Orby Sale

Goffs has announced the first wave of nominated bonus races available for qualified horses that were sold at last year's Orby Sale. Bonuses of €50,000 will be on offer for the Orby graduates whose connections have paid a €5,000 entry to the scheme.  Similarly to last year, there will be €1m in bonuses on offer, split down the middle between Britain and Ireland. The first qualifying race of the season in Ireland will be the opening two-year-old maiden over 5f at the Curragh on March 15. Meanwhile, the Brocklesby at...

KILDARE, IRELAND - Bloodstock agents Richard Ryan and Federico Barberini provided the entertainment at Goffs on Wednesday when going hammer and tongs on a State Of Rest filly consigned by Castlebridge, who went the way of the latter for €150,000. Ryan opened the bidding at €50,000 on the State Of Rest filly and, despite making one last lunge at auctioneer Andrew Nolan before the hammer fell, his instruction on the phone came too late and he was forced to fill the runner-up spot on the most expensive lot sold on...

You don't spend 26 years working as travelling head lad for Aidan O'Brien without becoming one of the most recognisable faces on the racing circuit but, after closing the chapter on his career at Ballydoyle last Christmas, TJ Comerford shot to prominence in his own right by consigning two of the most expensive lots at the Goffs Arkle Sale.  That debut consignment from Ballintogher Stud, the Monasterevin base that Comerford now operates from alongside his partner Stephanie Ocsko-Moore, featured only two horses - both of which were foal pinhooks belonging...

The seven-figure mark was breached in some style at Goffs on Wednesday when a bidding duel between Godolphin and Coolmore resulted in agent Anthony Stroud signing for Croom House Stud's Frankel (GB) colt after making a final bid of €2 million on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed's operation. Lot 323 is the first foal of the Listed winner and Group 3-placed Loch Lein (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire) and was bred under the Brosnan family's Epona Bloodstock banner.  

   Peter Molony is best known for being the man who bought the reigning Champion Hurdler Honeysuckle (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}) on behalf of his client Kenny Alexander. He also works for Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing operation, is an agent for Goffs and has had a multitude of top horses through his hands at Rathmore Stud. That may be why the Limerick native signs off on his Twitter bio with the word 'busy'!    Son of the legendary Martin Molony, widely regarded as the best dual-purpose jockey of all time, Peter...

   As entertaining as he is brave, Philipp Stauffenberg has dominated the top bracket of the pinhooking table despite buying only a select number of foals each year.    Stauffenberg was once again in the spotlight in October when five of his yearlings took Tattersalls by storm when selling for a combined figure of 2,345,000gns at a memorable Book 1 sale.     Back at Tattersalls, where he was searching for his next Book 1 star at the December Foal Sales, the never-boring and cigarillo-smoking Stauffenberg spoke with TDN Europe's Brian...

News that Johnny Hassett was diagnosed with cancer last year was met with widespread support and generosity in the bloodstock and racing world and now the man behind The Bloodstock Connection and more recently the Get In The Game Syndicate is hell-bent on giving back to those who supported him when he needed it most. So, how is he going to do it? By doing what he does best; sourcing good horses. This season, every yearling that Hassett sources for next year's breeze-ups will be offered up for sale in...

More records were broken at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale on Thursday as David Ryan went to €300,000, the highest price ever paid for a yearling at this sale, to secure a Ten Sovereigns (Ire) filly (lot 713) on behalf of Rabbah Bloodstock from Abbeville Stud. Trade sky-rocketed at the Orby Sale on Tuesday and Wednesday and the opening session of the two-day Sportsman's Sale at Goffs was much the same. Of the 245 yearlings offered, 217 found new homes, representing a clearance rate of 89%. However, what was most impressive...

If it's international interest Goffs want, that's exactly what they are going to get, according to Bo Bromagen, who revealed that he will be among the 50 to 60 American-based agents who will add to a power-packed buyers' bench at the Orby Sale this week. For many of those agents, the trip will represent a maiden voyage, but not Bromagen, who has navigated these waters four times in the past and describes the Orby Sale as one of the first dates he pencils into his diary each year.  Bromagen said,...

Tasked with identifying just one horse to look forward at the Orby Sale next week, Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby must have realised that he was in clover when rattling off progeny by sire sensations Dubawi (Ire), Frankel (GB) and Sea The Stars (Ire) but admitted that having the chance to offer 11 Galileos (Ire) was a particular boon ahead one of the most eagerly-anticipated yearling sales on earth.  Beeby also described himself as thrilled with the field of 2-year-olds the Goffs Million has attracted at the Curragh on Saturday...

Two legends of Irish racing will join forces for the first time this season after Jim Bolger revealed that he has a 2-year-old filly by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) in training with Kevin Prendergast. Bolger gave €31,000 for the recently named Roman Moon (Ire) after Prendergast recommended the filly at the Goffs Orby Sale last September and she is set to break new ground by becoming his first runner with the Friarstown operator. Roman Moon will carry the white and purple colours of Bolger's wife Jackie, once carried to major...

Officials at Goffs have released a statement clarifying announcements made June 30 as regards the venue and date options for the company's marquee Orby Sale. As was previously stated, the Orby sale, with the cooperation of Tattersalls, is planned for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24 and 25, at Park Paddocks in Newmarket. However, Goffs officials are expressing optimism that travel restrictions could be eased in time enough for the sale to take place at its originally scheduled dates of Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 28 and 29. These plans follow discussions...