Churchill Colt Tops Trade at Goffs February Day 1

The new stallions on the block were to the fore on the opening day of trading for 2020 at Goffs, with six of the top 10 lots during the first session of the February Sale from the first crop of their sire.

The first foals of the European champion 2-year-old and dual (English/Irish Two Thousand) Guineas (G1) winner Churchill were enormously popular at the foal sales and two members of his first crop went under the hammer at Goffs Feb. 4, with one of them (Lot 183) achieving the highest price of the day.

The Mangan family's Riverview Farm consigned the colt—the first foal out of the Cape Cross mare Najma—who immediately stood out when the catalog was released.

He also stood out when the foals arrived at Kildare Paddocks on Monday, a strong colt with size and presence, in the mold of his gorgeous sire.

Auctioneer Bernard Condren opened the bidding at €20,000 and, with bids raining in from all sides, the price quickly raced past €50,000, with Ciaran 'Flash' Conroy of Glenvale Stud holding sway at €82,000 (US$90,703).

Conroy said: "He is a lovely horse and we liked him a lot, he stood out for us. He will be offered for resale at the yearling sales and hopefully he will develop into an Orby-type horse.

"He is a very strong colt, especially for a first foal, and Churchill is getting outstanding stock."

The colt also boasts a classy pedigree as a grandson of Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) winner Silkwood, a Singspiel full sister to the dam of last season's Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T) winner Old Persian and half sister to Cherry Hinton Stakes (G2) winner Silent Honor. 

Silkwood is a daughter of Wood Vine, an unraced Woodman mare out of the listed winner Massaraat, who is by Nureyev and a full sister to the outstanding Miesque.

Baroda Stud consigned the only other Churchill colt in the catalog very early in the sale, and Lot 4 made €40,000 ($44,245) to Matt Houldsworth.

Both offspring of Churchill sold at Goffs were out of Cape Cross mares, and the dam of Lot 4 is a half sister to the Prix du Gros-Chene Mitsubishi Motors (G2) winner Beauty Is Truth, a Pivotal mare who has produced group 1 winners Hermosa, Hydrangea, and The United States.

Margaret O'Toole signed for the day's most expensive filly, a daughter of Darley's King's Stand Stakes (G1) winner Profitable. Lot 64 was consigned by breeder Nanallac Stud and her pedigree received a boost last Saturday as her Dawn Approach half brother Court House was second in the listed Betway Winter Derby Trial for John Gosden.

She is also a half sister to the listed Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F. Bosra Sham Fillies Stakes winner Cape Factor by Oratorio. O'Toole purchased the chestnut for €75,000 ($82,960) on behalf of Eddie O'Leary's Lynn Lodge Stud and she will most likely be seen at the yearling sales.

Towards the end of the session, the only colt in the catalog from the first crop of Darley's four-time group 1 winner and European champion miler Ribchester created a stir. Consigned by Belmont Stud, Lot 253 had an appealing American pedigree as his dam, Surface of Earth, was bred by the Niarchos family and is a daughter of the recently deceased Empire Maker.

She is also a three-parts sister to Surya, successful in the Dahlia Handicap (G2T) and also the dam of Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) winner and Diana Stakes (G1T) second Aruna by Mr. Greeley and Santa Ana Stakes (G2T) winner Hoop of Colour, a daughter of Distorted Humor .

BBA Ireland representatives, standing with Tom Whitehouse of Powerstown Stud, signed for the April-born colt for €54,000 ($59,731).

Fifth-last to sell on Tuesday evening was Michael McGlynn's homebred colt by Bet365 Molecomb Stakes (G3) winner and Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) third Cotai Glory. The son of Exceed And Excel stands at Tally-Ho Stud and Lot 271, consigned by Collegelands Stud, is a member of his first crop.

He is a half brother to the listed Investec Woodcote Stakes second Danielsflyer and his third dam is the brilliant champion All Along. He was purchased for €41,000 ($45,352) by Michael Fitzpatrick's JC Bloodstock.

The Irish National Stud and Blue Diamond Stud's group 1 winner Decorated Knight had a single representative in the catalog, a colt from Yeomanstown Lodge Stud.

Lot 31 is a half brother to two winners and to the dam of last season's listed Irish Stallion Farms E.B. F. Bosra Sham Stakes winner Mild Illusion by Requinto. The April-born colt from the first crop of the Irish Champion Stakes winner will be back in the sales ring later in the year after he was purchased by Jamie Browne Bloodstock for €38,000 ($42,033).

Of the established sires, it was Tally-Ho Stud's stalwart Kodiac who proved the most popular with purchasers at Goffs on Tuesday, siring two of the top six lots.

The Yeomanstown Stud team went to €58,000 ($64,156) for Lot 146 from Phoenixtown Stud, a colt bred on the Kodiac-Shamardal cross which has already produced group 1 winner Hello Youmzain. His dam Leyburn is a half sister to the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes (G2) winner and sire Centennial and Siren's Song, winner of the Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F. Salsabil Stakes. Second dam Lurina is a half sister to the group 1 winner and sire Croco Rouge and the listed winner Alidiva, the dam of Taipain, Ali-Royal, Sleepytime, and Oonagh Maccool.

Kodiac was also the sire of Lot 83, a sister to the Silver Tankard Stakes second Al Hamdany. Consigned by Ballintry Stud for breeder Debbie Kitchin, the filly is a granddaughter of Easy To Love, a winning sister to Vodafone Epsom Oaks (G1) and Aston Upthorpe Yorkshire Oaks (G1) winner Love Divine, dam of Ladbrokes St. Leger (G1) winner and sire Sixties Icon, and a half sister to the dam of Champions Mile (G1) and dual Singapore International Cup winner Dunboyne Express. Tally-Ho Stud paid €42,000 ($46,458) for her.

At the close of business for the session, the aggregate had dipped by two points to €1,979,900 ($2,191,340) while the average figure had dropped 15% from the corresponding session in 2019 to €12,856 ($14,229). The median grew by 14% from last year to €8,000 ($8,854), and the clearance rate was 65%, an increase from 63% on the same day last year.

The second session of the Goffs February Sale gets under way at 10 a.m. local time Wednesday with a mixture of 2-year-olds, horses in training, and breeding stock.