Urban Legend…

Three different stallion sons of the outstanding broodmare Urban Sea had weanlings in the top 10 Thursday. Along with Galileo, Sea The Stars (Ire) was represented by lot 845, the first foal of Italian listed winner Aquila d’Oriente (Ity) (Dubawi {Ire}). Consigned by the Irish National Stud, the filly was knocked down to Dick O’Gorman for the sum of €230,000.

Following closely behind was a filly by Born To Sea (Ire), whose half-brother Baitha Alga (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) provided a terrific boost to the family when winning the G2 Norfolk S. earlier this year. Joe Hartigan of Epona Bloodstock came out on top of the bidders at €220,000 and confirmed that the filly will be reoffered for sale next autumn through Denis Brosnan’s Croom House Stud.

Philipp Stauffenberg may have been denied on the day’s record-breaking Frankel filly but he will not return to Germany empty-handed as he was successful in his attempt on lot 848, the most expensive weanling by freshman sire Casamento (Ire) sold this week. Fetching €210,000, the filly has plenty to recommend her: not only is she a half-sister to top sprinter Hot Streak (Ire) (Iffraaj {Ire}), but her third dam is Height Of Fashion (Fr), whose top-class offspring include the stallions Unfuwain, Nashwan and Nayef.

Fillies ruled the roost on the final day of the November Foal Sale, accounting for eight of the top 10 prices.

Reflecting on another decent upturn in trade for the foal section of the Goffs November Sale, Chief Executive Henry Beeby commented: “The first three days set us up for a sensational finale today and we were not disappointed. The sister to leading Derby fancy Ol’Man River was always going to be the jewel in the crown. Her €1.8 million is the record for an Irish foal by nearly a million and proves, yet again, that Goffs will attract the biggest buyers to buy the best horses time after time.”