Once again, the Goffs November Sale, which starts its five-day run next Monday (November 18), consists of two excellent catalogues that promise to set Europe’s winter breeding stock sales circuit off on a strong footing.
Ghaiyyath, the 14-length winner of the Grosser Preis von Baden, is an appropriate cover star of the foal catalogue, especially in light of his sale-topping tag of €1.1 million to John Ferguson in 2015. That same renewal also yielded Irish Derby hero Latrobe, bought for €88,000 by Mags O’Toole on behalf of Lynn Lodge Stud, also the pinhookers of top sprinter Donjuan Triumphant out of the 2013 sale (his Invincible Spirit half-brother is catalogued as lot 728).
In addition, the 2017 class have never been far from the action, with graduates Shadn, Night Colours, Mystery Power and Max Vega among those to score in Pattern company this season.
The progeny of Dubawi, Sea The Stars, Kingman, Dark Angel, Lope De Vega and Kodiac promise to light up the foal sale, while the grounds will undoubtedly be alive with chat regarding the prospects of the latest intake of stallions; with G1 winners Aclaim, Almanzor, Al Wukair, Caravaggio, Churchill, Decorated Knight, Divine Prophet, Galileo Gold, Highland Reel, Mondialiste, National Defense, Postponed, Profitable, Ribchester, Ulysses and Zarak each represented, opinions look set to run high.
The Mares Sale, meanwhile, contains the usual high powered drafts belonging to the likes of Godolphin, Moyglare Stud Farm, the Niarchos family and the Aga Khan Studs. As ever, each offer the opportunity to tap into various powerful families; indeed, the Aga Khan’s draft includes the full or half-sisters to Group 1 winners such as Azamour, Harzand and Mourayan.
While these particular sales are naturally geared to a domestic market, the increasing popularity of the European Thoroughbred in the U.S. also suggests that American buyers would be remiss to not to give the sale some thought. Besides, with the half-siblings to Uncle Mo and Grade 1 performers Beau Recall (433; filly foal by Mehmas), Ikerrin Road (417; filly foal by El Kabeir) and Lady Valeur (437; filly foal by Mastercraftsman) among those within its pages, North American appeal already lurks within this year’s book.
A host of talented and well-covered performers within the mares section, some of whom are listed below, could also whet the appetites of Japanese investors.
THREE TO WATCH OUT FOR AT THE GOFFS NOVEMBER FOAL SALE
658) b f Dark Angel - Faraday Light (Rainbow Quest)
A filly of huge residual value as a half-sister to Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Just The Judge. A celebrated Goffs graduate herself, Just The Judge went on to be knocked down for 4,500,000gns to Qatar Racing and the China Horse Club at the end of her racing career.
Another foal out of Faraday Light, Obliterator, was also a smart performer who ran second in the 2014 Feilden Stakes while a later foal, Faraday Effect, topped the 2013 renewal of this sale when selling for €420,000 to David Redvers.
Remarkably, Faraday Light herself was picked up by Joan Keaney for just €26,000 at the 2007 Goffs November Sale. Despite her relatively modest price tag, she boasts a good pedigree as a daughter of Grade 2 winner Uncharted Haven and half-sister to Group 2 scorer High Heeled.
Ballylinch Stud
661) ch f Galileo Gold - Flare Of Firelight (Birdstone)
It was at the 2014 Tattersalls December Sale that Ringfort Stud came away with the placed Flare Of Firelight. The filly was a daughter of champion Shiva, herself a half-sister to the Niarchos family’s Oaks heroine Light Shift, yet cost Ringfort just 9,000gns.
It immediately proved to be a good bit of business, with Flare Of Firelight’s first foal by Garswood realising €80,000 as a foal. However, better was to come in her second foal, a colt by Footstepsinthesand who made 100,000gns to Capital Bloodstock. Fast forward two years and that colt is Cheveley Park Stud’s Threat, one of the highlights within this year’s juvenile division thanks to victories in the Champagne and Gimcrack Stakes.
All of which makes the mare’s latest offering, this filly from the first crop of 2000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold, of great appeal.
Ringfort Stud
745) ch c Dubawi - Nightime (Galileo)
As highlighted by Henry Beeby in his catalogue forward, this colt out of the Irish 1000 Guineas heroine promises to assume great prominence at a sale where his brother once sold for a sale-topping €1.1 million.
That colt turned out to be Ghaiyyath, now a top-notcher for Godolphin whose three victories this season include the Grosser Preis von Baden by 14 lengths and the Prix d’Harcourt.
“That his breeder, Dermot Weld, has returned to Goffs this year to offer Ghaiyyath’s own-brother, the stunning Dubawi colt out of Classic winner Nightime, is a real honour for Goffs and a wonderful vote of confidence in the sale,” writes Beeby.
Nor is Ghaiyyath the only Group 1 winner out of Nightime, since one of the mare’s earlier foals is Man O’War Stakes heroine Zhukova, herself a 3,700,000gns purchase by Godolphin at the 2017 Tattersalls December Sale.
The same family is also represented by lot 558, a Dark Angel colt out of Nightime’s listed-placed daughter Sleeping Beauty.
The Castlebridge Consignment
- Part 1 of the Goffs November Foal Sale runs from 18 - 20 November and is followed by Part 2 on 22 November.
- In 2018, 480 foals sold at Part 1 for a total of €20,311,000 (-20%), average of €42,315 (-11%) and median of €28,000 (+4%).
- A Kingman filly out of Splashdown topped the sale when sold by Jockey Hall Stud for €350,000 to Outsider Bloodstock
THREE TO WATCH OUT FOR AT THE GOFFS NOVEMBER MARES SALE
862) Queen Blossom
2013 m Jeremy - Mark Of An Angel (Mark Of Esteem)
In foal to Churchill
Sold as part of a dispersal of the executors of the late Peter Magnier, the tough Queen Blossom commanded 110,000gns from Durcan Bloodstock at last year’s Tattersalls December Sale following a career highlighted by wins in the Group 3 Park Express Stakes and Grade 3 Santa Barbara Handicap.
The daughter of Jeremy returns here in foal to Churchill.
Grenane House Stud
949) Gilt Edge Girl
2006 m Monsieur Bond - Tahara (Caerleon)
In foal to Saxon Warrior
The 2010 Prix de l’Abbaye heroine is one of seven mares catalogued in foal to 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior, who stood his first season at Coolmore this year for €30,000.
A tough sprinter, Gilt Edge Girl won six races for Clive Cox, including the 2010 Ballyogan Stakes, and, following a period in the hands of Paul Makin, later sold for €550,000 to the Niarchos family out of the Makin dispersal at Goffs in November 2013. The mare went on to produce listed winner Time’s Arrow for the Niarchos family and, with young progeny on the ground by Galileo, Frankel and Ulysses, deserves to be again popular with buyers this time around.
The Niarchos draft also includes Etoile Filante (950), a half-sister to exceptional miler Alpha Centauri and this season’s Debutante Stakes heroine Alpine Star. The So You Think filly descends directly from Miesque.
Kiltinan Castle Stud
997) Snowflakes
2015 m Galileo - Laddies Poker Two (Choisir)
In foal to U S Navy Flag
Part of a collection of entries belonging to the Coolmore Partners, this mare is the year-younger sister to Winter, winner of the Newmarket and Irish 1000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Nassau Stakes. Snowflakes herself showed talent during her career, notably when winning at Cork, while a younger sister, Frosty, has threatened on several occasions this year to land black-type.
They are out of Laddies Poker Two, who landed an almighty gamble when successful in the 2010 Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot for Jeremy Noseda, and descend from the good Robin Scully family of champion Ancient Regime.
Snowflakes is joined in this particular draft by the Group 1-placed Zagitova (998; in foal to No Nay Never), a Galileo half-sister to Garswood who cost 1,600,000gns as a yearling, the Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up Could It Be Love (1000; in foal to Australia), a War Front half-sister to Uncle Mo, and Group 3 winner Actress (1001; in foal to No Nay Never).
The Castlebridge Consignment
- The Goffs November Mares Sale runs from 21- 22 November.
- In 2018, 480 lots sold for a total of €6,285,300 (-58%), average of €26,967 (-38%) and median of €10,000 (-33%).
- She’s Complete (Oratorio - Arionella) topped the sale when sold by The Castlebridge Consignment for €350,000 to the BBA Ireland/Yulong Investments.