Tag: Con Marnane

Goffs Orby Book 2 Recap: Daughter Of Night Of Thunder Leads Way At 140k

Goffs chief Henry Beeby acknowledged the selective nature of the trade at the re-branded Part 2 Goffs Orby Sale where a €140,000 Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly led the way on Friday when selling from Derrinstown Stud to Macie and Kishore Mirpuri.

That sale continued the theme of well-bred fillies commanding plenty of respect in the ring during Book 1 and Book 2 of this year's Orby Sale. 

Lot 955 was purchased by the Polish agent Kishore Mirpuri on behalf of Macie Jodlowski, the leading trainer in that jurisdiction. However, neither had time to chat, as they quickly nipped off to Dublin Airport to catch a flight home as soon as they signed the dotted line. 

There was no shortage of buyers at the upper end of the market but the middle to lower tiers remained patchy across both days of the Book 2 Sale. The statistics backed up such a statement. 

All told, the sale returned an aggregate of €8,097,500, representing a 22% fall from the Sportsman's Sale last year while the median fell 14% to €18,000 and the average dipped 7% to €23,136. Of the 464 horses offered, 350 were sold, representing a clearance rate of 75% [down from 86% in 2022]. 

Beeby commented, “Following an excellent Orby Book 1 headed by two millionaire lots it was always going to be a challenge to maintain such a vibrant trade in our rebranded Orby Book 2.

“Orby Book 2 is the successor to the Sportsman's Sale which has enjoyed many strong years, not least 12 months ago when it was headed by a superb €300,000 top price, grew by 49% with a 21% leap in average and the median advancing by nigh on a third over the 2021 edition. So to come anywhere near to those statistics is relatively pleasing and, in fact, today's figures represent the second best since the sale expanded to two days due to popular demand in 2019.”

He added, “All that said we would be bordering on deluded not to acknowledge the selective nature of the trade. Whereas those yearlings deemed to hold the most appeal were as hard as ever to buy, as demonstrated by more six-figure transactions and more over €75,000, there were plenty that struggled as evidenced by a less than pleasing clearance rate of 75%. It will be interesting to review the last two days at the end of the autumn sales season when more context will be available but I confess that we would have preferred a deeper buying bench from the UK and across Europe as was the case in 2022.

“So we will review the results of the sale with the benefit of time and reflection, and work with ITM to explore how to make the sale more attractive to overseas buyers who are so vital to the marketplace. We will also take soundings from breeders and vendors as to the format of the sale as a more select one day version may be preferable especially when we have the two/three day Autumn Sale in four weeks' time as a very viable alternative for those more commercial types.

“As ever I extend our thanks to every purchaser and each vendor for their support throughout the week. Both Books of the Irish National Yearling Sales exist to serve the Irish breeder and over €60 million of yearlings have been traded in Kildare Paddocks which is a fitting testament to the appeal of the world class Irish bloodlines that are nurtured with such skill and devotion in the spiritual home of the thoroughbred.”

King Of The Jungle Goes Back To The Well

Maurice Burns might want to send Con Marnane a Christmas card this year for all that he has done to promote Bungle Inthejungle (GB).

Or maybe it should work the other way around given the amount of luck that Marnane has enjoyed with the Rathasker Stud-based stallion?

The highlight came earlier this summer when Marnane sold Givemethebeatboys (Ire) to Bronsan Racing for £1.1 million at the Goffs London Sale.

Marnane once again reinvested in a family he knows well when landing a sister to Funny Money Honey (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) from Newlands House Stud for €95,000.

Marnane said, “It's more than likely we'll race her, that'll be the plan. She's a long-term broodmare prospect, and hopefully she's able to gallop.

“I'd say Pat Burns of Newlands House Stud is pound for pound the best breeder in Ireland. He only produces seven or eight horses each year and comes up with stakes horses time after time.”

 

 

Talking Points

  • There's an old saying that, if you give a busy man a job, he will get it done. That certainly applied to Goffs Senior Bloodstock Executive Conor Wixted, who enjoyed a profitable day with an Equiano (Fr) pinhook. Purchased alongside Goffs Bloodstock Executive Joan Tyner for just €6,500 here at the November Foal Sale, the Equiano colt (lot 936) rocked into €26,000 on Friday to BBA Ireland on behalf of Javier Maldonado. A brother to six winners, including the James's Delight (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}), who was placed in the Sportsman's Challenge, the Equiano colt was clearly well bought by the Goffs young guns. Hats off. 
  • Amy Lynam was another busy woman at Goffs this week. As well as signing for fillies by Kodiac (GB) and Dark Angel (Ire) to the tune of €125,000 in Book 1, she played a leading role at Book 2 when snapping up a James Garfield (Ire) filly (lot 989) on behalf of “a long-standing owner” of her father Eddie Lynam's who “wants a good horse.” Who doesn't?!
  • Cristiana Brivio of Razza Latina has enjoyed a profitable stint in Ireland in recent weeks. After signing for 14 yearlings for just shy of €400,000 at Tattersalls Ireland last week, the Italian buyer picked up on where she left off at Goffs with a further six purchases for €233,000.
  • It was interesting to see bloodstock agent Kevin Ross and Gavin Cromwell team up this week. Ross bought three horses on behalf of the multiple Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot-winning trainer at Book 2 for just under €70,000.
  • It has also been noticeable over the past two weeks that Johnny Murtagh is a huge supporter of the domestic yearling sales. Along with his right hand man and leading breeze-up consigner Eddie Linehan, Murtagh has signed for numerous yearlings at Tattersalls Ireland and this week at Goffs. His Book 2 haul at Goffs was headed by a Havana Grey (GB) filly (lot 914) on behalf of Nick Bradley Racing, for whom Murtagh has enjoyed good success with, courtesy of talented handicapper Wave Machine (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}). “We've had a bit of luck with Nick Bradley Racing this year,” Murtagh said. “This is the one he picked out and when we went down to see her all the lads loved her. She was the one we wanted today, she just cost a bit more than we expected! When the good ones come in, they're all making their money. I haven't trained one by Havana Grey before but he's doing well. You could see how many people were on her today.”

Buy of the Day

Kevin Ross was rewarded for staying to the bitter end when landing a nice Invincible Army (Ire) colt from Rossenarra Stud  [lot 1050] for just €28,000. It's hard to see a situation where that does not turn out to be decent value. 

A lovely-walking colt, he boasted plenty of size and substance and a good attitude to boot. He was followed into the ring by plenty of decent judges and looked like a racehorse.

Thought for the Day

Reading between the lines of Henry Beeby's statement following Part 2 of the Orby Sale, a smaller and more select catalogue could be in store next year. That would make sense given how things played out this week. 

In the defence of Goffs, it must be remembered that any agents who hoped to get some viewing done on day two of Orby Book 1 were stopped in their tracks due to the pretty vicious storm. Without having got around to all of the barns, they couldn't exactly leave lengthy lists for horses to be bought in Book 2. 

But all things considered, Goffs will no doubt be disappointed by the lack of a buying bench for those middle to lower tier horses. It will be interesting how trade is for horses in that bracket for the rest of the yearling sale season but perhaps a more streamlined version of Orby Book 2 would work best in future.

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Givemethebeatboys the Star of Goffs London Sale at £1.1m

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

“Everyone who is anyone” assembled at Kensington Palace ahead of one of the great weeks in world racing, and Goffs will be hoping that the star of its London Sale on Monday night will go on to be one of the stars of Tuesday afternoon at Royal Ascot. The G3 Marble Hill S. winner Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) led allcomers when sold for £1,100,000 to Con and Neil Sands of Bronsan Racing. He will remain in training with Jessica Harrington and heads almost immediately to the G2 Coventry S.

Generally 10/3 third-favourite for the Coventry, Givemethebeatboys is set to be ridden by Frankie Dettori but he will not now carry the colours of Theresa Marnane, whose husband Con and daughter Amy bought the dual winner for just €11,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale last November.

Amy Marnane said, “It's completely surreal, really, to buy Givemethebeatboys for €11,000 and then for him to not get into a breeze-up sale, and then to go on to win his maiden so impressively at Navan, and then to win the Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh. It was won by Blackbeard last year, and has been won by Caravaggio, it's a fantastic race to win.”

She continued, “Goffs put on such a show. Everybody who is anybody is here and we just hope that the horse goes on to win the Coventry tomorrow. Mrs Harrington and Kate Harrington have been a huge part of this horse's career and they are so excited to see him run tomorrow, which gives us huge confidence in him.”

Kate Harrington confirmed that the colt will return to her family's stable. She said, “We're delighted for Bronsan Racing to have bought such an exciting horse in Givemethebeatboys and let's hope he can go and do them justice in the Coventry. He will stay in training with us after Ascot which is very exciting.”

The Marnanes will not be without a runner at Royal Ascot, however, as they retained the recent Tipperary winner Supersonic Man (GB), another son of Bungle Inthejungle who is declared for Wednesday's Windsor Castle S., at £270,000.

“He'll go close,” said a delighted Con Marnane, while his daughter added, “We didn't sell Supersonic Man but we are very excited to see what he can do on Wednesday. He's not just a small, sharp two-year-old, he's a big, robust horse who will go on and hopefully we'll have a lot of fun with him throughout the summer.”

It was nine years ago that the racing crowd first descended on London on the eve of Royal Ascot for the sale of a select group of Thoroughbreds, plenty of whom had some smart entries for the week ahead. It is a unique concept in Europe, and as much a lavish cocktail party as it is a horse sale. But since that inaugural event of 2014, the boutique auction, which has been tweaked and trimmed in the process, has sold 148 lots for just shy of £37 million. That tally was boosted by the £3,770,000 bid on Monday, when, from 21 lots offered, including breeding rights to Havana Grey (GB) and Soldier's Call (GB), 11 were sold at an average of £342,727 and median of £250,000.

Other highlights of the sale include:

  • No Nay Mets (Ire) won a Royal Ascot qualifying race on his sole start at Gulfstream Park for trainer George Weaver and Bergman Family Racing.  Not only has he had his airfare paid by Ascot Racecourse, but he has now netted his owners £800,000 before even setting foot on a racecourse again. The No Nay Never colt, who was bred by Coolmore and sold as a yearling by Baroda Stud at Arqana for €180,000, was bought by Liam Culman's Tuckernuck Stables.
  • Gai Waterhouse has supported the Goffs London Sale since its inaugural year and she and co-trainer Adrian Bott purchased two lots on Monday assisted by bloodstock agent Johnny McKeever. The first, bought in partnership with Craig Thompson's Mount Hallowell Stud, was Cuban Dawn (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), bought for £300,000 from his breeder Jim Bolger and co-owner Teme Valley Racing. The three-year-old colt has finished second in two of his three starts during May, having made his debut in the Listed Tetrarch S., in which he was fourth behind subsequent Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). Teme Valley was also the co-owner, with Ballylinch Stud, of Waterhouse's other purchase, New Endeavour (Ire). The New Bay (GB) gelding was sold for £260,000 and is entered for both the Britannia and the Buckingham Palace S. on Thursday for Roger Varian.
  • Ocean Vision (Ire) (U S Navy Flag) was knocked down to Marquee Bloodstock, with bloodstock agent Martin Buick acting on behalf of Ramiro Restrepo, best known for purchasing Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). It is understood that the three-year-old will remain with his trainer Tim Donworth in France for the immediate future but the plan is for the colt to continue his career in America. Ocean Vision, who was sold for £250,000, was one of three French-trained horses to be offered at the sale. He won the Listed Prix de Pontarme in May among his four victories from 10 starts for Jonathon Kirkland and Geraldine Ryan.
  • Joseph O'Brien's useful dual-purpose campaigner Nusret (GB) was knocked down at £300,000 to Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud, who also owns his sire Golden Horn (GB). The four-year-old, a multiple winner on the Flat and over hurdles for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, holds an entry for Friday's Duke of Edinburgh S.
  • Breeding rights to last year's champion first-season sire Havana Grey and one of this season's leading lights of the freshman division, Soldier's Call, were offered at the start of the sale. They were bought respectively for £205,000 by China Horse Club and £80,000 by Oliver St Lawrence.

Speaking at the conclusion of the London Sale, Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby said, “We are delighted with today's London Sale, which saw strong demand from an international audience capped by a dream result for the connections of Givemethebeatboys. We are delighted for the Marnane family and wish new owners Bronsan Racing the very best of luck in the Coventry Stakes tomorrow. The chance to offer the dream of a Royal Ascot runner is very special, and everyone at Goffs will be shouting as loud as anybody for Givemethebeatboys, or indeed any of the other Ascot runners from today's sale, over the next few days.”

He added, “For Goffs to be here in the grounds of Kensington Palace welcoming so many friends and colleagues from international racing is something we are very proud of.  It's what we're all about – the business of buying and selling top-class horses but making it as enjoyable a process as possible. Of course we cannot deliver an event of this level without the incredible support of our partners and I wish to thank our title sponsor Privat 3 Money who have helped bring the sale to a new level, along with Ascot, Chateau Leoube, Ampito and IYC who have been tremendous supporters of the London Sale for many years now, while we were delighted to welcome two new partners this year in Aston Martin and Hofmeister.”



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‘It’s Been A Hard Time But We’ll Get Through It – The Horses Give Everyone A Lift’

At first there are tears and then the words come tumbling out. 

“We got a bit of bad news before the Curragh,” Con Marnane explains. “Theresa's cancer is back again. That's why the whole thing was so emotional.”

Theresa is Con's wife and it is her yellow and black silks, made famous by Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) winning the Albany, that were carried to that stirring victory in the G3 Marble Hill S. by Givemethebeatboys (Ire) at Irish racing's HQ.

He is one of two Royal Ascot-bound Bungle Inthejungle (GB) colts that the family have in training with Jessica Harrington, the other being the speedy Supersonic Man (GB), and never has there been more significance behind a Marnane runner at the meeting they adore.

“It's still very raw,” Con starts. “Theresa had cancer 10 years ago but unfortunately it's back again. We only got the news the day before the Goresbridge Sale and then we had to go and face into that at Fairyhouse. 

“That's why Givemethebeatboys winning at the Curragh was so amazing because we had only found out that week. It was very emotional, especially with what Jessie is going through as well. “For some of us, it's been a very, very hard time. But I'll tell you something, those animals are amazing, those horses are just so special. They give everyone a lift.”

It's not just the horses that Con can count on to lift spirits. Similarly to when the industry rallied around Harrington after she shared the news of her breast cancer battle, the outpouring of well wishes and support to the Marnanes has been overwhelming. 

“I have so many top-class friends in this business. It's special. There are some great people in this game and it's a massive help. But we'll get through it. Theresa is very tough and she works as hard as anyone else does here in the yard. We'll get through it.”

Con may be the face of Bansha House Stables, and you won't find many better or more enthusiastic about what he does, but make no mistake, this is a family-run operation and daughters Amy and Olivia are no bit-part players. 

“It touches at the heartstrings and it's great to have the family unit involved. Amy does the buying and Olivia does the riding out in Jessie's. It was Amy who picked out Givemethebeatboys at the sales. 

“She absolutely loved him as a yearling and he was actually our pick of the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale at Doncaster. Unfortunately the horse had a foot abscess at the sales and the Brickley brothers [Tom and David of Ard Erin Stud] had to withdraw the horse. 

“We tried to do a deal there and then but it didn't happen. But then the horse turned up at the Autumn Yearling Sale at Goffs and we bought him there for €11,000.”

Marnane added, “Olivia started working at Jessie's last year. She's in college in Dublin and wanted somewhere to ride out in the mornings. I said to her, 'why don't you try Jessie?' She fell in love with the place when she went in there and the Harringtons have been so good to her. I said we'd send them up a couple of horses as a result and one of those turned out to be Funny Money Honey (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). She was a revelation. She won a listed race and was third in another listed race up at the Curragh. We sold her very well to America and did the same again this year by sending up a few two-year-olds for Jessie to train for us.”

Funny Money Honey cost just €11,500 as a yearling and fetched 165,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale last year. Givemethebeatboys and Supersonic Man are also now worth many multiples of what the Marnanes handed over for the colts and the excitement is building for their appearance at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of the royal meeting. 

“The Goffs London Sale is effectively a shop window for us,” Marnane explains. “Henry [Beeby] and his team do a great job in making it all happen. They move mountains in order to let horses run in their new owner's colours at Royal Ascot and it's a sale that has been lucky for us in the past. We sold Forever In Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) there [for £430,000] in 2019 and she came out and finished second in the Commonwealth Cup just a few days later. There will be a lot of emotion at Ascot next week and a lot of people will be very interested in these two horses at the sales because they are so special. They are going there with serious chances.”

Givemethebeatboys and Supersonic Man will be joined at the Goffs London Sale by Bansha House graduates Rush Queen (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) and Tiger Belle (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), both of whom have won maidens for trainer Ado McGuinness after their purchase at the breeze-up sales by Stephen Thorne on behalf of the Shamrock Thoroughbred Syndicate. 

Rush Queen cost 50,000gns at the Craven while Tiger Belle fetched £70,000 at Doncaster. In the grand scheme of things, it's not what you'd call breaking the bank for two Royal Ascot contenders, and in many ways their sale prices illustrate an up-and-down year for Marnane at the breeze-ups. 

Fleeting Spirit (Ire), Prince Of Lir (Ire), Rio De La Plata and Sands Of Mali (Fr) are just a handful of recognisible names that have graduated through Marnane's system but the leading source of talent says that he is paying a penalty for the fact that his horses don't break the clock in their breeze. 

He explained, “The breeze-ups have gone very difficult. Our horses are not drilled to do two furlongs. I'm sorry, they're not. But it's amazing, their last two furlongs are usually their best! 

“There's too much emphasis on times. It's not my way of doing it. Call me old-fashioned. Maybe I'm an old-fashioned horseman or something like that, but that's the way we do it and I'm not changing. I want our horses to be racehorses. I want them to go into their new trainers and new owners and to be lovely and relaxed. And when they are asked to go, they go. 

“But fair play to Ado and Stephen, they stood up and they bought those horses. There was a big shortage of trainers at the sales but look what can happen when they do turn up. If you want to go to Royal Ascot, and there's only one Royal Ascot, you need to turn up at the sales.”

Givemethebeatboys has shortened into a general 8-1 chance for the Coventry with the news Frankie Dettori has been booked to take the ride. Supersonic Man will take his chance in the Windsor Castle rather than the Norfolk and, if either colt was to enter the winner's enclosure, chaos is guaranteed. 

“There is just no feeling like Royal Ascot,” Marnane says. “It's a pure adrenaline rush to have a runner over there and it would be so exciting for everybody involved if the horses were to run well. 

“It's not just for me, it's for my team here. There's a core group of people who have been with us for 30 years, the likes of Mike O'Brien, John Crosse, who breaks in all the horses, Danny and Emma in the office. 

“Then we have our operation in France and the guys in France come over here for the spring to get the horses ready so it's a big team effort. And for Jessica and Kate and the whole Harrington team, there will be a lot of emotion at Ascot next week. It would be just out of this world if it were to happen. Hopefully we can give everyone something to shout about.”

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Dettori To Ride Harrington’s Givemethebeatboys In Coventry Stakes

Share prices in Jessica Harrington's Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}), a leading G2 Coventry S. contender, took a spike on Thursday with the news that legendary jockey Frankie Dettori would take the ride on the colt at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Givemethebeatboys, a gritty winner of the G3 Marble Hill S. at the Curragh when last seen, will be offered up for sale by his owner Con Marnane at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of the race.

He is not the only horse that Marnane and Harrington will offer at the sale–Supersonic Man (Ire), another Bungle Inthejungle colt, who will be aimed at the Norfolk or Windsor Castle, will also go under the hammer. 

Both colts would have been ridden by Harrington's stable jockey Shane Foley had he not suffered a broken collarbone at Gowran Park earlier this month. 

Foley described himself as “gutted” when revealing that he was facing a six-week layoff due to the injury last week and, when relaying that Dettori had been booked to ride Givemethebeatboys on Thursday morning, Harrington acknowledged that missing one of the biggest meetings of the year would be a tough pill for her regular rider to swallow. 

Harrington said, “We've got Frankie to ride Givemethebeatboys. It's great. Listen, if he thinks the horse is good enough for him to ride in a race like the Coventry, that's absolutely fantastic news for us.”

She added, “It's going to be very tough for Shane. He's missed winners already and, you know, the first thing he said to me when he broke his collarbone was, 'there's my championship gone.' That was the first thing. 

“But look, it could have been a lot worse. He's doing well and he comes to see the horse work. I know that it must be very hard on him but he is great and is a key cog in the wheel. He's coming over for the sale on Monday.”

Marnane couldn't hide his delight about securing Dettori for the colt he sourced for just €11,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale. Speaking ahead of a feature interview with TDN Europe that will be published in Saturday's edition, Marnane labelled Givemethebeatboys as “a very special horse” and one who “has a serious chance” in the Coventry before echoing Harrington's sentiments about Foley.

He said, “We're delighted to have been able to secure Frankie–he knows a thing or two about Ascot, doesn't he? It's very tough on Shane, though, as he's been brilliant on the horse in his two starts to date. Let's hope we can provide everyone with something to shout about next week.”

Givemethebeatboys came through his final piece of work on Thursday morning with flying colours, according to Harrington, who revealed that she has a team of 10 or 12 horses to run next week. 

She said, “Givemethebeatboys worked this morning and he worked great. Couldn't be better. Everyone seems to be very happy with him. I think we've got 10 to 12 runners for Royal Ascot depending on who gets into what. That's a very big team for me.”

Asked to nominate what horses she was most looking forward to running along with Givemethebeatboys, Harrington, who will be in attendance, replied, “Well I'm looking forward to running Irish Lullaby if she gets into the Copper Horse Handicap. Then I've got Sounds Of Heaven and Village Voice at the end of the week, not to mention Ocean Quest. It's a nice team.

“I'm feeling great at the moment. Hopefully everything goes well and I will be there for the sale on Monday and for the racing on Tuesday. We'll see how the rest of the week goes. It all depends on how I am. It would be something else if the horse was to run a big race on Tuesday.”

 

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