Extraordinary trade on the opening day of Goffs November Breeding Stock saw figures soar over those of twelve months ago with average up 16%, turnover up 19%, and median rising by a staggering 40%. Eight mares sold for €500,000 or more while intense demand throughout the session returned a clearance rate of 83%.
Star sprinter Ladies Church took top billing as this year’s Group 2 Sapphire Stakes winner from Johnny Murtagh’s Fox Covert Stables (Lot 1222) sold to Dermot Farrington who went to €970,000 to secure the three-year-old daughter of Churchill who also won the Listed Marwell Stakes this season.
A phenomenal day’s purchasing by BBA Ireland and the Lucky Vega Syndicate saw Michael Donohoe and Mr Zhang account for seven of the top ten mares which were headed by the €790,000 Galileo mare Aspiring (Lot 1188) from Baroda Stud. The mare is half-sister to Champion filly Danedream, as well as being an own-sister to another pair of Group winners in Venice Beach and Broadway, and is in foal to Wootton Bassett. Late in the evening they secured another two top class Galileo mares from Grenane House Stud – Pleasant Dreams (Lot 1314) is a sister to Group 2 Lowther Stakes winner Besharah, who is the dam of 2022 Group winner Perfect News, and was sold in foal to Starspangledbanner for €630,000, as well as going to €600,000 for Eaves (Lot 1315), the own-sister to Irish Oaks runner up Rain Goddess in foal to Wootton Bassett.
Goffs November Sale presented several opportunities to buy into illustrious Niarchos bloodlines with 27 mares on offer through a number of leading consignors, and it was the Group 2 winner and Group 1 Pretty Polly runner up Bocca Baciata (Lot 1183), in foal to Mehmas, who topped the draft when sold by Kiltinan Castle Stud to BBA Ireland and the Lucky Vega Syndicate for €530,000.
Full results are available here.
November Breeding Stock Sale Day 1:
Offered: 241
Sold: 201 (83%)
Aggregate: €16,525,500 (+19%)
Average: €82,216 (+16%)
Median: €42,000 (+40%)
Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale continues tomorrow at 10am.