The Goffs February sale kicks off the company’s auction year
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
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6.30pm The first day’s trading concludes with 113 horses from 173 offered (65 per cent, compared with 47 per cent in 2010) sold for €926,100 at an average of €8,196 (down by 11 per cent on 2010) and a median of €4,600 (up by 15 per cent from 2010).
6pm As the sale neared its conclusion Robert Allcock paid é43,000 for a son of Azamour hailing from Corbal-lis Stud. The colt is a half-brother to eight winners including the Listed Sunbury Stakes scorer Dohasa and the smart Kevin Prendergast-trained juvenile Star Inside.
“He’s a gorgeous colt and is a good, strong May foal with plenty of growth still left in him. He’ll be back for sale in the autumn,” commented Allcock, who also secured an €18,000 son of Choisir offered by the late Lady Clague’s Newberry Stud Farm.
5pm A fine colt from the second crop of Dylan Thomas took over at the head of the day’s standings when he was knocked down to Ciaran Conroy for €53,000.
From Corrin Stud, the January-born colt is out of an unraced daughter of Trans Island who is a half-sister to the talented French-based duo Housamix and Housa Dancer. The immediate family also contains the American Grade 1 heroine Alexander Tango and the Group 3 Diomed Stakes scorer Bushman.
Conroy confirmed that his purchase would be offered for resale in the autumn.
4pm A yearling son of Westerner, whose early jumps progeny have caught the eye in recent weeks, sells to Favourites Racing for €28,000.
The colt is out of the triple winner Plant A Smacker and from the family of Listed Feilden Stakes runner-up Sunny Glenn.
2.30pm GD Bloodstock pay €42,000 for an Acclamation yearling colt out of Listed-placed Kondakova. The dam is a half-sister to the producers of Phoenix Stakes third Polar Force and Dragonfly Stakes winner Buxted.
The Castlebridge Consignment offered the colt, who is from the further family of dual Lockinge winner Soviet Line.
1.45pm The onset of the yearling section of the sale produced two of the biggest prices of the day and Bobby O’Byrne had to go to €44,000 for a filly hailing from the third crop of Hurricane Run whose first runners made a notable impact on the track last season.
The daughter of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner boasted quite a good pedigree too, as she is a half-sister to the talented Red Rioja, who won the Group 3 C L Weld Stakes before going on to score at Grade 3 level in America.
Just prior to this owner Norman Steel, who enjoyeda fine season in 2010 with his runners, struck for a popular daughter of the crack juvenile Dark Angel who will be represented by his first runners this year. The €25,000 purchase is the fourth produce of the Italian Listed scorer and Group 3 Prix de Psyche runner-up Fall Habit. She will ultimately go into training with Richard Fahey.
12.45pm Peter Doyle is once again busy stockpiling future talent for his clients and he went to €28,000 to secure a two-year-old daughter of Choisir from Greenfields Stud.
The grey, for whom Bobby O’Ryan finished as the underbidder, is a half-sister to the three-times winner and Listed-placed Ridge City.
Theyare out of a daughter of the Group 3-placed juvenile Absolute Glee from the family of the Middle Park Stakes hero Awzaan.
The Choisir filly had been bought by BBA Ireland for just 1,200gns at Book 3 of the Tattersalls October yearlingsale.
Noon The early exchanges of today’s opening session of the Goffs February Sale have witnessed quite a reasonable clearance rate and are being headed by a two-year-old son of Celtic Swing who was bought by trainer Liam McAteer for €8,000.
The Riverdene Stud-consigned colt is a half-brother to two winners headed by the capable hurdler Imperial Shabra.