Annual sales season kicks off on Sept 24 with growing momentum behind the three-day Tattersalls Ireland September Sale – followed a week later by the prestigious Goffs Orby Sale Books 1 and 2 (Oct 1-4), where quality is the watchword
Buyers have at least 1,826 reasons to head to Ireland in search of future talent this autumn.
That is how many yearlings have been catalogued across the various sections of the country’s headline auctions. And, if the past is any guide, we can be certain there will be some genuine superstars among their number.
Selling begins in Fairyhouse on September 24 with the three-day Tattersalls Ireland September Sale, before the Goffs Orby Sale – often referred to as the Irish National Yearling Sale – starts its four-day run through Books 1 and 2 a week later.
Ireland is renowned globally as the home of the Thoroughbred, so when the country’s best breeders bring some of their most choice yearlings to market, it is only right that big results should be expected.
Goffs Orby: depth and diversity of talent
The Orby roll of honour stands as a testament to the depth and diversity of talent that has been found at Goffs down the years. The Orby has produced G1-winning two-year-olds like Dubai Mile, Lucky Vega, Together Forever and The Last Lion, along with Classic-winning three-year-olds such as Eldar Eldarov, Forever Together, Just The Judge, Mother Earth, Simple Verse and Sky Lantern.
There have been top-notch sprinters like Art Power, Creative Force, Romantic Proposal and Winter Power, elite-level older milers in Ribchester and Persuasive, as well as those who have claimed top-level laurels on the international stage. Think California Spangle, Designs On Rome, Queen Supreme and Raging Bull, to name but a few. And that’s without mentioning turf celebrities such as Aclaim, Covert Love, Jannah Rose and Prosperous Voyage. You get the picture.
There is, moreover, every chance this impressive list will receive further additions in the near future, particularly with last year’s Orby graduates including unbeaten two-year-olds like Angeal, a recent private purchase by Teruya Yoshida, and next year’s Derby favourite, The Lion In Winter. With all this in mind, anticipation is rising ahead of this year’s sale.
“The catalogue has been very well received on paper,” says Henry Beeby, Goffs group chief executive. “So if the individuals match their pedigrees, we will have a very strong group of horses on the ground. We’ve already had a lot of interest, from both closer to home and overseas, so we’re heading into the sale very hopeful.”
Numbers in Book 1 of the Orby Sale catalogue have been tightened to the tune of around five per cent, with 516 entries compared to 545 last year. This decision, Beeby says, was taken to ensure the emphasis remains firmly on quality over quantity. A glance through the entries on offer confirms there is certainly no shortage of quality.
No fewer than 21 of the yearlings catalogued are siblings to Classic or G1 winners. The standouts on paper include a half-sister to Going Global (Lot 47) by New Bay; a Palace Pier half-sister to Anmaat (61); a Camelot brother to Luxembourg (93); a half-brother to Saffron Beach (219) by Lope De Vega; a three-parts brother to Together Forever (dam of City Of Troy) and Forever Together (257); a Dark Angel half-sister to Phoenix Of Spain (328); and a Wootton Bassett half-brother to Cloth Of Stars (500).
The Orby catalogue also features the progeny of recent British and Irish champion sires Dubawi (one lot) and Frankel (eight), as well as other heavy hitters such as Dark Angel (17), Kingman (five), Lope De Vega (14), Sea The Stars (16), Siyouni (three) and Wootton Bassett (19).
Up-and-coming names such as Blue Point, Havana Grey and Too Darn Hot are also present, while an international flavour is provided by the inclusion of yearlings by American Pharoah, Essential Quality and Uncle Mo. 
“Although we’ve slightly contracted the numbers catalogued, our sense is that we’ve got a higher proportion of the cream of the crop from Irish breeders,” says Beeby. “We definitely feel that’s the case from several major Irish breeders. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed that the likes of Blue Diamond Stud are travelling across from Britain for the first time. There’s several English farms who are essentially swimming against the tide because they’ve seen the strength of our market in the last couple of years and they like what they see.”
The strength of the market at recent editions of the Orby has been underpinned by the diversity of major operators restocking at the sale.
Rival powerhouses Coolmore and Godolphin topped the buyers’ chart at last year’s event, and were joined by a significant number of purchasers from the US. Agent Jacob West was active on behalf of both Robert and Lawana Low and Mike Repole, while Clay Scherer, Glenn Hill Farm, Kim Valerio, Legion Bloodstock, Marquee Bloodstock, Philip Antonacci and Wavertree Stables all made purchases.
Beeby says international participation is set to be just as high this time around, if not more so, after American shoppers availed themselves of Goffs’ US buyer incentive scheme.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and effort on the United States again, so we’d be hopeful of a very good turnout from there,” he says. “There are also some major players from the Middle East as well.
“When people see others doing things like travelling to Goffs to buy yearlings, naturally they’re going to think ‘I wonder what they’re doing that for?’ and they tend to follow. The biggest problem we have at the moment is the lack of hotel rooms, which is always a good sign.”
A warm welcome and the prospect of finding a fast horse are not the only incentives Goffs have given buyers. The lucrative Goffs Two Million Series, which all Orby Book 1 and Book 2 graduates are eligible for, has also piqued the interest of potential purchasers.
The series culminates with Europe’s richest two-year-old race, the Goffs Million, which is worth €1m and has prize-money down to tenth place. Last year’s first prize of €610,000 went the way of One Look, a scintillating winner who was picked up by Cormac McCormack for €65,000.
The Goffs One Million Bonus Race Series has also been expanded into 2025, with 20 races now carrying a €50,000 bonus, including ten contests in Britain.
“Our Million Series bonuses have gone down very well,” says Beeby. “The fact we’ve doubled the number of races next year is proving to be very attractive. We’d expect some of the horses bought by our international buyers will stay in Britain or Ireland, for their two-year-old career at least, to target those races.”
Tattersalls Ireland: increased entries and growing momentum
There is also growing momentum behind the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, which has established itself as a market-leading source of two-year-old winners. Buyers will have even more opportunities to find their next winner at this year’s sale as entries have increased from 506 to 555.
Last year’s renewal has already produced recent G2 Gimcrack Stakes scorer Cool Hoof Luke, a £20,000 purchase by Andrew Balding, while Rodrigo Goncalves and Barry Nolan gave £24,000 for G3 Prestige Stakes winner Anshoda. The latter of those not only brought the talent on offer at Fairyhouse into focus, but also provided her Starman half-sister with a big pedigree boost ahead of being offered at this year’s sale as Lot 709 by Mountain View Stud.
Anshoda’s sibling is not the only entry with a major pedigree update, either, as there is also a half-brother to five-length G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin hero Al Riffa. He is offered by Manister House Stud as Lot 134.
Although the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale has enhanced its standing through its many juvenile success stories, the sire profile and the cross-section of pedigrees this year suggests the event has a horse to suit all tastes.
“Fairyhouse really caters for all markets,” says Manister House Stud’s Luke Barry. “You can get on well with forward two-year-old types, but I believe there’s a stronger market now for the staying two-year-old who’ll get a mile at two and ten furlongs at three.
“They don’t have to be stakes horses for those types to be traded very easily, and you’ll find a lot of those here,” he adds.
“For instance, we have a lovely colt by Galileo Chrome who’s a half-brother to Al Riffa. He’s going to fit into that category. Galileo Chrome was one of the best three-year-olds of his generation – he won what was, in my opinion, a vintage St Leger, and I’ve been very high on the idea of him as a stallion for a while now. I think this colt will really suit that market.
“We also have yearlings by No Nay Never, Churchill, Sioux Nation, Earthlight and Ten Sovereigns, so a little bit of everything. There’s a couple of big, strong horses and others that are more two-year-old types, but they’re all nice, easy moving individuals.”
A large volume of two-year-old winners is not the only factor that has helped bolster the September Sale’s reputation. The event is also responsible for a long list of significant talents whose racecourse accomplishments far exceeded their relatively modest price tags.
These include (but are far from limited to): Johnny Murtagh’s Matron Stakes scorer Champers Elysees, a €28,000 purchase; Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Helvic Dream, who was picked up Peter Nolan for just €12,000; the American Oaks-winning Rhea Moon, a £24,000 acquisition through BBA Ireland; Prix du Gros-Chene victor Ponntos, a €6,800 buy by Adam Wyrzyk; while Con Marnane parted with just £30,000 for subsequent Prix Allez France winner American Sonja.
“This sale has had its spot in the calendar for a while but it’s become a much more reliable sale, in my opinion, than it was some years ago,” says Barry.
“It’s now a huge attraction for European buyers because Ireland is still a part of the European Union, so we know there’ll be a really international buying bench there. That, in my view, is what helps make this sale what it is.”
Barry expects that British and Irish trainers will also be targeting the sale, with one name in particular having already enjoyed success on his previous visits.
“The Irish trainers are finding it more expensive to bring horses home from England, so there’s a bigger attraction for them to buy in Ireland too,” he says. “And Tattersalls Ireland really do look after their visitors well – some of the Newmarket trainers I know absolutely love coming to this sale.
“They feel they get value for money and, as breeders, we’re pleased to see our horses going into good yards,” Barry explains.
“Harry Eustace is a perfect example. He’s got Docklands and Time For Sandals out of this sale and I know he’s already licking his lips at the idea of coming back. It's a sale that works for everyone.”
All graduates are eligible for the valuable Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes, which takes place at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend. Last year’s renewal went the way of Native American, with Robin O’Ryan and Richard Fahey’s €75,000 purchase from Weir View Stud scooping winnings of €147,500.
As well as their respective sales races, the auctions at Goffs and Tattersalls offer buyers the opportunity to take advantage of the popular Irish Thoroughbred Marketing IRE Incentive Scheme.
The initiative awards a sales bonus of €10,000 to the owners of Irish-bred winners of selected races, which can then be spent on Irish-breds at Irish sales. Qualified horses simply have to be Irish-bred – carrying the IRE suffix – and Foal Levy compliant.
Qualifying yearlings are easily identified at the sales as they are marked as 'IRE Qualified' on their catalogue page, as well as carrying a green ‘IRE incentive’ hip sticker.
• Visit the Goffs website and the Tattersalls Ireland website
• Visit the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing website
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