Zain Art Tops Goffs November Mares Sale

Sunset Dec. 21 brought a rare astrological phenomenon into the skies over Goffs' sales complex, with the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter illuminating the night sky. Said to be a portent of greatness, and perhaps even the Christmas star itself, buyers of the mares sold under its celestial light will certainly be hoping it is a good sign.

Excellent Art has certainly had his best year in a long time. The exploits of his 2-year-old granddaughter Aloha Star brought him out of the shadows, and his grandson The Revenant adding the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) to his trio of group 2 victories ensured a longer stay in the light.

As a group 1-winning son of the brilliant broodmare sire Pivotal, it is unsurprising that Excellent Art has found success in that role and when a young daughter, already the producer of a group 1 performer from just her second foal, came into the ring at Goffs on Monday fireworks were anticipated.

Ciara Eglington's Collegelands Stud consigned Zain Art, dam of this year's Airlie Stud Balanchine Stakes (G2) winner and Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (G1) third Aloha Star on behalf of Cornagher House Stud, and the unraced half sister to three-time listed winner Battalion was eventually knocked down to the Camas Park Stud team for €390,000 (US$476,749).

The 8-year-old was offered in foal to Land Force, a first-crop son of No Nay Never and winner of the Qatar Richmond Stakes (G2). A granddaughter of the excellent broodmare Danzigaway, Zain Art has a yearling colt by Mastercraftsman and foaled a Ribchester filly in 2020.

Sindiyma, dam of the Jebel Ali Racecourse & Stables Anglesey Stakes (G3) winner Marie's Diamond, who was third in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), and Australian listed winner and group 1-placed Sikandarabad, was offered by Airlie Stud carrying a full sibling to Marie's Diamond.

The Kalanisi mare, who has a yearling colt by Free Eagle, is out of a half sister to the Aga Khan's great champion Sinndar and brought a winning bid of €315,000 ($385,067) from Ballylinch Stud's John O'Connor.

"She's been bought to go to Lope de Vega," O'Connor revealed of the mare who has produced half of her winners to sires from the Giant's Causeway line.

"She's a lovely, proven mare who has produced two stakes horses, and that's a real positive for her. It's a high-class pedigree; this season's group 3 Amethyst Stakes winner Sinawann and Sonaiyla, who was third in the group 1 (Derrinstown Stud) Flying Five Stakes last season, are on the page as well."

A beautiful full sister to Volta, the Prix de Sandringham (G2) winner and Prix de Diane Longines (G1) and Prix Rothschild (G1)-placed filly from the second crop of leading sire Siyouni, was another of the mares on offer to set bidders pulses racing.

Four-year-old Varamini was the star of the strong Godolphin draft offered on Monday and is a half sister to the Prix de Guiche (G3) and Prix des Chenes (G3) winner Calvados Blues and to the winning dam of listed winner No Needs Never.

She was knocked down to Mags O'Toole for €280,000 ($342,282) and the agent said: "She's a very good-looking mare with an attractive covering by a leading sire. It's a quality and current family with lots going on and she will stay in Ireland."

Offered in foal to top-class sire Invincible Spirit, she is out of an unraced Machiavellian full sister to group 2 winner Beautyandthebeast and a three-parts sister to Neatico, winner of the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (G1).

Statistics and Statement

Despite all the obstacles to be overcome there were glimmers of hope in the results of the Breeding Stock Sale, with the clearance rate an excellent 87%.

The declines in both the median and average were marginal and, in the context of 2020, that is another positive.

Monday's average of €31,555 ($38,731) was down just 4.8 points on 2019, while the median dipped by 3.6% to €13,500 ($16,808). Turnover dropped by 31% to €5,490,000 ($6,661,769) but from 66 fewer horses sold in 2020 than in 2019.

In his end of sale statement, Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby noted: "Our Breeding Stock catalog was much reduced and the reasons are clear. In fact, you could ask why anyone would want to be selling a broodmare this year in Christmas week, so we have been heartened by the level of interest from what has proved a global audience with the help of Goffs Online trade. Last year was particularly good, growing by 28%, so perspective is needed when analyzing the figures."

Taken together the four-day November Sale returned solid figures, with the average and median falling back by 11% and 10%, respectively, compared with the 2019 sale.

However, it must be remembered that last year's November Foal Sale was a blockbusting one for Goffs, with a record top price and exceptional growth.

The clearance rate of 78% for the sale as a whole was just 2% lower than the 2019 sale, which took place over five days. Turnover fell by 33% from €34,452,000 in 2019 to €23,069,200 ($28,257,600) this month, but from 217 fewer horses sold. The average price achieved over the four days was €35,166 ($43,075), while the sale's median price was €18,000 ($22,048).

"Our foal sale ended up with a smaller than usual catalog as understandably some vendors made other plans as, at the time of entry, there was so much uncertainty," Beeby stated.

"Then we were hit with more withdrawals than would normally be the case when the sale had to be delayed. Make no mistake we respect the decisions people have had to make this year, but it meant a contraction in the results we have been able to return, especially as several of the absentees had huge sales potential.

"That said, trade was remarkably strong for those that caught the eye, culminating in an especially vibrant final day that saw a trio of Frankels sharing top billing at €440,000 ($539,164) when selling to buyers from the UK, Japan, and Ireland.

"Not surprisingly last year's record-breaking results were out of reach, but it is worth remembering that the 2019 sale outperformed the market and grew by 25%, so we have really gone back to 2018, which is not a bad result given the times we are in. In fact the average price is 9% ahead of two years ago, and the median static."

It has been a difficult year with plenty to reflect on, and Beeby was keen to acknowledge the difficulties Goffs has faced and the hard choices that had to be made.

"So we bid farewell to 2020, a year no one will look back on too fondly," he said. "However, there have been some notable moments at Goffs sales on both sides of the Irish sea, most especially at our National Hunt sales.

"Within five weeks we recorded two record-breaking point-to-point prices at hastily arranged sales at Yorton Farm in Wales and sold the legendary Apple's Jade for an amazing €530,000 in between. Our Land Rover Sale was the first sale in Ireland since the outbreak of COVID, returning better than expected results and set the standard for store sales for the second year in succession."

He added: "We also launched Goffs Online, which has proved a huge asset at traditional sales as well as allowing us to continue to trade during lockdown with two successful purely online live auctions as well as a timed sale of a notable horse in training.

"These are the successes but I confess that our yearling sales proved a massive disappointment, most particularly our flagship Orby Sale, which we had to move to the UK this year. I would be deluded if I tried to suggest that it was anything other than very challenging and recognize that we did not perform.

"We were faced with some difficult choices in the midst of the pandemic and got some of them right but undoubtedly made some mistakes. However, we cannot change the past but can only state to all our vendors that we will redouble our efforts in 2021, when we all hope and pray that COVID-19, and its massive disruptions, prove to be in the past."