In Pursuit of a Jewel…

Only two bidders were bold enough to make a play for the top lot, who was described by auctioneer Henry Beeby as ‘the jewel in the crown.’ Philipp Graf Stauffenberg swooped with an opening bid of €1.5 million, which for a time looked as if it had had the desired effect of frightening off any challengers. Eventually Farrington showed his hand, with Stauffenberg offering one counter bid before his rival had the final say (Click for a Dermot Farrington interview).

Micheal Ryan, whose father Michael raced Finsceal Beo and owns Al Eile Stud, said: “We’re absolutely delighted with that–it was way more than what we thought she’d make. We’ve been box-walking all day waiting for this to happen. The mare’s been such a star for us and we wish the filly’s new owner the very best of luck with her.”

Finsceal Beo’s current yearling, a filly by Frankel’s sire Galileo (Ire), has been retained by the Ryan family and has just gone into training with Jim Bolger, who guided the career of her illustrious mother, which included five wins and success in both the English and Irish 1000 Guineas, with a near-miss second in the French equivalent sandwiched in between.

With the appearance of the four Frankel foals hotly anticipated, onlookers were left puzzled when the apparent buyer of lot 885, Airlie Stud’s half-sister to G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Steeler (Ire) (Raven’s Pass), failed to materialise after the filly was knocked down in the ring for €550,000. Interested parties in the early rounds of bidding included the Shadwell team and David Redvers, and after the winning bid was disputed, a private deal was agreed at €460,000. The filly out of G3 Park Hill S. winner Discreet Brief (Ire) (Darshaan) was listed as sold to RBL and will race for an English-based syndicate.

The remaining pair, lots 938 and 800–a colt and a filly offered by Friarstown Stud–were both led out of the ring unsold. The colt, a son of GI E.P. Taylor S. winner Lahaleeb (Ire) (Redback {GB}) reached a mark of €650,000, while the filly out of Song (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), who passed through the same ring in utero at this sale last year when her dam was sold for €1 million, was bought back at €375,000.