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Baroda Stud finished as strong as it started at the Goffs February Sale by sending out the top three lots on Thursday, headed by Galileo (Ire) mare Red Azalea (Ire) (lot 482A), knocked down to Mick Donohoe of BBA Ireland for €340,000.

Red Azalea was a supplementary entry to the sale. A winner in her own right when trained by Donnacha O'Brien, she is a daughter of the classy Music Box (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who scored at Group 3 level.

Donohoe also signed for the unraced Frankel (GB) filly, Nomadland (GB) (468), while Barry Lynch secured black-type performer Romanosa (GB) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) (lot 410), as Baroda's mares played starring roles late in the day.

Lynch said, “Romanosa is a very nice filly and has a good back pedigree. I think she'll make a lovely mare and she'll come back to auction next year in foal to a high profile stallion, fingers crossed. She's been bought by a number of guys who want to buy a mare to reoffer at a public auction so fingers crossed it will all work out.”

Earlier in the afternoon, Boherguy Stud enjoyed a good result with a Blue Point (Ire) colt (lot 256) selling to Hamish McCauley for €60,000 while Jill Lamb went to €52,000 to secure a Too Darn Hot (GB) filly (lot 266)) from Clare Manning's draft.

Lamb, buying on behalf of Mike Watson's Trebles Holford Thoroughbreds, also snapped up a €56,000 Dandy Man filly (lot 328) from Church View Stables with Lamb labelling the visit as productive.

She said, “I absolutely loved the Dandy Man (Ire) but didn't think it would cost that much to buy her. She looks a real racey filly. We may keep her to race or we may reoffer her as a yearling. I loved the Too Darn Hot as well. She had a great pedigree and I am very keen on Too Darn Hot's yearlings. Hopefully she will come good. They are for Mike Watson who has Trebles Holford Thoroughbreds. It's been a productive afternoon and I'm really pleased with the two fillies I've bought.”

Goffs chief Henry Beeby was particularly pleased to see Lamb and her fellow raiders in action at the two-day sale where turnover dropped 28% to €4,348,550.

The caveat being that there were 66 less horses offered at the February sale this year compared to in 2022. Of the 424 offered, 273 were sold, which represented a 64% clearance rate. The average over the two days was €15,929, down 7% on last year, while the median stayed the same at €9,000.

Beeby commented, “Goffs February fulfils an important function in the sales calendar as it provides another opportunity for foal (weanling) sellers and buyers. Sometimes the youngster needed more time and on other occasions they did not make our superb November or December Foal Sales for some reason or failed to hit the target on that visit to the ring.

“When November and December are strong it sometimes leads to a weaker February as orders might be filled and/or the better lots already sold. Whether or not that is the case this week is debatable but the common theme over the last two days has been a vibrant trade for those that held most appeal, especially to the pinhooking fraternity, but an altogether different story for those deemed not to be as commercial. Suggesting otherwise would be foolhardy as it is very much the case in the times in which we live.”

He added, “We probably enjoyed a post pandemic bounce last year in terms of numbers with the expansion to three days for the first time since 2018 and so this year's two-day affair was always going to show a reduced turnover. However, it is interesting to note that the median price remained the same as 2022 which demonstrates a consistency to the market for a sale in which the size of the entry is largely reactive to the autumn sales.

“Trade for the breeding stock session mirrored the weanlings with keen competition for some and less interest in others but we have been pleased to welcome another strong overseas contingent to Kildare Paddocks who are enticed year after year by the enduring quality of Irish bloodlines and the endeavours of ITM working alongside the Goffs Buyer Recruitment Team and our excellent international agents.

“The market leading status of Goffs February has been confirmed once again with the highest February prices for Flat weanling, NH weanling and breeding stock with the latter recording the fourth best price for this sale and the best since 2014. As ever, we extend our thanks to each vendor and all our purchasers for we are nothing without them.”

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