The Aga Khan Studs’ draft on the Goffs Autumn Horses in Coaching Sale has lengthy been established as a supply of high-class horses for house owners and trainers world wide, each on the flat and over jumps.
Final 12 months’s choices clad within the well-known inexperienced and crimson livery included Tashkhan , at the time an unplaced 2-year-old Born To Sea gelding but now known as the horse who split Trueshan and Stradivarius in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (G2) at Ascot in 2021.
The boutique draft of four horses offered by the Aga Khan Studs at the 2021 renewal of the sale was hotly anticipated and the star of the quartet was the Amethyst Stakes (G3) second Erzindjan . The 3-year-old Lope de Vega colt (Lot 104) sparked a bidding war, with spotters in the auditorium and outside busily announcing increases in price while online bids also flew in.
After the conclusion of a lively sale, where he made €160,000 (US$184,969), Erzindjan will be exchanging the damp Irish winter for the heat of the desert as he was purchased by agent Alessandro Marconi on behalf of an owner with Ahmad bin Harmash.
Alessandro Marconi
“He was the perfect horse within the sale and the one we actually needed,” mentioned Marconi after relaying the information of their profitable buy to his shoppers, who will goal the colt on the Dubai Carnival.
“He is an aesthetic horse and we belief the Irish type. Clearly final week (at Tattersalls) it was very tough to buy most of these horses, and we’re delighted to purchase from the draft of the Aga Khan.
“Ahmad bin Harmash will take nice care of him for a consumer who has a number of horses within the secure however nothing in comparison with this one, so hopefully he’ll achieve success.”
The colt is out of the 2015 Platinum Stakes winner Eshera, an Oratorio half sister to the 2018 Moyglare Jewels Blandford Stakes (G2) winner and Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1), Darley Irish Oaks (G1), and Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1) third Eziyra . His second dam Eytarna is a listed-placed Dubai Destination half sister to the group 1 winners Enzeli, Estimate , Ebadiyla , and Edabiya .
Two years ago the Aga Khan draft contained a Dark Angel filly named Sonaiyla , who was a dual winner for Michael Halford. Sold for €110,000 ($121,796) to BBA Ireland, she went on to win the Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F. Sweet Mimosa Stakes for Ennistown Stud and Paddy Twomey before finishing third to Glass Slippers in the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes (G1) and selling to Moyglare Stud. This year she added the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club Ballyogan Stakes (G3) to her CV and her 3-year-old half brother by Olympic Glory , Silaiyli (Lot 106), was a member of the Aga Khan draft at Goffs on Monday.
Like Sonaiyla, he was trained by Halford, for whom he won a Dundalk maiden this year, earning him a Racing Post Rating of 95. Silaiyli made less in the sales ring than his half sister, bringing €56,000 ($64,739) from JS Bloodstock for Qatari trainer Ibrahim Al Malki.
The sale, which everyone was pleased to see back live after being forced into virtual reality last year, recorded an improved clearance rate of 78%, with 95 of 122 lots offered finding a buyer.
The aggregate of €1,284,900 ($1,485,420) was up 26% on last year’s online sale, which had actually recorded a higher turnover than in 2019. The median of €8,000 ($9,248) was up 14% from 2020 but the average dipped 18% to €13,525 ($15,635).
Henry Beeby, Goffs’ group chief executive, said, “Trade today has been buoyant and driven by international interest, with buyers from the Czech Republic, UAE, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Qatar, Scandinavia, Slovakia, the UK and, of course, Ireland. We also accepted bids from Australian interests.”
