Dubawi | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bold Pinhook Paces Book 1 Opener

By Emma Berry and Kelsey Riley

NEWMARKET, UK–Philipp Stauffenberg is well known for being a pretty fearless pinhooker but he surpassed even his own decent results of the recent past when selling a full-sister to Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) to Cheveley Park Stud for 825,000gns. A further compliment to the filly's family was paid by having the team from Juddmonte as underbidders, and this type of scenario was in Stauffenberg's mind when he paid €260,000 for lot 110 at Goffs last December.

“She was a very good physical but on top of that she is an outcross for most of the big owner/breeders, and that is what we saw with Cheveley Park Stud taking on Juddmonte,” he said. “This is just one step though, the racecourse is the primary goal. It is wonderful to see Mrs Thompson investing in the future in a filly like this. She is not a horse in training, Mrs Thompson will have to wait for her until at least next year, but it is very encouraging for the industry.”

As well as having the G2 Coventry S. winner and G1 Dewhurst S. runner-up as a brother, the filly's other full-sibling is the GII Mrs Revere S. winner Nay Lady Nay, while the further family also includes Group 1 winners Dabirsim (Fr) and Sea Of Class (Ire). The filly's dam Ederle (English Channel) is herself a daughter of G1 Oaks d'Italia victrix Bright Generation (Ire) (Rainbow Quest).

Patricia Thompson, who outbid Simon Mockridge of Juddmonte, admitted that she has bought the Stephen Sullivan-bred filly as an early Christmas present to herself, but it is a gift with plenty of upside for her Newmarket stud.

“She's a lovely filly and she's a nice outcross,” said the Cheveley Park Stud owner. “She should be a very good purchase for the stud, and hopefully on the racecourse as well. We've always strived to have quality, so we're just trying to prune and buy a bit of quality. It's the only way to go.”

No Nay Never, whose leading winners this year include the classy fillies Alcohol Free (Ire) and Zain Claudette (Ire), was quickly back in the spotlight when Mick Kinane went to €475,000 for lot 114, a colt out of the G1 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Laganore (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Sold by The Castlebridge Consigment for breeder Newtown Anner Stud, the colt's half-brother Real Dream (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) was sold for 430,000gns at this sale last year.

Maurice Regan's Newtown Anner Stud also sold lot 141, a Dubawi (Ire) colt out of a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Simply Perfect (Ire) (Danehill) for 600,000gns to Godolphin.

Despite there being no millionaire lots, the opening day of Book 1 had a solid feel, with a notable 27% rise in median to 152,500gns. The average dropped slightly by 6% to 210,008gns, with a total of 25,201,000gns being raised from the sale of 120 of the 134 lots offered for an unchanged clearance rate of 78%.

A Trio For Juddmonte

In a sad year for the bloodstock industry with the loss of major owner/breeders Prince Khalid Abdullah, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and David Thompson, further encouragement can be drawn from Juddmonte's selective investment in the yearling market. Having been outbid by Patricia Thompson for the No Nay Never filly, Simon Mockridge held sway when in pursuit of the Dubawi filly out of German Group 2 winner Longina (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). Offered as lot 127 by Newsells Park Stud, the filly from Gestut Ittlingen's top-class family of Lauro (Ger) and Lando (Ger) brought the hammer down at 800,000gns.

“The No Nay Never was a beautiful filly. We were strong on her but not strong enough, but it is nice to see Mrs Thompson here. This is also a very nice filly by Dubawi, who for us is a great outcross for stallions like Kingman and Frankel,” said Mockridge.

“The positive news is that Prince Khalid's family want to continue to develop Juddmonte and we need to buy some outcross fillies, and that is the reason why we are here. The No Nay Never and this Dubawi filly fitted the bill perfectly.”

He continued, “It has been a tough year losing Prince Khalid, but the family is committed to the future. The prince left us with a great legacy and it is there for us to drive forward. Fortunately we have a strong stallion base, we are very fortunate to have Frankel and Kingman, that is number one, it keeps us going, we just need to refresh a little bit.”

Bred on the same cross as Godolphin's G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Wild Illusion (GB), the April-foaled filly was bred by Al Shahania Stud, whose interests in Europe are managed by Arnault Leraitre and Bertrand Le Metayer.

“They deserve all the credit,” said Newsells Park Stud's Julian Dollar. “We have five yearlings in the draft for Al Shahania and they arrived with us looking fantastic. They have been with us for 10 weeks and we've just put a bit of polish on them.”

In addition to the Dubawi filly, Juddmonte also bought two fillies by their freshman sire Expert Eye (GB), including lot 113, a half-sister to the Group 3 winners Brown Sugar (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and Burnt Sugar (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Bought as a foal from breeder Ballylinch Stud for €180,000 by Yeomanstown Stud, she was resold at 290,000gns.

“We bought two very nice Expert Eye fillies,” said Mockridge. “The one from Barouche Stud is a very nice filly–well made, very strong and active. And the other from Yeomanstown we were underbidders on as a foal.”

Given A Great Start

Many of the yearlings at Book 1 represent generations of careful nurturing by their breeders, and this was certainly the case for lot 49, the first foal of G1 Premio Lydia Tesio winner God Given (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who won four group races for her breeder Andrew Stone of St Albans Bloodstock before returning to her birthplace of Whatton Manor Stud. Those same Nottinghamshire paddocks have also been home to her grandam, the former Irish champion 2-year-old and Group 1 winner Bianca Nera (GB), and dam Ever Rigg (GB) (Dubai Destination), whose other offspring include four-time Group 1 winner and sire Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

God Given's initial mating with Lope De Vega (Ire) produced a colt who was one of the standouts of the day and will eventually race in the Godolphin blue, having been bought by Anthony Stroud at 725,000gns.

“We have always aspired to have horses nice enough to bring to Book 1,” said Ed Player of Whatton Manor Stud. “Andrew Stone has entrusted us with God Given–we had Bianca Nera here years ago so it has come full circle to get God Given back again.”

He added, “That's the highest price we've had for a yearling and we're delighted with that. He is such a good-moving horse, he walks for fun and hasn't put a foot wrong since he arrived here.”

Five lots later Whatton Manor Stud also sold Rabbah Bloodstock's son of Sea The Stars (Ire) out of a winning Shamardal half-sister to 1000 Guineas winner Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Offered as lot 54, he was bought for 260,000gns by Roger Varian.

“It's always great when a horse goes to a good trainer,” Player continued. “That's what it's all about, what they do on the racecourse, so it's very important. The colts were two very good first foals and the team at home have done such a good job preparing them for the sale.”

Ballylinch Stud's Lope De Vega is well represented in Book 1 with 44 yearlings catalogued. Fifteen sold during the first session for an average of 264,000gns and included a filly from Longview Stud, who was also bought by Godolphin for 475,000gns. Lot 64 is out of How (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-sister to a pair of Classic winners in Minding (Ire) and Empress Josephine (Ire).

Dubawi Colt To Propel MyRacehorse Europe

MyRacehorse.com was launched into the racing elite in the U.S. when Authentic (Into Mischief) won the 2020 GI Kentucky Derby, providing the more than 5,300 investors who owned a 12.5% share in the colt the ultimate ownership experience. The microshare syndicate has since soared in popularity in the U.S.; it expanded to Australia earlier this year, and the next frontier is Europe. MyRacehorse purchased the third yearling for its European stable at Tattersalls on Tuesday, spending 450,000gns on Watership Down Stud's Dubawi (Ire) colt out of dual Group 3 winner J Wonder (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) (lot 81).

A $300,000 Keeneland November foal, J Wonder was raced by Andrew Rosen and won the G3 Fred Darling S. and G3 Oak Tree S. at three for trainer Brian Meehan before joining Shug McGaughey for a short stint in the U.S. Returning to Britain for her broodmare career, J Wonder produced for Rosen a Dubawi colt that fetched 850,000gns at this sale in 2018 and, named Boccaccio (Ire), was listed-placed for Godolphin. The mare's second foal, Gal Wonder (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), has won this year, and she had a Kingman filly in 2021 before being covered by Wootton Bassett (GB). J Wonder is a full-sister to the G1 Matron S. winner Chachamaidee (Ire), and their second dam is Legend Maker (Ire), the dam of G1 1000 Guineas victress Virginia Waters.

MyRacehorse Managing Partner Jules Pittam and Director of Operations Kate Hardy were at Park Paddocks on Tuesday, and Hardy said, “we loved this horse as soon as we saw him. He has a real presence about him. Dubawis are really classy horses and he's a nice type. He is quite strong with a nice topline and looks like he'll be sharp.”

“Dubawi is one of the best sires in the world and J Wonder has already produced a full-brother who is listed-placed,” she added. “What MyRacehorse is trying to do is provide elite bloodstock at an accessible level to our owners, so he really fit the bill.”

While plans are not yet set in stone for the bay, the MyRacehorse team is hoping he could be bound for Kingsclere.

“At this stage, Andrew Balding makes a lot of sense,” Hardy said. “That isn't confirmed but that's the direction we're looking in right now. He's going to be our first colt in training here in the UK, so we would be pretty excited to have a trainer like Andrew on board.”

MyRacehorse signed for a daughter of Zoffany (Ire) for €170,000 at Goffs Orby for its European stable who is bound for Joseph O'Brien, and a Mendelssohn filly bought at Keeneland September for $300,000 will also be crossing the Atlantic. Hardy said the first three yearlings purchased for the microshare syndicate to race in Europe will be available to investors by the end of 2021.

“By the end of the year we are hoping to launch MyRacehorse in Europe,” she said. “We will launch with the three yearlings we've purchased this year that have been chosen by our head of bloodstock and racing Roderick Wachman, so the bill is filled. The plan is to syndicate these horses on our microshare platform. We average about 1,200 owners per horse in the United States, and that's probably what we'll aim for here as well.

“We're really excited to launch here in Europe. The MyRacehorse story started in the U.S. where we had Authentic win the 2020 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic. We now have over 60 horses in training, and we launched in Australia in April, so Europe seemed like the next most appropriate market.”

Hardy said the deep-seated connection of Europeans with horses made it an obvious next frontier for MyRacehorse.

“It's a model that works in America so well; it's great to be able to bring people from all over such a large country in on one horse that they can cheer for together,” she said. “We really thought the European market would be a good market to come into because there is already such a huge demographic that loves racing. The horse here is such a part of the history and the culture so we felt that if we could offer a way for fans to get involved at an ownership level, it could really take off. Growing the number of people who get to experience the thrill of ownership is our main objective and we think there is quite a fan base here that would really enjoy MyRacehorse.”

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New Face, Same Philosophies For Top Tatts Vendor

Newsells Park Stud has become one of the most steadfast sights of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale-being, as it has, leading vendor at Book 1 for the past three years, and five of the past eight years–and while many of the familiar faces behind the stud remain the same, it has in fact undergone some significant changes this year, with entrepreneur Graham Smith-Bernal having purchased Newsells Park in June from the Jacobs family.

Not that Newsells Park is new at all to Smith-Bernal-he had been a client of the stud for a handful of years, boarding his small broodmare band there before the opportunity came along to expand his bloodstock interests in a major way.

“Fortunately, Graham had enjoyed being an owner at Newsells because he decided to buy the stud when the opportunity came along,” said Newsells General Manager Julian Dollar. “That was very fortunate. He's a very nice guy, he's incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about it, which is so important.”

Newsells Park has a storied history that dates back to 1086, and the Newsells that we know today was incorporated by Klaus Jacobs in 2000. Jacobs's German influence is still very much prevalent in the bloodstock that emanates from the stud today, and Dollar noted that Smith-Bernal and his wife, Marcela, have become fully immersed in the experience.

“Graham and Marcela have became enchanted with Newsells Park–the grounds, the paddocks and the land–and they're spending a lot of time here, which is wonderful,” he said. “They really enjoy that additional benefit of the place; not just the horses and the fact that it's a business, but they're enjoying that it's a beautiful place to live. They've really embraced the stud and everything about it.”

Smith-Bernal stressed in a TDN interview in June that he is not looking to reinvent the highly successful wheel when it comes to Newsells Park, but that he is keen to explore branching out into other areas, in particular breeding and racing partnerships.

“I know he is interested in partnerships and I think he has a lot of friends and acquaintances that have been investors with him along the way in his businesses, and they're keen to support and they're interested in racing and breeding,” Dollar said. “A lot of them have been to see Newsells and really enjoyed that. I think there is a possibility that will happen, but there is no firm deadline. It might happen this year, it might wait until next year.

“While Graham continues to get his feet under the desk and understand the place, things remain pretty much as before. He'll gently tweak things as he goes along based on what he enjoys and what he'd like to see the stud do. He loves his racing and he'll be around to enjoy his racing so there is maybe the possibility that we'll be able to retain a couple more fillies than we have in the past. I think we all see partnerships as something quite important to the future, so I could see that happening and he's enthusiastic to welcome friends, acquaintances and business investors into that.”

The first order of business, however, will be the Tattersalls October yearling sales, and for Book 1 alone Newsells Park brings 29 yearlings, 19 of which are siblings to stakes horses and 19 of which are out of stakes mares.

Newsells's commercial star during the past decade-a reputation that has been upheld by her progeny on the racecourse-has certainly been Shastye (Ire) (Danehill), the dam of Group 1 winners Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (1.3-million gns) and Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (3.4-million gns), G2 Middleton S. winner and triple Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), G3 International S. winner Sir Isaac Newton (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (3.6-million gns) and listed winner Maurus (GB) (Medicean {GB}). Shastye's current 2-year-old filly by Galileo (Ire), now named Skylark (GB), cost MV Magnier 3.4-million gns at Book 1 last year, and while the mare doesn't have a yearling or foal of 2021, two of her daughters feature with yearlings in the Newsells consignment.

Dollar noted that 20-year-old Shastye was scanned in foal to Dubawi early in the season, and she has an important scan in the coming weeks.

“We have three daughters of Shastye, which is wonderful,” Dollar said. “Shastye is going to be checked next week; last year we scanned 95 mares on the stud for the October 1 checks and 94 of them were in foal, so it was a bit sad that the one that wasn't in foal was probably the most important mare that we have on the stud, Shastye. But she is, we hope, back in foal to Dubawi and I hope that we might get one, if not two, more babies out of her. She looks fantastic, she is getting on these days but she doesn't look like an old mare–she looks 15, 16 tops. She looks great and I'm hopeful we could get one or two more.”

Lot 260 is a Lope De Vega (Ire) filly and the first foal out of Shastye's daughter Secret Gaze, who cost Qatar Bloodstock 1.35-million gns at Book 1 in 2016. Secret Gaze didn't make it to the racetrack, and her first foal is bred by Qatar Bloodstock in partnership with Newsells Park.

“Secret Gaze probably reminds me the most of Shastye,” Dollar said. “She had some problems in training as a 2-year-old and never really overcame those. This is her first foal, and there's lots of mum and plenty of dad in her. People that have seen her on the farm seem to like her, and I like her; she has a good step to her and an honest way about her. She just wants to please and she's been a delight to do anything with. But that's the whole family.”

Following Secret Gaze's filly through the ring as lot 261 is a Kingman (GB) filly who is the third foal out of Secret Sense, a winning daughter of Shastye.

“Secret Sense is a proper, big Shamardal mare and this girl is rather magnificent,” Dollar said. “She has a great way about her, a great step to her and a great character.”

There will be few individuals at Park Paddocks on Thursday morning around 11 a.m. under as much pressure as Dollar will be, as Newsells sends the first three lots of the day through the ring, and four of the first 10.

“It's going to be a bit of a nightmare,” Dollar admitted, but, as far as nightmares go, even he would admit it is more of a daydream considering the quality of those four yearlings. First up is lot 336, a Dubawi (Ire) half-sister to the 2019 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner and four-time Group 1 scorer Waldgeist (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as well as the group winners Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and Waldkonig (GB) (Kingman {GB}) out of the G3 Prix Penelope scorer Waldlerche (GB) Monsun {Ger}). Waldlied's first foal, a colt by Kingman (GB), is next up as lot 337, while lot 338 is a Sea The Stars (Ire) colt out of the German listed winner Waldnah (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who is a half-sister to Waldlerche. Lot 346 is John and Tanya Gunther's full-brother to G1 St James's Palace S. winner and young Newsells sire Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

The three 'W' family yearlings are extra special to Newsells as they descend from Waldmark (Ger) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), who was bought as a foal by Klaus Jacobs and was the first horse he purchased for Newsells after buying the stud in 2000.

“It's nice for us now to have developed a couple generations of that family,” Dollar said. “We haven't always had the opportunity to do that because we've been so commercial.”

Newsells raced Waldlerche, the fifth foal out of the Classic-producing Waldmark, in partnership with Deitrich von Boetticher's Gestut Ammerland, and they too teamed up with Waldgeist, who was her first foal, and are co-breeders of the mare's Dubawi filly.

“What I think is so interesting about this mare is that every foal she produces has a bit of her and a bit of the stallion,” Dollar said. “This filly is absolutely no exception. She's probably one of the stronger fillies that this mare has produced. She's very much Dubawi– very strong, powerfully built, a very tidy model–and yet you have mum's colour, head, and a lot of mum's characteristics.

“She does have a very good mind; we know Waldlerche throws horses with very good temperaments, otherwise they wouldn't be good racehorses, and Dubawi is extraordinary for the temperament he passes on. We own her in partnership, but we felt we had to disperse the partnership; Dietrich wasn't particularly keen to race her because he might be cutting back a bit. We'll be there to support her; we're not going to let a filly like that just go, but she might be too valuable for us to race, unfortunately.”

Waldlied is the second foal out of Waldlerche, and though her record reads well as the winner of the G2 Prix de Malleret in only four starts, Dollar said there is more than what meets the eye.

“She won the Prix de Malleret but if you watch it she won it in a canter,” Dollar said. “The jockey didn't move and she won by four or five lengths. I know Andre Fabre thought the world of her and he thought she was a filly we'd supplement to the Arc that year. We didn't because sadly she did a tendon and never came back from that.”

Dollar admitted Waldlied's Kingman colt, likewise bred in partnership with Ammerland, will not be on the lists for those shopping for a Royal Ascot 2-year-old.

“This guy is a big, strong horse; he's magnificent,” Dollar said. “I think he has some x-factor about him. He's not going to be winning a Royal Ascot 2-year-old race, that's for sure, but hopefully his future is more exciting than that as a 3-year-old.

“If you think about who is the best or the second-best son of Kingman, you'd have to say it's Persian King. We have Persian King's dam here and I know what Persian King looked like, and they're not dissimilar. He wouldn't be beautiful, but he's a rather fine, handsome horse and he has a great athletic step on him. To be fair, if I showed you the mare you'd understand the yearling a bit better. She's about 17 hands, she's very long and in deference to her–she is the most lovely person so I couldn't be rude about her– but she doesn't have the prettiest noggin, as they'd say in America. She's the most lovely character you could ever deal with, but she's not pretty.”

Lot 338, the Sea The Stars colt out of Waldnah, has had a few important updates since the catalogue was printed; the mare's first two foals, both sons of Le Havre (Ire), have won, with the 2-year-old Wanees (GB) an exciting prospect for Shadwell, which bought him for 325,000gns at Tattersalls last year. Wanees broke his maiden at Ascot on Sept. 4 and followed up in a Salisbury novice race last Thursday.

“The Waldnah/Sea The Stars is a lovely horse,” Dollar said. “They think quite a bit of the 2-year-old, Wanees, who is with Charlie Hills. We are very passionate about that family. We wanted to get a Le Havre filly out of the mare, we tried twice but we didn't get lucky. Sea The Stars is a mating we really wanted to try, too.”

Dollar and the Newsells team won't have much time to digest the results of the 'W' yearlings before another of their big-ticket offerings enters the ring, the full-brother to Without Parole, who is the ninth foal out of the Gunthers' Without You Babe (Lemon Drop Kid), who has also produced the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner and young sire Tamarkuz (Speightstown) as well as the American listed winner and Grade III-placed She's Got You (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Without You Babe's most recent progeny to see a sales ring was her 2018 Dubawi colt, who was bought by Kevin Ryan on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid for 1-million gns at this sale.

“He's just a beast,” Dollar said of Without Parole's full-brother. “He's not as beautiful as Without Parole-Without Parole is just such a lovely looking horse. But he's magnificent. He's incredibly strong. He looks very much like an American turf horse. I'd be amazed if the guys coming over from the States didn't zoom in on him.”

Without Parole won the St James's Palace S. while unbeaten in 2018. He joined Chad Brown in the States as a 4-year-old and while he didn't manage to pick up another win, he did place in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at four and the GI Shoemaker Mile and GI Shadwell Turf Mile at five despite meeting trouble in running on numerous occasions. He stood his first season at Newsells Park this year, covering just shy of 100 mares for £10,000 apiece.

“He's been well received, not really surprisingly,” Dollar said. “He's a Group 1-winning miler by Frankel, who looks like he might be the horse to succeed Galileo, if any horse ever could really succeed Galileo.”

Fifteen yearlings by Galileo grace Book 1, and Newsells Park offers a filly by the late, great champion sire (lot 365) who is the first foal out of the G2 Duke Of Cambridge and G3 Atalanta S. scorer Aljazzi (GB) (Shamardal), who Newsells bought for 1-million gns from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale of 2018.

“The Galileo filly is an absolute belter, she's just lovely,” Dollar said. “She's beautifully balanced, walks beautifully and looks a real racehorse.”

Dollar also nominated a Dubawi filly who is the first foal out of German Group 3 winner Peace In Motion (Hat Trick {Jpn}) as being “very special.” Newsells offers five fillies on behalf of Al Shahania Stud, including a Dubawi filly out of G2 Diana Trial winner Longina (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) (lot 127), and a Siyouni (Fr) colt for that breeder out of G1 Cheveley Park S. winner and stakes producer Vorda (Fr) (Orpen) (lot 333).

“They're exceptionally nice horses, a very strong, level bunch with a few extra special ones,” said Dollar of the draft. Referring to Newsells's sale-topping filly out of Shastye last year, he added modestly, “I don't have a 3.4-million guineas filly, but we have some lovely horses. I just hope they all go there in one piece and that there are enough people there that like them and want to buy them and that our clients are happy with the prices they make. It's a nerve-wracking time and I'm always a bit anxious about these things, but I'm hopeful.”

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€1.2-Million Goffs Foal Topper Set For Debut

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features the top lot of the 2019 Goffs November Foal Sale.

13.10 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, 8fT
Godolphin's hitherto unraced AL NAFIR (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Charlie Appleby trainee, topped the sheets when knocked down for €1.2-million at Goffs's 2019 November Foal Sale and is a son of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). He is thus a full-brother to MG1SW sire Ghaiyyath (Ire) and a half to GI Man O' War S. heroine Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Rivals to the March-foaled chestnut include the Richard Hannon-trained Duelist (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a once-raced half-brother to G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Sun Chariot S. heroine Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who comes back off a debut fifth at Goodwood in August.

15.30 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT
Westerberg and Coolmore's FIRST OFFICER (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-brother to G3 Give Thanks S. victrix Sizzling (Ire), is out of a half-sister to MGISW sire Court Vision (Gulch) and opens up for the in-form Roger Varian team here. Opposition features Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum's fellow newcomer Al Mubhir (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is a William Haggas-trained son of G1 Jebel Hatta third Muffri'ha (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}).

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Classic Siblings Aid Orby Revival

By now, the story is well known: after six consecutive years of healthy trade punctuated by six-figure averages and seven-figure leading lots, Goffs is on a recovery mission with its Orby Sale after it was dealt a massive blow in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. With a 14-day mandatory quarantine steadfastly in place for any visitors to Ireland throughout last year's sale season, Goffs was forced to make some gut-wrenching decisions about its flagship sale that included relocating it to its Goffs UK headquarters in Doncaster. That disruption added to the general challenges of the pandemic saw the Orby average drop 35% year-on-year to £67,981–the sale's lowest average since 2011– while the aggregate dropped 44.5% to £21,142,000. While eight yearlings passed the half-million mark in 2019, none did so last year, the top price dropping from €3-million to £450,000.

One thing that can seemingly never be taken away from the Irish, however, is their resilience and fighting spirit, and in the interim 12 months Goffs has channeled considerable resources toward restoring Orby's lustre and bringing it back to its former glory when the sale returns to its home at Kildare Paddocks on Sept. 28 and 29.

“It's no secret that last year, for a variety of reasons, wasn't the most successful sale,” admitted Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby. “In fact, it was a disappointing sale and I've spoken at length about that. We've gone back to the drawing board and sat down and had a long, hard look at the sale.”

One of the initiatives to emerge from those discussions is the re-introduction of the revamped Goffs Million, the sale race that had served Orby well in decades past but had been shelved since 2009. Set to be run over seven furlongs at The Curragh the Saturday prior to next year's Orby sale and exclusively for 2021 Orby graduates, the €1-million Goffs Million will be Europe's richest 2-year-old race with prizemoney paid down to tenth place. Should the Goffs Million winner go on to win a Group 1 race in Ireland, Britain, France, America or Australia as a 3-year-old, they will earn an additional €100,000 bonus. Naas Racecourse will likewise stage a €100,000, six-furlong 2-year-old race for graduates of the Goffs Sportsman's Sale, which follows on from the Orby sale on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

“We gathered some customer feedback and reaction and decided we needed something that inspired people,” Beeby said. “One notable breeder said to me when we were discussing the possibility of re-introducing the Million Race, 'if you put on a race worth €1-million, Europe's richest 2-year-old race, people will have to come, because they won't want to miss out.' If they don't buy at the sale, they automatically can't have a runner in Europe's richest 2-year-old race next year.”

The winner of a €1-million juvenile race next year will come from a pool of just 444 horses, before withdrawals.

“It's a relatively small group of horses; most races are open to every horse,” Beeby said. “We're very pleased that it has gone down really well. It's not an entirely new idea; we've put a different spin on it this time, but it did great things for Goffs in the 80s, it did great things for Goffs in the 90s and we're hoping it will do great things for Goffs in what we're hoping will turn out to be the roaring 20s. It's certainly caught the interest, and a number of agents and trainers have said they're certainly coming and they're putting together groups and syndicates, and that's what it's all about.”

Beeby and his team recognize, too, that it is imperative that when those buyers come they see a set of yearlings in front of them worthy of being in Ireland's national yearling sale, and he says he believes that is what Orby will deliver this year.

“We said to our vendors and to ourselves that we really had to focus on looking for the classy racehorse,” Beeby said. “The physical specimen is at the forefront of our minds, and happily a lot of Irish breeders and vendors have backed us with what we believe is an improved draft of horses. Time will tell; I think that's for purchasers to judge, but I think if they come they will see a catalogue of very attractive horses and we hope to build the sale back from last year. Hopefully last year was a blip because the sale had been on an upward trajectory in the previous number of years.”

One front on which the Orby sale has already excelled through 2021 has been its stakes-winning graduates. Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was bred by Grenane House Stud and purchased by MV Magnier from Whitehall Stud for €150,000 at Orby in 2019, and she has progressed from a Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed juvenile last year to a G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Prix Rothschild scorer this season, and has not missed the board in six starts at three, all in Group 1s. Bought at the same sale for €90,000 was Winter Power (Ire) (Bungleinthejungle {GB}), who provided the Orby a major boost when winning the G1 Nunthorpe S. last month.

Five-year-old mare Romantic Proposal (Ire) (Raven's Pass) has been a rapid improver this season, and she punctuated that upward mobility with a win in this month's G1 Flying Five S. Romantic Proposal was originally a €25,000 Goffs November foal and pinhooked for €55,000 at Orby by Aileen and Amy Lynam.

Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was a €90,000 purchase from the Wildenstein Dispersal at the 2016 Orby sale, and he won his third Grade I in America when taking the Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland in April. Likewise advertising the sale overseas has been Queen Supreme (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), who was exported to South Africa and won two Group 1s there, including the Paddock S. in January, before leaving Mike de Kock to join Andrew Balding over the summer. Other 2021 Group 1 winners who went up for sale at Orby but failed to meet their reserves were G1 Matron S. victress No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}), who was led out unsold at €190,000, and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud scorer Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), whose bidding stalled at €120,000.

The 2021 Orby catalogue specifically has been a beneficiary of some of these updates, with siblings to some of Orby's star graduates set to go under the hammer this time around. Whitehall Stud offers a half-sister to Mother Earth and G2 Premio Dormello winner Night Colours (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) by first-season sire Sioux Nation (lot 117), and she is bookended by two more sisters to Classic winners by first-season sires: lot 110 is a Saxon Warrior (Jpn) half-sister to Orby graduate and G1 Prix de Diane winner Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), while lot 120 is a US Navy Flag half-sister to this year's G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. scorer Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}). Another Classic pedigree that should generate interest early in the sale is Al Eile Stud's Kingman (GB) filly out of dual Guineas winner Finsceal Beo (Ire) (Mr. Greeley) (lot 29), who is a half-sister to G2 Beresford S. winner Ol' Man River (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Kingman's eight catalogued also include Mountarmstrong Stud's colt out of champion and stakes producer Alexander Goldrun (Ire) (Gold Away) (lot 338).

Newlands House Stud's lot 294 is a full-brother to Winter Power and two other stakes horses, while Coulonces Sales offers a Footstepsinthesand (GB) half-brother to last year's G1 Phoenix S. winner and Orby graduate Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 196).

Six sons and daughters of Galileo (Ire) are catalogued, including a filly who is the first foal out of GI Frizette S. winner Nickname (Scat Daddy) (lot 152) and a colt out of dual Group 1 winner Simply Perfect (GB) (Danehill) (lot 242), who is also the dam of G3 International S. winner Mekong River (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). There is a colt and a filly each offered by Dubawi (Ire), including lot 70, a colt out of G3 Balanchine S. winner I Am Beautiful (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) from the Monevassia branch of the Miesque line that has also produced the brilliant Rumplestiltskin (Ire), Tapestry (Ire), Loves Only You (Jpn) and Real Steel (Jpn) among others.

Dark Angel (Ire's) 17 catalogued include Owenstown Stud's full-sister to G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. winner Persuasive (Ire) and half to this season's G3 Jersey S. winner Creative Force (Ire) and the listed-winning Tisbutadream (Ire) (lot 408), all of which were sold at Orby; and a full-brother to G3 Princess Margaret S. winner Angel's Hideaway (Ire) (lot 289). Sea The Stars (Ire) has 16 catalogued including a half-sister to Hong Kong champion and Group 1 winner Irishcorrespondent (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 413). Frankel has four catalogued including Marlhill House Stud's lot 377, a colt who is a half-brother to group winners Adjusted (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Giuseppe Piazza (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and out of a half-sister to the excellent producer In Clover (GB). Another sibling to a 2021 Group 1 winner catalogued is the Starspangledbanner (Aus) half-brother to G1 Prix Jean Prat scorer Laws Of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}) (lot 216).

Of particular appeal to those targeting the Goffs Million will be the yearlings catalogued from precocious families. In addition to the half-brother to Lucky Vega, those include siblings to the winners of this year's G2 Queen Mary S. as well as the last two winners of the G2 Norfolk S. Tally-Ho Stud offers a three-quarter sister by Kodiac (GB) to this year's Norfolk and G1 Prix Morny winner Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) (lot 214), while Kilpatrick Farm offers a Footstepsinthesand (GB) half-brother to last year's Norfolk winner and recent G2 Franklin-Simpson S. scorer The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) (lot 167). Oghill House Stud's lot 247 is a full-brother to this year's Queen Mary winner Quick Suzy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}). Lot 364 is a Churchill (Ire) half-brother to Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio), who added the G2 Debutante S. to her win in the G3 Silver Flash S. since the catalogue was published. Lot 370 is a full-brother to G2 Lowther S. winner Living In The Past (Ire) (Bungleinthejungle {Ire}); lot 430 is a Dragon Pulse (Ire) half-brother to this year's G3 Anglesey S. winner Beauty Inspire (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}); lot 168 is a Belardo (Ire) half-brother to last year's G2 Gimcrack S. winner Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}); and lot 384 is a half-sister to this year's G3 Albany S. third Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) by first-season sire Kessaar (Ire).

Another by a first-season sire is Ballyhimikin Stud's Saxon Warrior (Jpn) colt out of Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) (lot 397), who is the second to last foal out of the highly influential mare. Other first-season sires represented include Cracksman (GB), Expert Eye (GB), Havana Grey (GB), Roaring Lion, the aforementioned Sioux Nation and US Navy Flag and Zoustar (Aus), who has his first Northern Hemisphere-bred yearlings. There is strong representation from American-based first-season sires too, including Scat Daddy sons Justify and Mendelssohn and Kitten's Joy's multiple Grade I-winning Oscar Performance.

“The catalogue reads very, very well,” Beeby said. “The sire profile is good with Galileo, Frankel, Dubawi, Sea the Stars and all the major stallions in there. We are very hopeful. We rely completely on the support of the Irish breeders and we've specifically marketed it, as we have in the past, as Ireland's national yearling sale. It's very important to Ireland as a country, to the bloodstock community in Ireland, and we've been well supported and we're very grateful for that as ever.”

With Tattersalls Ireland opting to stage its September Yearling Sale in Newmarket once again this year, the Orby will be the only flat yearling sale staged in Ireland this year.

“I do think people enjoy coming to Ireland and often this is their only trip to Ireland in the year, whether it be from England or the United States or elsewhere,” Beeby said. “They can have two or three days in a beautiful part of the world with great attractions; they can nip off to places like the Irish National Stud, Kildangan and Coolmore.”

Beeby said he was “encouraged” by the results of the Arqana August Yearling Sale and Goffs UK's Premier and Silver yearling sales to kick off the season, and that his expectations are “realistic” as Goffs works to “reboot and re-establish the Orby sale.”

“We were on an upward trajectory certainly for the previous four years,” Beeby said. “In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 we grew every year and we had six-figure averages. Our UK sale–and I think the Arqana Sale as well but certainly our UK sale–bounced back to somewhere between where we were in 2019 and 2020, and I think if we can do that with the Orby Sale we'd be delighted. Anything better would be amazing.

“Happily vendors have seen that we've reacted as proactively as we can to the reversal we endured last year. They've bought into that and we think we've put together a very good catalogue and we're hoping to welcome a big group of buyers.

“What I'd like to say to people is come to Kildare. You'll be extremely well looked after, and we believe you'll like what you see. Come and have a look at our horses and you'll see we have some very good-looking horses. It's all about potential racehorses and they'll come from all parts of the catalogue, all consignors. It's a very, very good bunch.”

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