Goffs November Comes to a Close

GOFFS NOVEMBER COMES TO A CLOSE 
By Emma Berry 
Six days of foal and mare trade at Goffs drew to a close yesterday with the final breeding stock session, which yielded another €1,092,100 and a top price of €41,000. 

With the November Foal Sale aggregate having shot up by 52% to €27,504,700, thanks in no small part to the sale of two Frankel filly foals–including the record price in Ireland for a weanling of €1.8 million–the two-day sale of mares was a quieter affair, recording turnover of €7,777,400. This was garnered for 270 of the mares offered–a clearance rate of 70% compared to 84% in 2013–and represented a 40% decline. The average dropped by 35% to €26,187 and the median by 7% to €13,500. 

For the Goffs November Sale as a whole, turnover was up by 13% to €35,270,100 (not including the Paulyn Dispersal in the 2013 figures), while the average rose to €33,979 (+11%) and median to €20,000 (+25%). The clearance rate slipped by just one point to 83%. 

“What a week,” said Goffs’ Chief Excecutive Henry Beeby as the sale concluded. “Seven days ago we were hoping for another strong renewal of our foal sale to build on the year-on-year growth enjoyed over the last five years followed by a steady trade for the breeding stock catalogued over the last two days. No one could have predicted the simply amazing scenes over the full four days of foals, which led to record-breaking figures with the highest turnover, average and median in our history topped off by the sensational €1.8 million record for the Frankel–Finsceal Beo filly.” 

Beeby added, “Our two-day breeding stock sale was always going to struggle to keep up with the foal trade whilst, of course, it had to follow a truly historic sale in 2013 that included the once-in-a-generation Paulyn Dispersal featuring the record breaking €6 million Chicquita, as well as the Citadel Dispersal and a number of other rare lots. However, we have returned a solid trade for the catalogue presented and it is worth pointing out that the median price has remained within a bid of last year, which points to a steady middle market.” 

The leading light on the final day was the Aussie Rules mare Ghedi (Ire) (lot 1283), sold with a fashionable covering to Darley’s young stallion Casamento (Ire), whose 36 first-crop foals sold earlier in the week recorded an average of €38,000 and top price of €210,000. The 4-year-old is a out of the G3 Rockfel S. winner Germane (GB) (Distant Relative) and thus a half-sister to Italian listed winner Lucky Chappy (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who has also been placed in the GI Hollywood Derby and GII Virginia Derby. 

“She’s a nice filly with an attractive cover and her dam also has a yearling full-sister to Lucky Chappy still to run for her,” said Peter Kavanagh, who bought Gehdi on behalf of a client. 

Three- and 4-year-old fillies filled the next four slots on the leaderboard, with lot 1371, the Aga Khan Studs’ Zaindera (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), a half-sister to listed-placed Zabarajad (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), fetching €36,000 to a bid from Milltown House Stud. 

Exceed And Excel (Aus) filly Sibaya (GB) (lot 1449), out of a half-sister to GI EP Taylor S. winner Miss Keller (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), and seven-furlong winner Danseur De Feu (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) (lot 1342) are on their way to Dorset-based Glanvilles Stud having been bought for €36,000 and €30,000, respectively. 

A daughter of G3 CL Weld Park S. victress Ugo Fire (Ire) (Bluebird), Danseur De Feu was consigned by Khalid Abdul Rahim’s Friarstown Stud, which also offered 3-year-old Shadwell filly Taaluf (Ire). She was another purchase by Peter Kavanagh at €26,000. 

The 119 fillies and mares to change hands during the final session sold for an average of €9,177 and median of €7,500, with a clearance rate of 78%. 

Henry Beeby concluded, “I want to place on record how pleased we are to have again welcomed such an international audience to Goffs, assisted in those endeavors by the team at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. Irish bloodlines have never been as cherished and we look forward to watching many offspring of the Irish-bred/Goffs-sold mares winning at the highest level around the globe.”