Tag: Goffs UK

McStay Strikes For £230k Night Of Thunder Colt At Doncaster

The opening day of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale followed a familiar theme with Mark McStay, who was busy at the first European yearling Sale of the year at Arqana just over a week ago, once again opening his shoulders back to secure the top lot at Goffs UK-170, a colt by Night Of Thunder (Ire).

The sire of last Friday's breathtakingly-good G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Highfield Princess (Fr), Night Of Thunder was labelled a rock solid stallion by McStay, who felt lot 170-for all that he looked like a son of Dubawi-was the standout colt on day one.

So much so, the leading agent, who would not disclose who the Mountarmstrong-consigned colt was bought for, went to £230,000 to secure him.

“Lovely colt by a proven sire at this stage in his career, Night Of Thunder,” McStay said. “He actually looked like a Dubawi (Ire) to me. He was well-produced and comes from a very good nursery in Mountarmstrong. Noel O'Callaghan breeds and sells good horses and I thought he was the standout colt on offer here today.”

He added, “We had to stretch to buy him. I thought we'd get him for quite a bit less but my client is brave and encouraged me to keep going and to secure him.

“Look, we're seeing what Night Of Thunders are doing on the track and I don't think that they are going to get any cheaper. I can't say who he has been bought for but he's been bought for an existing client. He'll be broken in Ireland and plans are fluid.”

 

The Night Of Thunder colt hails from a cracking family. He is out of Pious Alexander (Ire), a winner by Acclamation (GB), who is out of dual Group 3 winner Lady Alexander (Ire) (Night Shift). She is the dam of 10 winners, including Dandy Man (Ire) and Anthem Alexander (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).

McStay also signed for WH Bloodstock's inspired Kuroshio {Aus} pinhook [lot171] for £120,000, Baroda Stud's Zoustar {Aus} colt [lot 19, for £72,000] out of black-type performer Golden Spell (GB) (Al Kazeem {GB}), a US Navy Flag colt consigned by Monksland Stables for £38,000 and the first horse through the ring, Grove Stud's grey filly by Starspangledbanner (Aus) for £35,000.

It proved a bountiful day for consignors, with many buyers-be they agents, trainers and breeze-up operators-relaying that there was stiff competition for the nicest horses, which was evident in the figures.
Of the 218 lots offered, 199 were sold, representing a clearance rate of 91%. The aggregate, average and median were all up as well. An aggregate of £8,954,500 represented a 28% rise on last year while the average was up 15% to £44,997 and a median of £38,000 cemented a 27% rise on 2021.

Renowned bloodstock agent Ross Doyle reflected on an encouraging day's trade after purchasing lot 211, a Baroda Stud-consigned colt by New Bay (GB), late in the day for £200,000. That brought Doyle's total spend on day one to £642,000 across nine yearlings and he was quick to praise Goffs for assembling a fantastic bunch.

Doyle said, “It's been very good, very strong, which is great to see. I've never seen so many people here than over the past few days, which is a testimony to Goffs and all their team. You only have to look around the pictures on the walls, some very good horses have come out of this sale so they deserve people to turn up and get stuck in. We'd a very good shortlist and we're the same tomorrow.”

On lot 211, he added, “I thought he was outstanding. I thought he was the best-moving horse here today. He's obviously by a sire doing extremely well and he seems to upgrade everything. “He's out of a black-type mare [Rubira {Aus} Lope De Vega {Ire})] and comes from a good home. We put him down as the best individual that we've seen, as far as movement goes, for a long time. He covers serious ground and it's all very natural and relaxed, which is a good sign. “He's been bought for an existing client who has plenty of horses with Richard [Hannon] and has been a very good supporter of this sale in particular.”

Hesketh and Wadham in Clover With Cracking Kuroshio

Violet Hesketh and Mimi Wadham, who run WH Bloodstock, have rightly earned a reputation for being one of the shrewdest young operators in the business. The pinhook of lot 171, purchased by the pair as a foal at Goffs for €38,000 before selling on Tuesday to Avenue Bloodstock for £120,000, confirmed that reputation to be bang on the money.

Some of the top buyers were on to the son of Starfield Stud's Kuroshio. In the end, it was Mark McStay, flanked by trainer Fozzy Stack, who secured him.

Hesketh said, “I am delighted. We knew we had a nice colt but you never expect to get that sort of a price. We bought him in the February Sale at Goffs for €38,000 and he has just improved and improved.

“He was an absolute pro and didn't miss a beat in every show. Some of the top judges were on him. We'll be sad to see him go but very happy with the price we got. We'll look forward to seeing him racing.”

 

A lovely colt, lot 171 was out of the Pivotal (GB) mare Pivotal Era (GB), herself a full-sister to Humouresque (GB), who carried the Cheveley Park silks to Group 3 glory at Saint-Cloud in 2003.

Hesketh added, “He was a gorgeous foal and is out of a good Pivotal mare, which obviously everyone loves. He had such a good attitude. We're very happy.”

Jamie Railton's pinhook with lot 21, a filly by Ten Sovereigns (Ire), was another shrewd piece of business. Bought by Railton for €26,000 at Goffs last November, the filly was knocked down to Richard Hughes for £110,000.

Hughes, who is operating at a 25% strike-rate with his 2-year-olds this season and has nine winners on the board in that sphere, bought four yearlings all told for a combined sum of £224,000.

Kinane on the Hunt for Hong Kong

In his role of sourcing European horses on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mick Kinane has already come up trumps with this year's Hong Kong Derby winner Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), and the legendary jockey revealed that lot 57, a £200,000 colt by the same sire, will chart a similar path.

The Trinity Park Stud-consigned son of Acclamation is from the family of Puncher Clynch (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), who did well in Hong Kong, and Kinane is hopeful that his latest acquisition can forge out a career for himself in that jurisdiction in time.

Kinane said, “He has a champion in Hong Kong [Puncher Clynch] and is a similar type. He's a nice horse. I was here the past two years but I didn't find them [good horses]. There's nicer horses here this year.

“He'll be broken and will go into pre-training and then we'll see what he can do. Hopefully he'll do well in Hong Kong.”

 

The Acclamation colt was consigned by Trinity Park Stud on behalf of Peter Gleeson, who bought and raced the dam Isole Canarie (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), a dual listed winner in Italy. From the family of Puncher Clynch (Ire), who did well in Hong Kong, lot 57 was fancied by those closest to him to go down well with the buyers, but the £200,000 fetched in the ring exceeded all expectations.

Becky Marsh, of Trinity Park Stud, said, “I thought we had a very nice horse but I wasn't expecting that. I said to Henry Beeby this morning when he came to look at the horse before he auctioned him that I would be delighted if he made £100,000. Obviously I'm overwhelmed.”

She added, “We foaled and raised this yearling-he's been with us since day one and he's always shown a lot of class. Since he came here he's not put a foot wrong. He's walked out perfectly every day and he had the right people on him.

“Isole Canarie was bought by Peter Gleeson, who raced her in Italy and then France, then brought her back here to breed. He's been lucky with Italian mares before and it's worked really well for him. The mare has an Oasis Dream (GB) colt at foot, but was not bred back this year.”

Warren Tips Land Force For First-Season Sire Honours

Jake Warren of Highclere Stud, who stands Land Force (Ire), is confident that the young stallion has what it takes to be champion first-season sire in 2023. A total of 17 yearlings by the son of No Nay Never were catalogued in the sale, eight of which found new homes on day one, averaging at a highly-respectable £34,500 for a stallion who stands for just £5,000 [stood at £6,500 in his first season].

However, what was most notable were the hotels that the Land Force yearlings have joined as multiple Group 1-winning trainer Clive Cox and renowned breeze-up consignors Katie Walsh and Con Marnane featured among the list of buyers.

Warren said, “It's always a nervous time when you bring a new stallion to the market but, the thing with Land Force is, and one of the main reasons why we've had the confidence to keep breeding to him over the past three years, is he throws these powerful, strong, good-shouldered, big physicals that are just what breeders are looking to produce. It's also what 2-year-old buyers are trying to secure. He's just ticking those boxes.”

He added, “There's no first-season sires with more offerings at this sale so he has the numbers to back him up. No Nay Never has had an amazing year with his 2-year-olds and there's no reason why Land Force can't be the champion first-season sire next year. It's exciting.”

It was lot 71 who shot the lights out for Land Force at £85,000. On the eve of the sale, Natalie Folland and her partner Matt Bowen told TDN about how they wanted to make their clients proud with the first yearlings they offered under the Folland-Bowen Bloodstock banner this week.

Well, the couple could hardly have done a better job with their Land Force colt, the first yearling they sent through the ring together, who walked around like a pro en route to commanding that impressive price tag.

Fighting back the tears in Barn J shortly after the sale, Folland said, “I'm going to cry. The owner has just been on the phone, she's bawling crying telling us how delighted she is. He's gone to Clive Cox, who has the half-brother Ascot Adventure (GB) (Mayson {GB}) and Joe Foley was the underbidder. He was vetted four or five times so it's great to have received such support.”

She added, “I knew he was busy but we would have been happy with £50,000 so, to get £80,000, we're over the moon. His owner, Fiona Trenchard, is delighted. She's such a pedigree fanatic and has tried really hard with this mare as she's been very hard to keep in foal. It hasn't been easy so, to have a result like that, I'm more emotional for her really.”

Marnane went to £30,000 to secure lot 26, a Mickley Stud-consigned filly by Land Force, while Walsh bought a colt by the stallion, lot 63, off Anna Sundstrom's Coulonces for £40,000.

Soldier Answers Foley's Call

Land Force was not the only young sire making waves. Joe Foley expressed his confidence behind the progeny of his own Ballyhane Stallion Soldier's Call in Monday's TDN and, less than 24 hours later, he put his money where his mouth was in securing Tinnakill's chestnut colt by the classy sprinter for £105,000.

Lot 212 is a half-brother to Marygate S. winner Sardinia Sunset (Ire) (Guitafan) and was sold by Tinnakill House Stud on behalf of Kevin Blake's Golden Farm Thoroughbreds.

 

Seven of the eight yearlings by Soldier's Call were sold on day one with Mick Easterby forking out £65,000 to bag Trickledown Stud's colt by the sire [48] and Oliver St Lawrence going to £50,000 for Manister House Stud's offering [190].

Andrew Balding also picked up two by the sire, Ballyhane's lot 59 for £30,000 and 109 for £22,000. Of the seven yearlings sold by Soldier's Call, they averaged at just under £50,000 apiece.

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Rockets At The Ready As Doncaster Set To Soar

Not since Elon Musk became infatuated with space has there been so many rockets assembled in the one place at any given time than at Doncaster ahead of the Premier Yearling Sale. 

These particular starships have been bred to fly and, lurking among the 411 yearlings getting ready for takeoff at Goffs UK over the next few days could be the next Acclamation (GB), Dark Angel (Ire), Wootton Bassett (GB) or Tasleet (GB), all of whom are graduates of this sale. 

Joe Foley knows a thing or two about rockets. The Ballyhane man jetted into Doncaster on Monday morning and was greeted with nothing but good reports from vendors and buyers about his freshman sire Soldier's Call (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). 

A smart sprinter, Soldier's Call won the G2 Flying Childers as a 2-year-old and placed in the G1 King's Stand S. and the G1 Nunthorpe S. at three. There are 14 yearlings belonging to him in the sale, four of which will be offered by Ballyhane. 

However, rather than put the “kiss of death” on his own draft by speaking too soon, Foley spoke in general terms about his enthusiasm behind the son of Showcasing's prospects of making it as a stallion. 

He explained, “Soldier's Call is exactly what the people at Doncaster are looking for–sharp, precocious, classy and speedy types. We have obviously had access to seeing a lot of them in their prep and we couldn't be more pleased. 

“They've a great attitude and they love their work. I'd be apprehensively hopeful and, as time moves on and the more of them that you see, the more confident you'd be that he's going to be a good stallion.”

Foley added, “His progeny love lunging, love walking and love coming in and doing stuff, and that is a great sign in a stallion's progeny, because it doesn't always happen. Some of them don't like work, show a bit of temper, but the Soldier's Calls are not like that. They're deadly. 

“They all have a lovely attitude. When you get over here and people report back the same, it creates a good vibe and I'm very happy with what I am seeing. 

“Doncaster is a very popular sale and loads of people try to support it. It would appear that everyone is here this year so there's going to be a lot of competition for the right ones.”

You don't have to walk beyond Barn A to realise that there will be a wicked fight in the sales ring to smoke out the best of what's on offer at this year's sale. 

At one end of that barn in particular on Monday afternoon, you had George Boughey busy inspecting yearlings while in another, Mark Johnston had just arrived. 

William Haggas, Andrew Balding, Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien, Kevin Ryan and Roger Varian are just a handful of other well-known trainers to have made their presence felt in recent days. 

The breeze-up fraternity were also out in force, with Johnny Collins, Byron Rogers, Katie Walsh, Roger Marley and more providing a snapshot of the faces on the ground at Doncaster. 

Like Soldier's Call, progeny by Le Brivido (Fr) represent something new for prospective buyers. Simon Sweeting, who for one season stood Le Brivido at Overbury Stud, offers two of the three yearlings in the sale by the former G3 Jersey S. hero, the pick of which appears to be lot 201. 

A bonny half-brother to Ladies Church (GB) (Churchill {Ire}), who bagged the G2 Sapphire S. at the Curragh when last seen, lot 201 will bid to provide his stallion with something of a springboard. 

Sweeting said, “He's a super colt and obviously the page has improved a lot. Unfortunately, we stood Le Brivido for a season-shared him with Coolmore-but he wasn't as popular as we hoped he'd be. 

“Why that was, I don't know. Whether they couldn't get their heads around Siyouni (Fr) at the time, I don't know, but we thought he was everything that a breeder could want. 

“We supported him and have several yearlings by him to sell this year but, because he didn't cover enough mares, we made an early decision to move him back to France.”

Sweeting added, “He's over there now covering plenty of mares and obviously we hope some of these yearlings can win plenty of races to get his stallion career up and running. He covered just 60-odd mares in that first season for us, which isn't enough, so to give him a chance, we sent him to France. He's been busy over there so we'll see what happens on the racecourse.”

All told, there are six yearlings by Advertise (GB) in the sale, one of which is lot 174, a colt offered by Llety Farms, whose David Hodge is quietly optimistic. 

Hodge said, “He's been busy and is what I'd call a typical Donny horse-it's what we picked him out for, to bring him here. He's a homebred. He was bred on the farm for Paul Brocklehurst, who had the Cesarewitch winner Sweet Selection (GB) (Stimulation {Ire}).”

Fellow first-season sires for next year, Inns Of Court (Ire), Blue Point (Ire), Calyx (GB), Eqtidaar (Ire), Invincible Army (Ire), Land Force (Ire), Magna Grecia (Ire), Masar (Ire), Too Darn Hot (GB), Phoenix Of Spain (Ire), and Ten Sovereigns (Ire) are all represented in the catalogue. 

Mark McStay, who was busy at the August Sale at Arqana just over a week ago, expects to be active at Doncaster and praised Goffs for making the huge number of clients in attendance feel welcome. 

He said, “I will be buying for a variety of different people–some trainers and owners. I thought it was a typically good draft of yearlings and, as per usual, it will throw up a lot of good 2-year-old winners next year. Goffs have done a great job in making everyone feel really welcome here and it should be a very good sale.”

Only one man knows more about launching rockets than Musk, and that's the Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby, the man behind that warm welcome. 

Beeby was typically optimistic on the eve of the 2022 Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale, which kicks off at 10 am on Tuesday, and admitted that everything was in place for a good sale. 

He said, “The vendors have all been very positive. They brought very good horses and were very busy yesterday and very busy today and everything is set up nicely. We're cautiously optimistic but, the closer you get, the more you think, 'goodness me, there are some lovely horses here.' We'll see what happens. It's looking very positive at the moment.”

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‘The Most Nervous I Have Ever Been’ – Meet The Newest Consignors at Doncaster

DONCASTER, UK–New dreams abound for Natalie Folland and her partner Matt Bowen, who offer their first yearlings at this year's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale under the banner of Folland-Bowen Bloodstock. 

Many people will know Folland from her days of managing Elkington Stud. She met her partner Bowen, who worked at a neighbouring farm, during that time but now the pair are concentrating on going it alone at Fonthill Stud in Wiltshire. 

Not long after the pair welcomed daughter Imogen (2) into the world, Folland-Bowen Bloodstock was formed, and this week marks the beginning of an important new chapter. 

“This is our first yearling sale together,” said Folland, wearing an expression of nervous anticipation at Barn J at Doncaster on Sunday. “We took a mare to the July Sale under Folland-Bowen Bloodstock but these are the first yearlings we've offered under our own name and I can honestly say, of all the sales I've done in the past, this is the most nervous I have ever been.”

She added, “I have been in this game for years now but, when they are under your own name, there's extra pressure involved. We want to get it right for the clients–we want to do it for them.”

First up for Folland-Bowen is lot 71, a colt by Land Force (Ire), whose first yearlings have gone under the hammer this sales season. The couple also offer colts by Cable Bay (Ire) [lot 224] and Havana Grey (GB) [lot 230], with all three described as typical Doncaster types by Folland. 

She explained, “The horses have been going down really well–it was very nearly only two as the Havana Grey got a foot abscess in the build-up to the sale but thankfully he's made it. 

“The Land Force is going down quite well as well. He's a half-brother to Tatsumaki (GB) (Charming Thought {GB}), who won the valuable Tattersalls October Auction Stakes at Newmarket for Marco Botti last season before selling for a lot of money to go to Hong Kong. I quite like the Land Force. He's a proper sprinter and that's why we brought him here.”

She added, “All three of them look like they belong here–they are sharp, early types and they look like they will do that job quite well. They are all straightforward and have scoped well and have clean x-rays so we're excited. You can't really fault them. 

“The Cable Bay is a pinhook. The Land Force and the Havana Grey are homebreds belonging to clients of ours. We like the Cable Bay. He is out of Secret Insider (Elusive Quality) and was bought by Richard Knight at the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls for 28,000gns. The Havana Grey is the first foal out of a nice Fastnet Rock (Aus) mare [Sheila's Rock (Ire)] and we adore him.”

Despite the fact that Bowen cut his teeth with farm animals rather than horses, he has quickly become an integral part of the burgeoning operation. 

“I was managing a major farm but became sick of doing paperwork,” he explained. “When Natalie fell pregnant, I decided that I needed a change of direction, and now we're here. 

“We have 40 to 45 horses on the farm. From mares and foals, to the rehabilitation of racehorses and yearling and foal sales prep, it's pretty full-on. 

“We have five heading to Book 3 at Tattersalls and then there are plenty for the foal sales so hopefully this week will provide the springboard.

Natalie and Matt have put the shoulder to the wheel in getting Folland-Bowen Bloodstock off the ground but there's no doubting who the real boss of the operation is. 

Folland revealed, “The past few weekends, Imogen has had her small wheelbarrow out and she has been running around trying to help us. She's definitely the boss. Hopefully this week goes well.”

The two-day Premier Yearling Sale kicks off at 10am on Tuesday morning.

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Miss Heritage On Top Of Goffs UK August Sale

Miss Heritage (Ire) (Pour Moi {Ire}) (lot 166), a Grade 2 winner over jumps, brought a sale-topping £78,000 on the bid of Richard Venn Bloodstock and Simon Davies's DahlBury at the Goffs UK August Sale on Wednesday. Consigned by WH Bloodstock, the bay landed the G2 Yorkshire Rose Mares' Hurdle at Doncaster in January and is in foal to Newsells Park Stud's Nathaniel (Ire), the sire of this year's G1 Cazoo Derby hero Desert Crown (GB).

The debut winning pointer Townhill (Ire) (Presenting {GB}) (lot 101) was knocked down to Ed Bailey for £60,000; while lot 111, the winning pointer Tara Line (Ire) (Kayf Tara {GB}), made £50,000 from Syd Hosie and Gay Kelleway. Loughanmore Farms and Cobajay Stables consigned the duo, respectively.

At the end of the sale, 169 lots had sold from 232 offered (73%) for an aggregate of £1,602,600. The average was just marginally down at £9,483 and the median came in at £6,000.

Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent said, “The August Sale offers something for all NH owners, trainers, breeders and pinhookers and we introduced two new sessions to enhance it in 2022. The small selection of NH mares was well received by the market and were likely bought to support the many new NH stallions available in the UK. The new 2-year-old session, which was introduced to support the new BHA/TBA junior hurdle series, is a concept which we believe will grow as the new series develops over the coming seasons.”

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