Shadwell Secures Well-Bred Oasis Dream Filly at Goffs

It took a filly from the most tried-and-tested of sources to draw some of bloodstock's superpowers out of their shells at Goffs Orby as Angus Gold of Shadwell set the 2020 bar at £450,000 (US$581,584) for Roundhill Stud's blue-blooded daughter of Oasis Dream.

The lack of business done by many of racing's recognizable, mostly Middle Eastern, buyers has been of ongoing concern throughout the yearling auctions—seemingly due to the manifold implications of COVID-19—and the writing had already been on the wall here Wednesday.

Although many notable bloodstock representatives were on the ground in Doncaster, the widespread feeling of goodwill toward organizers in the trickiest of circumstances was not translating into enough committed bidding, and year-on-year trade was considerably down through both sessions.  

Final figures made sobering reading, with the turnover of £21,142,000 ($27,244,312) down some 44%, the average sinking 35% to £67,981 ($87,602), and the median down 18% to £47,000 ($60,743). The clearance rate dropped 5% but was a nonetheless encouraging 80%.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been one of many recurring purchasers at the Orby in its traditional setting in Ireland, collecting eight last year for a total of €2,495,000. 

Lot 343, an Oasis Dream filly from the famed Roundhill Stud dynasty sprung by Princess Serena, was Shadwell's first foray by lunchtime on the second and final day as Gold outbid a persistent David Redvers, who had also been keeping Qatar Bloodstock's powder dry.

"Sheikh Hamdan said to look at a couple of fillies. We had a go at the Green Room (Sea The Stars filly bought back by Vimal and Gillian Khosla for £775,000) yesterday, but the breeders had a value higher than we did," Gold said. "Hopefully this filly can be a great addition to the stud. She's from a tough racing family with fillies rated 110 or over, which I love."

Bobby and Honora Donworth bought Princess Serena for their County Limerick operation at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in 2003. She has produced the likes of Prix d'Ispahan (G1) winner Zabeel Prince and top-notch Australian export Puissance de Lune, while her granddaughters include Rizeena, who took the Coronation Stakes (G1) for Clive Brittain.

It begins what could yet be a memorable few days for the breeders, and Bobby Donworth said: "She was absolutely stunning. There was a lot of head-scratching, but we wanted to support our market and I'm glad we did. I have a half sister to Rizeena and a full brother to Zabeel Prince coming up (at Tattersalls)."

This particular filly was the first foal of Princess Serena's Shamardal daughter Princess de Lune, who won a Newbury maiden, with Donworth adding: "She should go on to be a good broodmare, too. Sadly, she lost her Kingman foal, but she's back in foal to Night of Thunder."

Memory Lane for Sunderland

There are few owners more associated with a particular race than the Tsui family and the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), from the great matriarch Urban Sea in 1993 to her stunning son Sea The Stars concluding his practically unequaled sequence of glory some 16 years later.

The Tsuis have always ensured their support of Sea The Stars in his career as a stallion, and their most famous sales purchase of his progeny to date will be remembered again this weekend through Sea of Class, who was saddled by William Haggas to be beaten that ever-diminishing short neck by Enable two years ago.

So it was particularly timely that the family's Sunderland Holdings umbrella stretched to £360,000 ($465,267) for another of his daughters bound for the same stable.

Lot 253 has even more of a French connection as Kilcarn Stud's half sister to last year's Prix de Diane Longines (French Oaks, G1) winner, Channel, the dam being a daughter of Sky Bet Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) scorer Magical Romance.

John Clarke, an adviser to the owners, said: "Mrs Tsui loved the pedigree, and obviously the family have always thought a great deal of Sea The Stars, so they wanted to have her. She'll be going to William Haggas."

O'Byrne Sees the Light for Dark Angel Colt

A third to clear the £300,000 marker came in the still-clear light of late afternoon through an all-Yeomanstown Stud product of resident stallion Dark Angel and inspired broodmare purchase The Hermitage.

The Kheleyf mare has already produced Princess Margaret Stakes scorer Angel's Hideaway and plenty of other decent pickings, including her latest gray colt, who was the subject of sustained bidding by Richard Ryan in the gallery before he bowed out to Demi O'Byrne, signing outside for £355,000 ($458,805) on behalf of Peter Brant's White Birch Farm.

"We bought the mare for 29,000 guineas, and she's been good to everyone," said Yeomanstown's David O'Callaghan, who said The Hermitage had since returned to Dark Angel.

Echoing the thoughts of many, O'Callaghan said of trade: "It's been very tough, but it is what it is. We bring them to sell and to try clearing the decks."

Rare Articles

It will be of cold comfort to vendors and breeders alike, but a dip in prices can encourage others to chance their arm for the sort of pedigrees that might otherwise be well beyond their reach.

Two buyers were able to obtain Galileo fillies, exhibition pieces both, at a level that they would surely not have envisioned. The feeling was characterized by the thoughts of Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland on the Manister House Stud-consigned three-parts sister to Jim Bolger's Irish Derby winner Trading Leather. He registered a successful bid of £185,000 ($239,096) on behalf of Yuesheng Zhang's Yulong Investments.

"There mightn't be a huge amount of Galileos to buy. She's worth it all day long at that money," he said. "Mr. Zhang was keen to support this sale. She looks like she'll need a bit of time but had the perfect physical and will go to Jessica Harrington."

Agent Cathy Grassick had only just signed the ticket for another daughter of the Coolmore giant, Baroda Stud's Lot 305, for £140,000 ($180,938), with a pedigree she recognized from her time working down under.

Beeby's Statement

Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby put on a brave face after the event, reporting: "I do not think anyone approached the sale expecting anything other than it to be tough, but we salute our vendors for the way they adapted and read the market, as evidenced by the 80% clearance rate, which, whilst not up to recent years, demonstrates that vendors were pragmatic in their approach and worked with us to deliver the best results in the circumstances.

"That said, we absolutely recognize that the returns of the last two days have been hard on many vendors, and we share their pain as we have always prided ourselves on delivering the best prices for the lots we offer.

"However, we are all aware of the havoc being wreaked on all walks of life by COVID-19 and the impact on the global economy, so it is understandable that there are fewer orders around for racehorses from buying entities, big and small.

"Those challenges are, of course, exacerbated by the ongoing issues around prize money that we read about on a daily basis while there are several significant players from recent editions of the Orby Sale that are not present for one reason or another.

"None of this is offered as any excuse or justification as it is plain that Orby 2020 is way behind its recent predecessors. Whether that is mirrored elsewhere in the coming weeks remains to be seen, but we send our best wishes to everyone selling in Newmarket as this is one interlinked industry—we have worked closely with Tattersalls throughout this crisis."