Ceistiu, Dam of Royal Ascot and Group Winner Merchant, Heads to Goffs November

[Wandering Eyes]

Ceistiu, the dam of this year's Royal Ascot and Qatar Goodwood Festival winner Merchant, will be offered at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale, which takes place from November 21-22.

The daughter of Vocalised is a full-sister to the multiple Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Steip Amach, while her half-sisters include the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes winner Ceisteach (New Approach) and Fidaaha (New Approach), the dam of last year's G1 National Stakes winner Scorthy Champ.

The nine-year-old Ceistiu, who is in foal to Mehmas, the sire of Scorthy Champ, will be consigned by Clare Manning's Boherguy Stud on behalf of breeder Jim Bolger.

“We're looking forward to offering a most attractive young mare – already the dam of a highly exciting Group winner in Merchant and from a very happening pedigree,” said Bolger. “She is also in foal to an exceptional stallion, Mehmas.”

Trained by William Haggas, Merchant was a dominant winner of the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, before taking the step up to Group company in his stride with a narrow defeat of Wimbeldon Hawkeye in the G3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.

The son of Teofilo was due to put his Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe credentials to the test in September's G2 Prix Niel at ParisLongchamp, but those plans had to be shelved after the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned colt suffered a setback.

Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby said, “Merchant looks an extremely exciting prospect for the future after his Ascot and Goodwood victories, and the chance to buy his dam, in foal to the brilliant Mehmas, is hugely appealing. We are grateful to Mr Bolger for once again entrusting Goffs with a mare of this calibre, which follows a number of successful collaborations over the years, not least with the likes of Banimpire who topped Goffs November at €2.3 million.

“The Goffs November Sale has long been a leading source of Group 1 producers, and this year's catalogue, featuring Ceistiu alongside outstanding drafts from HH Aga Khan Studs, Godolphin, Moyglare and so many more, is shaping up to be another unmissable event for international buyers.”

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