Lope De Vega A Firm Favorite At Goffs

LOPE DE VEGA A FIRM FAVORITE AT GOFFS 
By Emma Berry 
Few stallions will make such a stellar start at stud as Lope De Vega (Ire) (Shamardal), and the success of his first crop on the track this season has had positive repercussions for his foals on sale at Goffs this week, with four of the top six sold yesterday being by the Ballylinch Stud resident. 

Six weanlings returned six-figure sums for their vendors, helping the aggregate to soar by 53% to €7,384,300. The theme now common to business at Kildare Paddocks in the last few days is double-digit rises across the board, and that was once again true for the average, which rose 39% to €35,673, and the median, which gained 36% when settling at €30,000. The clearance rate was again at a very healthy level, with 207 of the 232 foals offered finding new homes (89%). 

Leading the third session of the November Foal Sale was Richard Ahern’s colt out of the listed-placed Penelope Star (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}) (lot 762), who was knocked down to Eamon O’Reilly of BBA Ireland for €175,000. 
The half-brother to Group 3 winner Papagena Star (Ire) (Amadeus Wolf {GB}) wasn’t the only son of Lope De Vega in demand, however. The top three lots of the day were all colts by the leading first-season sire, with a Knockainey Stud offering (lot 719) selling for €170,000 to Yeomanstown Stud. Like the top lot, he is likely to be brought back for resale as a yearling. 

“The stallion has done so well and he’s a horse who has been good to us,” said David O’Callaghan, who signed the ticket in company with his brothers Peter and Robert. 

“Endless Drama (Ire) won a Naas maiden very well recently for us and we thought this was the nicest horse in the sale today.” 

The chestnut colt is the first foal of the Mizzen Mast mare Let It Be Me, a half-sister to Chesham S. winner Zaidan (Street Cry {Ire}). 

Earlier in the session, Aisling Kinane and Mark Gittins of CFS Bloodstock went to €160,000 to purchase lot 620, another Lope De Vega pinhook, this one a half-brother to unbeaten 2-year-old Irish Rookie (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), recent winner of the Listed Montrose Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket. 

“We’re delighted to get a foal by the stallion–we sold one by him earlier this year and there’s already been a nice update for this horse with Irish Rookie. Hopefully there’s more to come,” said Kinane. 

Other fans of Lope De Vega were Amanda Skiffington, who bought the most expensive filly of the day, lot 673, a daughter of the G1 AJC Oaks-placed French Lady (NZ) (Entrepreneur) for €100,000, while Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud spent €88,000 for lot 690, a February-foaled colt out of Iamfine (Ire), a daughter of the listed winner Cheyenne Spirit (GB) (Indian Ridge {GB}). 

(Click here to hear Amanda Skiffington discuss the foal market through the week so far). 

Fame and Fortune… 
In 38 races, Pat Smullen only missed riding Famous Name (GB) (Dansili {GB}), once when he partnered his stablemate Casual Conquest (Ire) to beat him into second in the 2009 G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. Together, Smullen and Famous Name triumphed on 21 occasions–13 of those at group level–and jockey and stallion were reunited again in a sense through lot 539, a first-crop foal of the Irish National Stud resident who was bred by Smullen from his Brief Truce mare Saying Grace (Ire). 

Offered by Ringfort Stud, the Famous Name colt was high on the list of favorites for agent Bobby O’Ryan, who signed for him at €105,000 and was effusive in his praise for the April-born half-brother to black-type performers Ghetto Gospel (Ire) (Celtic Swing {GB}) and Bobbi Grace (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}). 

“I saw him three months ago and then again recently and I think he’s one of the best-looking foals I’ve seen in an awful long time,” said O’Ryan. “He’s been bought to sell again next year.” 

Lot 571 is another son of Casamento (Ire) who will be joining Yeomanstown Stud’s draft of yearlings for next year after Robert O’Callaghan signed for the chestnut colt from Ballinacurra Stud at €105,000. The third foal of the Bahamian Bounty (GB) mare Three Times (GB), a half-sister to French listed winner Trinity Joy (GB) (Vettori {Ire}), the colt’s family also includes the Queen’s G1 Derby third and G2 Dante S. winner Carlton House (Street Cry {Ire}), who has recently retired to Darley Australia. 

Another Darley stallion, Poet’s Voice (GB), proved popular at the recent yearling sales and one of his weanlings, lot 553, the first foal of the listed-placed Sonning Rose (Ire) (Hawk Wing) will be heading to England having been bought by Anthony Stroud Bloodstock on behalf of Jeffrey and Phoebe Hobby’s Brightwalton Stud for €85,000. 
The foal section of the six-day November Sale concludes today with a clutch of Frankel foals set to go under the hammer, including Al-Eile Stud’s filly out of their dual Classic winner Finsceal Beo (Ire) (lot 897). The bonny weanling is a half-sister to winter Derby favourite Ol’ Man River (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who topped last year’s Goffs’ Orby Sale when selling for €2.85 million. Six Frankel foals were catalogued, but two are late withdrawals. 

(Click here for an audio interview with Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby discussing the sale thus far).