Walk In The Park Colt Tops Goffs February Weanling Sale

A colt by Coolmore's outstanding Walk In The Park  topped the second part of the Goffs February Sale when knocked down to Thursday Bloodstock for €35,000 (US$48,967) towards the end of the session.

Consigned by Ballinaroone Stud, the rangy colt is out of Charming Present and is a half brother to five winners, including Monbeg Charmer—a four-time winner under rules for Charlie Longsdon—dual hurdle scorer Tokay Dokey and two-time winner Magic Spear.

Wardstown Stud's Exceed And Excel  half sister to the prolific listed-winning Copper Knight led the online auction early on when selling to BC Bloodstock for €26,000 (US$36,365).

Out of the winning Oasis Dream  mare Mystic Dream, the filly hails from a family that includes King's Stand (G1) winner Prohibit , multiple graded scorer Out of Reach, plus the listed-winning and group 3-placed Emergency.

Copper Knight, a son of of the globetrotting Sir Prancealot  , has won eight times, including the John Smith's City Walls Stakes, for Tim Easterby and was a €26,000 (US$32,370) graduate for Wardstown at the Goffs November Foal Sale in 2014.

The red-hot Zoustar (AUS) enjoyed a sensational weekend when his son Zoutori led home a one-two in the Newmarket Handicap (G1) at Flemington and his sole representative at the sale, a filly out of the winning Acclamation mare Tschierschen, was evidently sought after when selling to Grizzetti Galoppo for €25,000 (US$34,975).

Offered by Baroda Stud, the filly can boast a fine family page, with Tschierschen a half sister to four black-type horses, including Roodeye, the dam of last year's Sussex Stakes (G1) hero and exciting first season sire Mohaather .

Newmarket House Stud's Order of St George colt out of a full sister to the versatile Noble Prince made €24,000 (US$33,566) when selling to Rathmore Stud. The dam, A Good Year, a daughter of Montjeu , has produced the winning Canford Cliffs gelding Bolt of Lightning and has a 4-year-old filly by the sire plus a 3-year-old Excelebration  filly in training.

Phil Kirby made his presence felt at the online auction when going to €20,000 (US$27,967) to secure Peter Nolan's Order of St George colt, who is out of a half sister to popular Neptune Novices' and Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Peddlers Cross.

The son of the Ascot Gold Cup (G1) hero is out of the unraced Shernazar mare Miss Cilla and is a half brother to Donald McCain's useful dual winning hurdler Fin And Game.

The trainer also came away with Ballinalard Stud's Free Eagle  filly, a supplementary entry who comes from the family of multiple group winner Libran and Lancashire Oaks (G3) scorer and Sun Chariot Stakes (G1) runner-up State Crystal.

Baroda Stud's filly by Australia  also reached the €20,000 (US$27,978) mark when snapped up by Stone Farm.

The daughter of the Fastnet Rock  mare Mt of Beatitudes can count Kasora, the dam of the mighty dual Derby hero High Chaparral, as her third dam, while Mt of Beatitudes' half sister Starlet has produced Guineas Trial winner Love Locket and the listed-winning Kingman gelding Raakib Alhawa.

Statement

From 84 lots offered, 35 sold for a clearance rate of 42% and turnover of €360,900 (US$504,790), an average of €10,311(US$14,424) and median of €8,000 (US$11,191).

Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby said: "Selling weanlings in March without proper viewings was never going to be ideal but circumstances dictated that was the only option if we were to hold the sale.

"When we were forced to further delay it by the latest Level 5 lockdown being extended we considered simply canceling and directing the entries to the yearling sales in the autumn.

"However, several vendors made contact to implore us to give them an outlet, so we staged it today as a service to those who wished to present their weanlings to the market."

He continued: "The results are predictably mixed with a clearance rate that speaks volumes, but there was some spirited bidding for those that stood out, and we're sure that several will be shown to have been value when they are re-offered in a normal yearling sale later in the year. Once again Goffs Online proved its worth with bids from around the world.

"We now turn our attention to our Timed Online Sale March 24, after which our fervent hope is the vaccination programs in Ireland and the UK will allow a return to some normality as the year progresses, and we look forward to welcoming horses and people back to Kildare Paddocks for the Land Rover Sale in June.

"Following that, we are working towards a full program of Goffs sales throughout the rest of the year on their scheduled dates and in their usual location, here in Kildare."