“She’s Worth Every Penny” – Jim Bolger Supplies The Joint-Top Lot At Goffs

[Wandering Eyes]

KILDARE, IRELAND – Classic winners Jim Bolger and Joe Joyce shared the spoils for top lot status on the final day of a red-hot Book 2 session of the Goffs Orby Sale on Thursday when their respective fillies by Teofilo and Mehmas sold for €135,000 apiece. 

Bolger's fingerprints were all over Joyce's Mehmas filly, who the breeder consigned himself under his own Cahermorris Stables banner. It was Tally-Ho Stud who landed the filly whose dam, Smart Flies, won and reached a rating of 86 when in training with Bolger. 

As for the legendary trainer's own offering, the Teofilo half-sister to Group 2-placed Geometrical, it was Federico Barberini who secured the filly on behalf of Dream Ahead's owner Khalifa Dasmal.

Bolger was in attendance at Goffs, where he will sell 45 yearlings under his granddaughter Clare Manning's Boherguy Stud outfit at the Autumn Yearling Sale later in the year. The master of Coolcullen spoke about putting his famous Redmonstown Stud on the market last week and Thursday's joint-top lot marked the beginning of a winding down process for the man who has bred Group 1 and Classic winners like Teofilo himself along with Dawn Approach, Trading Leather, Poetic Flare and more.

Asked if he expected the Teofilo filly to sell for €135,000, Bolger replied, “Not quite, but she is a gorgeous filly – everything works. She's worth every penny.”

On the winding down process, he continued, “I came into this game hoping that one day I would train the winner of the Moyglare. That was the height of the ambition and I haven't gotten any more ambitious since. I take things as they come. Selling these horses, it makes life easier for me. I don't pile on pressure. We aren't in this filly's pedigree as long as others but it is a nice pedigree and we're happy with the price that she made.”

Barberini has been busy at Goffs this week and confirmed that the Teofilo filly has been purchased on behalf of Khalifa Dasmal.

“I saw her this morning and really fell in love with her,” Barberini said. “She's a lovely filly by a very good sire of fillies. I really loved her as an individual but she also has a fantastic pedigree. She comes from a beautiful family and the mare has already produced a black-type horse, so there's no reason why she shouldn't do it again.”

He added, “She'll stay in Ireland to be broken and then we'll decide who'll train her. She's been bought for Khalifa Dasmal, a very enthusiastic and successful owner who really enjoys his racing.”

As for Joyce, a native of County Galway whose colours were carried by the Frances Crowley-trained Saoire to win the Irish 1,000 Guineas back in 2005, Thursday's result sugar-coated what has been a remarkable sale for the owner-breeder. 

It was here at Kildare Paddocks on Tuesday when Blue Diamond Stud paid €240,000 for a filly by his own stallion Fracas, who, like Saoire, carried Joyce's familiar blue and white silks with distinction. 

“I have had this family for a long time,” he said after the sale of the Mehmas filly. “I bred the dam, and this is a smart filly – she is definitely a two-year-old. This is my first time selling at Goffs for I think nine years. Okay, we sold McTigue through Goffs in 2022, but it's great to be back selling a few. We usually race all of the stock but it's nice to be getting some money in for a change.”

He added, “Goffs have treated us very well and put on a good show with buyers here from all over the world this week. I have had a great sale, highlighted by the Fracas selling in Book 1 for €240,000. I had to give the O'Callaghans a bit of a push earlier on and told them I had a nice filly. I think they copped on!! The dam is in foal to Good Guess and she has a cracking foal on the ground by the same sire. He is a really nice stallion.”

With regards to the father-and-son combination of Tony and Roger O'Callaghan, they were not going to be beaten on the Mehmas filly. Bidding from their usual spot on the right of the rostrum, they held off competition from a number of breeze-up buyers and trainers.

Asked what path the filly could chart, Tony commented, “She'll go breezing or racing. We loved the filly and she came from a good breeder from the West of Ireland in Joe Joyce. I haven't much else to say, only that we love the sire.”

Asked what he felt made the progeny of Mehmas so good, O'Callaghan replied, “Their honesty and their will to win. He has been very consistent since he has started. Trainers like them. They put their head down low and they want to do it. It has been a very good sale this week but then again every sale has been good. It's been extraordinary.”

The Book 2 session of the Orby followed a familiar script to Book 1 with sharp rises across the board. Of the 394 horses offered, 338 were sold at a clearance rate of 86% [up by 14% on last year]. The €8,550,000 turnover climbed 28%, the average was up by 25% to €25,296 while the median rose by 33% to €20,000.

Henry Beeby commented, “Book 2 of the Irish National Yearling Sale always has a hard act to follow after two days of the best in Orby Book 1, and this year upped the ante as Monday and Tuesday returned record breaking results with new highs for average at €136,256 and the €98,000 median headed by a trio of millionaire lots.

“That Orby 1 is a world class yearling sale that is the measure of any on the planet when we have the horses is proven time and again and so it was the case this week as we enjoyed a trade of sustained demand as demonstrated by the 89% clearance rate.”

He added, “Orby 2 operates at a different level but the unceasing hunger for horses over the last two days has continued the trends set since August as we have seen mighty trade at Saratoga, Deauville, Doncaster, Keeneland and Fairyhouse, all at their own levels. In fact, the Orby 2 average is a record as well, and the median came within a bid of the high of 2022, whilst we have sold more six figure lots and the number making €50,000 or over has also risen dramatically, and all from a strong clearance rate of 86%. Another notable statistic is that the last 10 lots averaged well above the sale average so dispelling any suggestion of the sale tailing off in any way.

“Buyer diversification is also noteworthy and the combined efforts of the Goffs Purchaser Attraction Team and our friends at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing has led to a huge number of buyers from all over the world with new faces coming specifically for Orby 2 and 35 different entities signing for lots making €50,000 and above – that's some spread.

“There is no doubt that the unique Goffs Two Million Series has a positive impact on Orby 2 as well as its predecessor and the five Book 2 graduates who took home a €50,000 Goffs Bonus have acted as inspiration for buyers over the last two days much the same as those buying earlier in the week. Indeed, the €5,000 Orby 2 daughter of Coulsty bought by Nick Bradley last year is a graphic illustration of why it pays to “Tick the Box” at Orby 1 and Orby 2.

“As we close out the Irish National Yearling Sales week there is no doubt there will be more headlines elsewhere in the coming weeks to follow those from USA, France and closer to home over the last couple of months, but nothing will diminish the record-breaking achievements and vibrancy of Orby 1 and Orby 2. For that we repeat our thanks to every vendor and each purchaser as we are nothing without both groups.”

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