Relation to Sea of Class Center of Attention at Goffs

A beautiful daughter of Sea The Stars stole the show at Goffs on the second day of the rescheduled November Foal Sale Dec. 19.

Consigned by Linda and Reddy Coffey's Oak Lodge and Springfield House Stud, the May-born filly is a half sister to the Italian group 3 second Troublemaker and Ranger In Paradise, who was placed in a listed contest.

Agent Federico Barberini, standing on the balcony, proved a determined bidder and outlasted all his rivals to secure her for €155,000 (US$189,992).

The filly (Lot 451) is also a three-parts sister to the star-crossed Sea of Class, the Darley Irish Oaks (G1) and Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1) heroine who failed by a hair's breadth to reel in Enable in the 2018 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1).

Barberini said: "She is for a client and has been bought to race initially but she is a valuable broodmare prospect. Her page speaks for herself and she has huge residual value as a broodmare. The 2-year-old is very highly regarded."

That 2-year-old is an Australia colt named Mooney Love who made €130,000 ($143,042) as a yearling.

A glance at the filly's page indicates just how high that residual value could be as her dam Mooney Ridge is an Indian Ridge half sister to five group winning fillies, with two of them already proven black-type producers in Japan.

As well as Sea of Class there are the Premio Lydia Tessio Longines (G1) winners Charity Line and Final Score, who is the dam of two stakes performers in Japan.

She is also a half sister to Wordless, winner of the Premio Verziere Mem. Aldo Cirla (G3) and to Oaks d'Italia (G2) winner Cherry Collect; she is the dam of Wakea who was third in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) to Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail.

A well-related colt from the first crop of Whitsbury Manor Stud's Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes (G1) winner Havana Grey set the ring alight during the morning, selling to Stephen Collins of Derrinstown Stud for €135,000 ($165,477).

Lot 354 is a half brother to this year's listed Bet365 Rose Bowl Stakes winner and Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes (G3) second Method, who is a member of Mehmas' all-conquering first crop.

Consigned by his breeder Michael Phelan's family Pipe View Stud, he will be seen on the track in the blue and white silks of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum in a couple of years.

"He is a very nice foal and looks a very forward, early maturing 2-year-old type," said Collins. "He has a very good attitude and an athletic walk. He will be raised at Derrinstown."

The colt's dam is a winning Iffraaj half sister to listed Harry Rosebery Stakes winner Bella Tusa and to La Vita E Bella, who won the listed E.B.F. Montrose Fillies Stakes and is the second dam of Qatar Lennox Stakes (G2) winner and sire Dutch Connection.

Mehmas Makes His Mark

Tally Ho struck gold with Mehmas and the only foal by the champion first-season sire offered for sale on Saturday provided a warming frisson of excitement as the temperatures plunged outside.

Harefield Cottage Stud consigned the first foal of the unraced Teofilo mare Single Thought and there was a dramatic conclusion to the bidding, which was being relayed from the outside ring where extra spotters were in position because of coronavirus restrictions, when an unknown bidder outside had the final say by bringing the hammer down at €130,000 ($159,348).

Their identity was revealed to be noted producers the Morrin brothers of Pier House Stud, who are likely to offer the colt (Lot 512) for resale.

Dandy Man's best bred crop of 2-year-olds has delivered on the track with 9% stakes winners and placed horses to runners headed by the Bet 365 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (G2) winner Dandalla. 

His foals of 2020 are expected to be even better again as they are his most expensively-bred crop to date and that is being reflected in their sales ring performance at Goffs.

Five of the dozen foals who made at least €70,000 on Saturday were by Dandy Man, the sire of two colts who were sold for €75,000 ($91,932) and two colts and a filly who made €72,000 ($88,255), all bred from an advertised fee in 2019 of €12,500.

By the end of the session 19 Dandy Man foals of the 23 offered on Saturday had changed hands for an average price of €38,368, which is slightly more than three times his covering fee.

His top-priced filly was Lot 525, who was bought by Philipp Stauffenberg online and she is a full sister to listed third Cavernndchipmunks.

Consigned by Oak Leaf Stud, she is out of the Dansili mare Step Away whose dam Because is a Sadler's Wells full sister to the group 1 fillies Yesterday and Quarter Moon, the dam of Sea The Stars Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) winner Diamondsandrubies.

Strong Start for Kessaar

The first crop of Kessaar, Tally Ho Stud's Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (G2)-winning son of their star stallion Kodiac, was another to prove popular with buyers on Saturday recording a strong set of results.

Four foals by the young stallion were offered during the session with the quartet returning an average price of €34,250 and a median of €37,000.

The most expensive Kessaar foal was the first through the ring; Collegelands Stud's colt (Lot 305) out of a Society Rock half sister to Pepsi Max Flying Childers Stakes (G2) winner Ardad, who has his first runners in 2021.

It is also the family of the globe-trotting group 1 winner Maarek and the Tally Ho team went to €55,000 ($67,417) for the first foal of the 81-rated Armum.

Eddie O'Leary's Lynn Lodge Stud was also amongst the purchasers of Kessaar's offspring, buying Lot 476 from Soolmoy Stud, a half brother to this year's listed winning 2-year-old Andromaca, for €42,000 ($51,482).

As anticipated, trade shifted up a gear on Saturday with the aggregate increasing to €4,855,900 ($5,952,134) from 174 foals sold. The clearance rate was 79% with an average selling price of €27,907 ($34,208) and the median was €20,000 ($24,515). The November Foal Sale continues on Sunday at 10 a.m. local time.