The second day of the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale adopted a equally bustling sample to the primary: early fireworks for a member of the Derrinstown draft adopted by pulsating commerce with a world forged of patrons that led to record-breaking outcomes.
As with the opening session, the tempo was set only a handful of tons into proceedings when a colt by main sire Lope de Vega (Lot 473), one of 11 yearlings offered at Goffs Nov. 3 by the Irish arm of the Shadwell operation, quickly raced up tens of thousands, making €78,000 (US$90,415).
He hails from the same branch of Height of Fashion ‘s family as Shadwell’s unbeaten Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1) winner Baaeed . His sire has been good to Yuesheng Zhang’s Yulong Investments, so it was no surprise to learn that Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland had secured him to run in their green and white silks.
“Obviously the sire has already been very lucky for Mr. Zhang with Lucky Vega , who we’re looking forward to standing at the Irish National Stud in 2022,” said Donohoe. “This colt is a good-looking sort from a nice pedigree and he’s been produced by one of the world’s great breeders, so we were delighted to get him.”
The fourth foal out of Saraha, he is bred on the proven Lope de Vega-Dansili cross that has already produced seven stakes winners headed by the 2017 Natalma Stakes (G1T) winner Capla Temptress . Of Lope de Vega’s 13 group/grade 1 winners, five of them have Danehill or one of his sons as their broodmare sire.
Saraha is a successful daughter of Dansili out of the listed Prix Charles Laffitte winner Kareemah, a Peintre Celebre half sister to Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) and Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (G1T) winner Lahudood , the second dam of Baaeed.
Donohoe was among the busiest buyers at Kildare Paddocks this week, working on behalf of Zhang’s breeding and racing operation that spans both hemispheres.
Michael Donohoe
“We bought 20 for Yulong Investments here yesterday and, in all, Mr. Zhang is hoping to pick up around 40 yearlings here,” he said.
“He’s a great supporter of the industry and hopefully breeders might reciprocate some of that support when Lucky Vega comes to stand here next year. Mr. Zhang will be fully behind him, doing everything he can to make him a success and supporting him very strongly at the foal and yearling sales.”
The Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (G1) winner, who was placed in the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1), Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1), and St. James’s Palace Stakes (G1), is coming to the end of his first season at Yulong’s Australian farm.
Donohoe was also the buyer of an Invincible Spirit colt (Lot 534) from the same source who, at €92,000 ($106,644), was the most expensive yearling of the second session.
He is a brother to Tawaazon, who was second in a six-furlong 3-year-old maiden at Brighton for Owen Burrows in the summer.
Their dam Tamadhor was placed in the Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital Blenheim Stakes and Clodovil E.B.F. Garnet Stakes for Kevin Prendergast and is out of Hedaaya, an Indian Ridge half sister to Korean Racing Authority Tyros Stakes (G3) winner Remember Alexander and to Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cherry Hinton Stakes (G2) and Albany Stakes (G3) winner Memory , dam of the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (G3) winner and young sire Recorder .
Tamadhor is a member of the Shadwell draft at the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale, offered in foal to Eqtidaar .
Donohoe revealed, “He’s for Yulong Investments and will be trained by Jessica Harrington. We are big fans of the sire, and he’s a smashing colt that looks a precocious 2-year-old type and again from a very good breeder.”
The Awtaad filly consigned as Lot 592
Joe Foley pounced for an Awtaad filly (Lot 592) who is closely related to the 2015 Ballycorus Stakes (G3) winner Convergence , from the Derrinstown draft.
She is the second foal of a winning 2-year-old by Raven’s Pass out of listed runner-up Zahoo, a Nayef half sister to group 1 winner Matterhorn , and to the dam of champion miler Ribchester .
“She’s a lovely filly, she reminds me a little of Romantic Proposal , who is by this filly’s broodmare sire Raven’s Pass,” said Foley of his €78,000 ($90,415) purchase who, like the Eddie Lynam-trained Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes (G1) winner, will sport the silver silks of Steve Parkin’s Clipper Logistics.
Her dam Zaakhir will take her turn in the Goffs sale ring in just over two weeks, selling as Lot 1243 at the November Breeding Stock Sale. She was a member of the first book of mares covered at Kildangan Stud by Darley Prix Morny (G1) and Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1) winner Earthlight .
Derrinstown Stud’s second-session draft sold for a total of €458,500 ($531,479), achieving an average price of €41,682 ($48,316).
Bangers for ‘Banner
The tale of the Derrinstown yearlings was just one strand of the narrative around a record-breaking renewal of the sale.
Starspangledbanner has enjoyed a stellar season and progeny by Coolmore Stud’s sire of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate (G1) and Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) winner State of Rest were in demand at Goffs Wednesday.
The most sought-after was a filly (Lot 653) from the Kelly family’s Ballybin Stud, out of the unraced Fastnet Rock mare Callisto Star, who brought a winning bid of €80,000 ($92,733) from Kevin Ross.
Ross said, “She is a lovely, quality filly and we were keen to get a Starspangledbanner filly. She is going to take a little time but she’s a lovely filly.”
The second foal of her dam, she is a full sister to Rhea Moon, who was placed on both her starts this season for Ken Condon and will continue her racing career in America.
Second dam Livia Galilei is a Galileo full sister to the group 3 winner Eye of The Storm and a three-parts sister to Mohican Heights , who beat subsequent Ascot Gold Cup (G1) winner Subjectivist when winning the Longines Irish Champions Weekend E.B.F. Stonehenge Stakes last year.
A pair of Starspangledbanner fillies who were part of the supplementary catalog provided later highlights.
First up was a filly (Lot 719) from Kilcarn Park Stud and she had the benefit of a significant recent pedigree update as her 2-year-old Fast Company half sister Symphony Perfect won the Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F. Bosra Sham Stakes at Newmarket last Friday for Amo Racing and Richard Hannon. She had previously been third in Redcar’s listed 2-Year-Old Trophy.
Federico Barberini went to €68,000 ($78,823) to secure the third foal out of Irish Romance, a Rip Van Winkle half sister to the dam of Starspangledbanner’s 2020 Coolmore Caravaggio Tipperary Stakes winning daughter Dickiedooda .
Just two lots later Baroda Stud offered a Starspangledbanner filly (Lot 721) who is the first foal of the unraced Camelot mare Lavish, and she made €65,000 ($75,346) to Willie Browne.
Her third dam is a half sister to the group 1 winner and blue hen Park Appeal , Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks (G1) winner Alydaress , and William Hill Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) winner Desirable , dam of General Accident One Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Shadayid .
Now the sire of three individual group/grade 1 winners, Starspangledbanner was responsible for a quartet of fillies offered at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale and they sold for an average price of €57,875 ($67,086), which is more than three times the fee the 2010 Golden Jubilee Stakes (G1) and Darley July Cup (G1) winner commanded in 2019.
Facts, Figures, and Reflections
Wednesday’s aggregate figure of €2,928,900 ($3,395,090) was an astonishing increase of 580% on the equivalent session last year. The median and average also recorded incredible increases, with the average of €13,435 ($15,573) up 118%, while the median figure of €10,000 ($11,591) was an even 100% jump on the 2020 figure.
The two-day sale aggregate came to €6,080,400 ($7,048,220), with 431 of 471 lots offered being sold for a clearance rate of 92%. That was a vast improvement on the 2020 sale held online; the more comparable metrics were the average, which rose 119% to €14,108 ($16,353), and median, which at €9,000 ($10,432) was up 105%.
Of course the draft of Shadwell yearlings from Derrinstown Stud played their part in driving the unparalleled growth but, as Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby stated, even without them the sale would have recorded impressive statistics.
“Take them away and the two days still enjoyed a 76% rise in average and a 320% leap in turnover to clearly illustrate the strength throughout,” he said.
“The demand we enjoyed has been driven by a truly international buying bench, with a flood of overseas buyers headed by a 50-plus strong group from Eastern Europe and significant parties from Scandinavia, Germany, and Italy taking on spirited bidders from the UK and Ireland.”
Henry Beeby on the Goffs rostrum
Beeby took a moment to reflect on the poignant presence of the yearlings bred by Sheikh Hamdan, saying, “The highlight has been the one-off draft from Derrinstown, which accounted for 24% of takings, and we feel privileged to have handled these classy yearlings from the estate of the late Sheikh Hamdan, who was such a wonderful and respected supporter of our sales.
“His consignment would have graced any catalog and naturally dominated the leaderboard, with eight of the top ten prices.”
