International Latest
UK: Havana Grey filly tops Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale
Anthony Stroud made the final winning bid as a Derryconnor Stud-consigned Havana Grey (Havana Gold) filly topped Wednesday’s opening session of the 2024 Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster when selling for £420,000 (approx. AU$804,970). The filly, whose further family includes unbeaten champion two-year-old City Of Troy (Justify), clocked inside the day’s top-five times during Tuesday’s breeze-up. “This filly did a very good breeze and we liked the way she went,” said Stroud. “She’s a nice, well-balanced filly and we thought she was one of the nicest fillies in the sale. She’s been bought for KHK Racing but no trainer has been decided as yet.” Having been signed for by Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock for £50,000 at last year’s Goffs Premier Yearling Sale, the filly was a personal-best sales ring result for Derryconnor Stud’s Katie McGivern. “This is the most I’ve ever got for a horse so it’s a big achievement and fair dues to Jeremy [Mactaggart, Goffs director] because she was meant to go to Tatts but he loved her and made that very obvious; he rang me a bunch of times so he got her,” McGivern said. Out of the winning Firebreak (Charnwood Forest) mare In Trutina, the sale-topping filly is a half-sister to the Kevin Ryan-trained True Promise (Washington DC) who has won both of his starts to date.
UK: Busy sale for Blandford Bloodstock
Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock is rarely far from the action at the Goffs Doncaster Breeze-Up Sale and duly signed for five of the top ten lots from Thursday’s sale. The priciest of those was Lot 173, a Mehmas (Acclamation) colt out of Jane Doe (Hallowed Crown), who fetched £380,000 (approx. AU$728,190) and was offered by Willie Browne’s Mocklershill. “He’s by one of the best sires of two-year-olds around, a gorgeous horse and from one of the doyens of the breeze-up sales,” said Brown. “I saw him on Sunday and Willie was very high on him then and he did a seriously good breeze yesterday. He looks forward-going but no trainer has been decided. He’ll get a short break now and then we’ll try and point him towards [Royal] Ascot, as I’m sure a lot of people will be doing.” The youngster, who is closely related to Group-winning sprinter Marshman (Harry Angel), was making his second appearance at the sales having been sold by South House Stud at last year’s Goffs Orby Sale, where Tally-Ho Stud signed the ticket at €50,000. Brown also signed for Tally-Ho’s Mehmas colt out of an unraced sibling of 2021 Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) heroine Campanelle (Kodiac) at £360,000 (approx. AU$689,860) and later bid £300,000 (approx. AU$574,890) for Oak Tree Farm’s Starspangledbanner (Choisir) colt who descends from the blue hen Rafha (Kris), dam of influential stallions Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) and Kodiac (Danehill).
UK: Godolphin make their mark at Goffs
Godolphin may have missed out on their attempt to land Lot 173 earlier on in Thursday’s Goffs’ UK Breeze-Up Sale, but atoned for that reversal later in the day when Anthony Stroud and David Loder secured Slievebrook House Stud’s Starspangledbanner filly for £270,000 (approx. AU$517,400). Catalogued as Lot 145, the filly, who is out of the stakes-placed winning Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Fastnet Miss, received an important update just 48 hours before she came under the hammer as her half-brother Deira Mile (Camelot) staked his Classic claims with a four-length romp at Windsor on Monday. “She’s a nice filly who breezed very well and there could be a good update in the pedigree,” said Stroud. “She’ll go to Charlie Appleby.” The £270,000 result ensured Kevin Coleman of Slievebrook House was among the vendors who registered a personal-best result. The filly was pinhooked through Sean Grassick Bloodstock for just €36,000 at Book 2 of last year’s Goffs Orby Sale. “I’m used to buying them for £28,000 and selling them for £18,000!” joked Coleman. “I’ve always thought a lot of her. She had a good update on the page, she’s by the right sire and has a great action. She did a very good breeze and showed very well so all the right people were on her. I hope to God she turns up at Royal Ascot and is competitive.”
UK: Record level of turnover at Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale
While the top of the market became increasingly lively as the session wore on at Thursday’s Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale, there was a distinct selectivity to trade, particularly away from the upper echelons. This was evidenced by a clearance rate of 81 per cent as an expanded catalogue saw 167 sell from 207 offered. Those transactions helped the sale reach a record level of turnover for the second year in succession, with spending rising by three per cent to £10,359,700 (approx. AU$19.85 million). The average price was marginally behind last year’s record level at £62,035 (approx. AU$118,900), while that market selectivity was also reflected by the median price being clipped in by ten per cent to £36,000 (approx. AU$69,000), having been £40,000 12 months ago. Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said: “What an incredible finish to a fantastic day in Doncaster. It was always going to be difficult to build on the massive advances made by this sale in 2023 and part way through the day, it was looking unlikely we would achieve this feat. But the sale appeared to gather momentum as the day progressed and finished with a flourish to deliver record turnover. We’d therefore like to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone who trusted Goffs to sell their best early season breezers and we are delighted that we were able to deliver in style at Doncaster.”