Resolute Racing Bags Sale-Topping Blue Point Colt On Goffs Orby Debut

[Wandering Eyes]

KILDARE, IRELAND – John Stewart made a welcome first visit to the Goffs Orby Sale on Monday and, despite taking a little time to acclimatise to the European style of bidding – with auctioneer Nick Nugent partly to blame – the Resolute Racing man spent €1,555,000 on four lots, headed by the sale-topping Blue Point colt at €675,000.

Stewart rolled his sleeves up pretty early in the session. Sitting directly in front of Nugent in the seats below the rostrum, he spent €230,000 on the McCracken Farms-consigned Ghaiyyath filly [lot 10]. However, when the bidding was stalled at €205,000, Stewart tried to bid €20,000, with Nugent assuming the American-based buyer was trying to lob in a cheeky bid of €2,000. After a quick back forward between the pair, Nugent jokingly told Stewart to keep his hand in the air until he was willing to stop, to which the major owner duly obliged, eventually landing the half-sister to Best Solution (Kodiac) and El Bodegon (Kodiac) for just €5,000 more than he tried to bid initially. 

Stewart had come on for the run by the time Tom Whelan's [Church View Stables] Blue Point half-brother to Bay City Roller (New Bay) was sent through the ring. Bred by John Connaughton, winner of this year's small breeder of the year category at the ITBA Awards, the Blue Point colt sold for €675,000. 

Stewart commented, “Really good pedigree. We are really high on Blue Point – he rates really good on our system. [He is] one of the top colts that we had for today and we're really excited to get him. I felt like we got a good price on him as well so we are happy about that. It's a proven family and the dam is just going to improve. He will probably end up with Francis Graffard, who trains most of our horses here in Europe. This is my first time here at Goffs. It's good fun.”

While Connaughton was not in attendance at Goffs, Whelan reported the 93-year-old to be delighted with the price the colt fetched, before describing himself to be in awe of the strength of the market in recent weeks. 

Whelan said, “I spoke with John on the phone. Unfortunately he couldn't make it today but he is delighted. We've had a great run, thank God. This is a fine horse. It's unbelievable, really.”

Whelan went on to single Goffs out for praise, going as far as saying he believed his horses made the most they could conceivably make at Kildare Paddocks.

“It's been easy for me,” he said. “I've only had two horses through the ring so far – one made €260,000 and the other made €675,000. Three horses of our own made over €100,000 at Fairyhouse as well. In fairness, we've had good stock but it's been an amazing couple of weeks. I can't complain.”

He added, “I have been standing outside doors at sales for 45 years now and I can never remember the volume of people turning up to a sale as we had at Fairyhouse last week. We might not have the same volume here at Goffs but the majority of the big boys are here. If you have the horse, I don't see why you would need to sell it in Newmarket. It all boils down to bringing the right stock. Look at the two we've just sold. There would want to be some interest for them to sell for more abroad than they sold for here today. I just feel, if the horses are here, Goffs will get the people here to buy them. It's as simple as that. If you have a really nice horse, you will sell it the same here as anywhere else.”

Resolute Racing went on to buy a Frankel colt from the Castlebridge Consignment for €550,000 and a €100,000 Camelot filly from Baroda Stud. 

The Blue Point sale-topper headlined a rock-solid opening session to the Orby Sale with 199 of the 227 horses offered selling at a clearance rate of 88%. The €26,218,500 turnover was up by 3% on last year while the €131,752 climbed 10% and the median climbed 25% to €100,000.

Redvers's New Partnership Swoops For Daughter Of Irish Guineas Winner Hermosa

Purchasing on behalf of a new unnamed partnership, David Redvers went to €625,000 to secure a Wootton Bassett filly out of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Hermosa (Galileo) that was consigned by Baroda Stud.

The Wootton Bassett filly is likely to be trained in France, according to Redvers, who purchased the filly whilst standing alongside Henri Bozo of Ecurie des Monceaux.

Redvers said, “She has been purchased on behalf of a new partnership that includes Henri Bozo. We have found it increasingly difficult to buy broodmares. We put a partnership together to see if we could find some proper broodmares with a view towards having them with the upside of racing. What hasn't been said about the stallion and this family?”

Redvers added, “She's babyish and will improve with time. She will come back to Tweenhills to get broken in and will go across the Channel where Henri can look after things from there.”

€550k Sea The Stars Colt To Victorious Forever

Billy Jackson-Stops has settled into his new role buying on behalf of Victorious Racing, which has now been rebranded as Victorious Forever to incorporate the amalgamation of KHK Racing's interests. The new buying team came up trumps at €550,000 for the Glenvale Stud-consigned Sea The Stars colt, who, according to Jackson-Stops, will join trainer George Scott.

The bloodstock agent said, “He has been bought for Victorious Forever and he will go to George Scott. His Highness [Shaikh Nasser] was really keen on him and obviously it is a pedigree that everyone knows well. When we put the horse up to him this morning, he told us to push hard for him. We only have a very small number of horses on the list and that was one who really struck a chord with him. So, George will train the horse and he has already had a bit of success with Sea The Stars this year. Victorious Forever is a pretty exciting partnership so hopefully we have some nice horses to run next year.”

Subplots

• Newtown Anner Stud swooped to land a sister to dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach from Ballylinch Stud for €500,000. It was PJ Colville who signed the docket on behalf of Maurice Regan's operation. He commented, “We thought she was a bit of a collector's item. We will race her and hopefully breed her in time. Maurice [Regan] came in this morning to see her and he thought she was a very nice filly. A great outlook and a great step to her so we were keen to try and have her. She'll come back to mine to be broken and then we'll manage her from there. Whatever trainer Maurice is happy with on the day will get her!”
• Al Shira'aa Racing's Kieran Lalor showered Mehmas with praise after landing a filly by Tally-Ho Stud's superstar stallion who is bred in the purple. Out of Group 1 performer Beach Bunny, the Mehmas filly, who was bred by the late Lady O'Reilly, was knocked down for €400,000. Lalor said, “We've been very lucky at Goffs – we bought Jannah Rose and Ocean Jewel here. We've been very lucky with Lady O'Reilly's horses in particular and have bought some that she had in partnership with Henri Bozo.”This is a gorgeous filly by a fantastic sire – we have been trying to find one [by Mehmas] and this one has a fantastic pedigree. She is a lovely individual and the boss loved her so delighted to have her on board.” Speaking about plans for the future, Lalor added, “She will go to the farm, along with all of the horses we bought in France, and they will get a few months on the farm before going to Ian McCarthy of Grangecoor Farm for breaking in. She will probably stay in Ireland. Willie [McCreery] and Joseph [O'Brien] train for us in Ireland so I could see her staying here. She looks pretty precocious and the sire looks like he is going to keep on sky-rocketing. Eventually, I can see him coming up with Classic winners.”
• Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing contributed to the bustling trade by spending €1,585,000 on four yearlings, headed by a €525,000 Frankel colt that was bred by Kirsten Rausing's Staffordstown Stud. Out of Madame Chiang, who David Simcock trained to win the G1 Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot, the Frankel colt was described by bloodstock agent Alex Elliott as a long-term prospect for Amo Racing. He said, “David Simcock was there and he trained the whole family. He was a big supporter of the horse. The mare has been very good to him and, listen, when you convert it back to Sterling, it could look good value heading into next week. He will take plenty of time. He's a three-year-old type that could end up being a very good stayer. He's the type of horse who could take us to some very good races down the line.” Amo's spend was completed by a €400,000 Invincible Spirit filly and a €390,000 Sea The Stars filly from Airlie Stud along with a €160,000 Minzaal colt from Tally-Ho Stud.
• The strength of Bond Thoroughbreds, who struck gold at the Curragh on Sunday when the Paddy Twomey-trained Black Caviar Gold (Havana Grey) landed the G3 Weld Park Stakes, has been one of the major talking points throughout the sale season. Bidding through bloodstock agent Jason Kelly, Bond Thoroughbreds spent €1.32 million on four yearlings, headed by a €440,000 Frankel filly from Tally-Ho Stud and a €420,000 Wootton Bassett colt from Castlehyde Stud. Both horses will be trained by Christopher Head in France. Meanwhile, the Mehmas colt picked up from Church View Stables for €260,000 and the €200,000 Havana Grey colt from Pier House Stud will be trained by Twomey. Bond Thoroughbreds were represented by Phenomenal Filly in Saturday's Goffs Million. Not only did that filly scoop €35,000 for finishing fifth behind Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien's Dorset in the showpiece race, but she also picked up a €50,000 bonus for winning her maiden at Leopardstown back in July. Naturally, Charlie Bond described himself as a big fan of the Goffs Million series. He said, “It helps when we have won two of the [bonus] races. Paddy has won two of them, so that's €70,000 each time, which is a massive incentive. It's unbelievable how well we get treated by Goffs when we come here.”

• The sole Torquator Tasso yearling in the sale, a filly consigned by Kildaragh Stud, was well-received by the market with trainer Andy Slattery out-bidding BBA Ireland's Patrick Cooper at €140,000. That follows on from the very positive BBAG Yearling Sale the stallion enjoyed in his native Germany.

Buy of the day

State Of Rest appears to have been well-received by the market in recent weeks and lot 209, a filly by the multiple Group 1 winner, looked a bit of value at €55,000. Bought by Highflyer's Anthony Bromley and Joseph O'Brien, the State Of Rest filly is from a good family and boasted plenty of quality. In this market, she looks well-bought. 

Golden touch

Take a bow Luke Bleahen. As if turning $3,000 into €90,000 with a colt by a stallion [Highly Motivated] hardly anyone at Tattersalls Ireland had heard of last week wasn't enough, the shrewd young pinhooker repeated the trick here on Monday when his €22,000 City Light colt rocked into €115,000 to Rabbah Bloodstock. 

“I'm pure delighted,” Bleahen said. “I'm so grateful to Mr Ryan and Mr Abdullah, to Mr Woods who underbid him, and to everyone else who bid – Tom Taaffe and a contingent from America, Edgar Byrne and his Scandinavian clients, Dermot Farrington with Ralph Beckett, and Anthony Bromley.

“It was a great feeling, selling a horse with so many shrewd judges on him like that. Usually you're standing there waiting for the next bid, but they came thick and fast this time.I think the French premiums were a big draw, and he was the only lot by City Light in the sale. I have a Hello Youmzain colt tomorrow who's also the only lot by his sire here. Maybe being a little bit different helps sometimes.”

He added, “Most of the credit goes to Wesley Hayes, who's at home with me and Dad every day of the week, and puts in hours of work. I've also got Calum Harte here doing his first sale for me, and he hasn't missed a beat in every show. I'm very lucky to receive all the help that I get.

“I'm also grateful to Goffs for attracting so many international clients. Just look at the list of people on the City Light colt. He had eight vets and was popular all the way through.”

Thought for the day

Sale days can be pressure-cooker environments for anyone trying to buy a horse. Sometimes, emotions can run high and rumour has it that two foreign visitors succumbed to their urges over the past couple of days. Word on the street is that the star-crossed lovers turned the lunging ring at Goffs into a makeshift covering shed on Sunday morning. Let's hope it didn't go to the panel!

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