Stars Aligned For Goffs February Topper

The smartly bred Umniyah (Ire) (Shamardal) will be covered for the first time this season by Sea The Stars (Ire) after heading the Goffs February Sale at €165,000.

The Tsui family have supported their homebred champion since his retirement to Gilltown Stud by purchasing some well- credentialed mares, and the latest addition to their broodmare band (lot 319) doesn't lack for talented relatives. Her full-brother Dubai Prince (Ire) won twice at Group 3 level, while their dam Desert Frolic (Ire)'s half-siblings include three-time Group/Grade 1 winner Storming Home (GB) (Machiavellian) and the dam of G1 McGrath Metropolitan H. winner Glencadam Gold (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}).

John Clarke, who represents the Tsuis' Sunderland Holdings, conducted the bidding on the Godolphin-consigned 4-year-old and commented, “She's a very nicely related filly and is another catch for Sea The Stars.”

The sale lost a potential six-figure lot with the withdrawal of Group 1 producer Mauresmo (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) and only two lots passed the €100,000 barrier, compared to four the previous year. A clearance rate of 66% for the whole sale–down from 81% in 2015–led to a reduction of figures all around, with turnover down by 18% to €4,361,750 for 330 horses sold. The average fell 7.5% to €14,989 and the median by 20% to €8,000. For the second session alone, the aggregate was €2,384,600, average €16,112 and median €8,000 for 69% of the 216 lots offered. Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby commented, “Our February Sale has grown dramatically in recent years so it was inevitable that a slowdown of some proportion would occur sooner or later. However, we are far from despondent as we have enjoyed vibrant trade for those that appealed most and a set of figures that are in line with 2014, although we have to point out a falling clearance rate as a cause for comment.”

Agents Geoffrey Howson and Matthew Houldsworth were absent from the sale but instructed Richard Fitzsimons of BBA Ireland to act on their behalf in the purchase of lot 444, Xaloc (Ire) (Shirocco {Ger}), a half-sister to G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. winner and Derby prospect Foundation (Ire) who is carrying to the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing star's sire Zoffany (Ire).

Bought for an undisclosed client for €120,000, the 6-year-old Xaloc raced just once for her breeder Sir Edmund Loder and was consigned to the 2013 Tattersalls December Sale, where she was bought by Derek Veitch of Ringfort Stud for 5,500gns. Young breeder William Pilkington subsequently bought Xaloc privately for his Oak Leaf Stud and, after watching Foundation sell for €190,000 at the 2014 Goffs Orby Sale, decided to send his sister to Zoffany.

“This is a really big result for me. I sold her Kodiac (Ire) filly for €42,000 here last November and we've had a few good foal results but this is the best so far,” said Pilkington, who has four other broodmares at his farm in Daingean, Co Offaly. Xaloc also has a first-crop daughter of Born To Sea (Ire) to race for her this year.

A different member of the BBA Ireland team, Michael Donohoe, stepped in the buy lot 335, On Location, a winning daughter of the late Street Cry (Ire) out of the Grade I winner Film Maker (Dynaformer). Consigned by Baroda & Colbinstown Studs, she brought €85,000 for an unnamed BBA Ireland client. Donohoe said, “She's a young Street Cry mare out of a Grade I winner so is a lovely broodmare prospect and she'll remain in Ireland to be covered by either Acclamation (GB) or Kodiac (GB).”

Across The Galaxy (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), whose dam Galaxy Highflyer (GB) is a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to the Group 1 winners Kayf Tara (GB), Opera House (GB) and Zee Zee Top (GB), attracted the attention of agent Jill Lamb, who was on the hunt for a mare for Cable Bay's former part-owner Julie Martin.

Consigned by Pat O'Kelly's Kilcarn Stud as lot 339, the 7-year-old was sold with an Apr. 15 cover to Kodiac for €85,000. Lamb said, “Julie is planning to send her to Cable Bay. She's a really good-looking mare with lots of quality and is a really good walker.”

Breaking the stranglehold of broodmares at the top of the table was lot 303, 3-year-old Ebadan (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who was bought for €85,000 from the Aga Khan Studs draft to continue his racing career in California under the tutelage of Neil Drysdale. Marc-Antoine Berghgracht signed for the colt, who won over a mile at Dundalk for Michael Halford in January and hails from the great staying family of Enzeli (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) and Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}). His dam Ebareva (Ire) (Machiavellian) is a half-sister to the pair of Ascot Gold Cup winners and, though unraced herself, has produced four winners with her first four runners, including the French listed runner-up Ederan (Ire) (Peintre Celebre).

Anna Drion brought just one mare with her from France under her Coulonces Consignment banner, the daughter of Montjeu (Ire), Ginx Johnson (Fr) (lot 349), who is carrying a foal by last year's champion freshman sire Zoffany. The half-sister to GII Breeders' Cup Honeymoon H. winner Attima (GB) (Zafonic) brought the hammer down at 58,000gns and was bought by Hugo Merry, co-breeder of the Darley Irish Oaks and Prix de l'Opera winner Covert Love (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}).