Continuing our look back at highlights from the history of Goffs November Sale, Julian Dollar talks about the purchase of Hazariya in 2014…
We are a commercial operation and we are also looking to operate and the high-end of the market and breed Group winners, which is not easy. Looking through the catalogue for the Goffs November Mares’ sale Hazariya stood out as a mare with a great pedigree who had already produced good horses with good looks. Her first foal was a Listed winner and her fourth foal had won the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes and was twice placed in Group 1 races at that stage.
Pat Downes, who I trust enormously, assured me Hazariya got good-looking stock and that she had a nice Sea The Stars colt foal on the ground, which was a potential upside. Of course nobody knew then the colt would turn out to be Harzand.
She was an older mare which we don’t always go for and we didn’t know that she had already produced a future dual Derby winner, who was waiting to come through.
Oliver St Lawrence was helping me at Goffs that week and on Friday I had to leave before Hazariya was due to be sold as we had yearlings and foals back on the farm to bring to the following week’s sales, and mares of our own to sell, so I needed to get back to Newsells Park.
I was on my way to the airport when Oliver rang to say she was going into the ring. We bid €420,000 or €425,000 and then Joe Foley countered with €450,000 for his client, which was our limit. I suspect if had been there, I would have said ‘No more’ but Oliver went with one more bid. Nick Nugent jumped us to €480,000 when Oliver had intended to bid €460,000 but I think that was rather fortuitous as if he hadn’t gone to €480,000 Joe would have come back with another bid and we would have lost her. It was a big enough jump that it put Joe off from coming back with another.
If I had been at the sale, instead of in a car on the way to Dublin Airport, I think I would have stuck to my guns. Then again, we always have another bid, don’t we?