying to the two-time Group 1-winning sprinter. 

The daughter of Holy Roman Emperor failed to trouble the judge in five starts for Harry Eustace and Airlie Stud’s Sonia Rogers, but what she lacks in race record she more than makes up for in pedigree. She is a sibling to four winners, including her Group 3-winning sister Valeria Messalina and half-brother Pincheck, who struck at the same level in the Desmond Stakes. 

Another sibling bred the high-class sprinter Azure Blue, while another is responsible for producing the Listed-winning Meu Amor. Grade 1 hero Prince Arch is among the black-type names beneath the second dam. 

“She’s in foal with a lovely covering by Shaquille,” said O’Leary. “She’s a well-bred mare; thrilled to get into an Airlie family. Shaquille is getting lovely foals and I liked them. I bought three of them, and bred two more.”  

Plans fluid for Sacaya

Joe Osborne was on bidding duty when The Castlebridge Consignment presented French Listed winner Sacaya, and duly sealed the deal at €90,000. 

The five-year-old daughter of The Grey Gatsby is a half-sister to the Listed scorer Sequilla, while her dam, the Doyen mare Sassicaia, is a sibling to the German Group 2 winner Santiago. 

“I bought her for a friend who’s out for the Saudi Cup,” said Osborne. “He asked me to have a look at her and she’s a lovely individual. She’s a stakes winner and Group-placed, and from a deep family. She deserves a good cover but no sire has been decided on yet.”

Tylicki and Hanlon get the Blues

Agent Freddy Tylicki got on the board early when bidding €82,000 for the well-credentialed Evening Blues from the Moyglare Stud Farm draft. The blue-blooded three-year-old was secured in conjunction with young North Yorkshire-based trainer Stephen Hanlon. 

The son of Blue Point won one of his six starts for Ger Lyons, scoring in a mile maiden at Dundalk on his penultimate outing. He was last seen running a fine second in a handicap over the same course and distance. He also boasts some strong juvenile form having finished second to Albert Einstein on his second start, an effort that was given a Racing Post Rating of 88. 

“He’s a smashing horse,” said Tylicki. “Stephen Hanlon, who’s obviously taken over from Ann Duffield not so long ago, rang me up a while back and asked me to find him a nice horse. We were looking around and trying to get stuff done privately when this fella came along. 

“I rang Ger Lyons a few weeks ago and he highly recommended him. I also rang Fiona Craig of Moyglare Stud and she was very helpful as well. This horse vetted extremely well and has the right profile; he’s on the right mark as well. I felt like this was the perfect horse for Stephen and for his new owners, Chris Priestley and Dave Flynn. 

“Stephen and Mr Priestley flew over this morning and with the horse ticking a lot of boxes, the owners were willing to get him bought. I hope there’s more to come from him and there’s several options going forward, but he hasn’t done anything wrong in his career so far and I’m hoping he’ll provide everyone with some good days out in the sunshine this year.”

Freddy Tylicki bought the well-credentialed Evening Blues for €82,000Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Not only does Evening Blues possess a promising race record, but he hails from one of Moyglare’s best families. He is out of Majestic Silver, making him a sibling to seven winners. These include two-time Group 3 scorer Carla Bianca, who has also bred two Group performers at paddocks, and the Listed-winning Joailliere, who in turn produced Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs. 

Expanding on the link-up with Hanlon, Tylicki said: “We have a mutual friend who we’ve known for a long time, and one word led to another. I’m doing a bit of work as a jockey's agent as well and I’ve been able to get my jockey, Tom Eaves, the odd ride for Stephen. The stars aligned from there. 

“I bought him a yearling at the December Sales too so this is the second horse I’ve bought for him, and the first for Mr Priestley and Mr Flynn. I was delighted to get the call up and wish them the very best of luck with the horse.” 

Beeby hails vibrant trade

In his end-of-sale address, Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said: “What a start to the new year. Goffs February has always been a first choice for so many at this time of year and, this year’s renewal has recorded its highest turnover since 2007 when the sale was a four-day affair with over double the number of lots catalogued. 

“However we frame it – premier, leading, whatever – what is beyond dispute is that we have enjoyed a sale that has exceeded expectations and has returned a turnover that is double last year and significantly ahead of any other sale this month.

“Yesterday was extraordinary with the session accounting for the top 22 weanlings at any British or Irish February Sale and huge increases at the top of the market as illustrated by the four six-figure transactions and quadruple the number at €50,000 or above. If that doesn’t deserve the ‘premier’ tag, I don’t know what does! And those market leaders came from both the Flat and National Hunt spheres, so underlining the diversity and appeal of the catalogue.

“These results continue the very positive trends at superb renewals of our recent November Foal and December National Hunt Sales, both of which make us very proud and grateful for the support we receive as we take nothing for granted whilst deriving quiet satisfaction that both are now clear market leaders in their own right, as is the case with this sale these days. 

“Today’s mixed offering continued the vibrant trade headed by the top prices of the season for a filly and in foal mare at €190,000 and €98,000 respectively. Again, these highs are the result of the Goffs Purchaser Attraction Team and our friends at Irish Thoroughbred Market combining to ensure another truly international contingent of buyers have converged on Kildare Paddocks over both days with bidders from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kuwait, Sweden, and, of course, the UK and Ireland.

“The new point-to-point section attracted a large group of buyers despite some pre-sale predictions and would have benefited from further entries if the weather has been kinder (have we ever seen a January as wet as this one?) as we had more buyers than lots for the category so ensuring a very competitive trade. With a top price of €125,000 it made a good start to ensure it will become a regular feature of the sale in future. It just makes so much sense when we’re here and the handlers can do a day trip so, if we get more favourable weather in early 2027, it will only grow.

“As is our familiar refrain, always highly relevant and definitely bears repeating, we are indebted to every vendor for every entry as we are nothing without their horses whilst it is always a pleasure to welcome all our purchasers. It is gratifying that so many enjoy the unique customer experience the Goffs team and ITM provide to everyone who attends a Goffs sale, regardless of category or location.”

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