Record-Breaking Trade at Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale

The inclusion of a large group of yearlings from Derrinstown Stud in the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale drove a blockbuster day of trade in Kildare Paddocks Nov. 2.

A trio of yearlings boasting some of the late Hamdan Al Maktoum's choicest pedigrees sent the record price for a yearling at this sale tumbling, as one after another regally bred yearling left Derrinstown for new homes.

The opportunity to buy fillies from aristocratic families was a precious one, and a daughter of the late Shamardal, who was one of the early lots into the ring, set the tone.

The filly (Lot 208) was knocked down to John Kilbride for €170,000 (US$196,787) after spirited bidding from around the ring, outside in the back ring, and online. She is a half sister to three winners from three runners including Khaloosy , who was twice group 3-placed last year for Roger Varian, and Moqtarreb, who was second in the listed HH The President Cup at Abu Dhabi earlier this year.

Like for so many people at Goffs on Tuesday, and at the sales to come over the next few weeks where Shadwell fillies and mares will be offered, it was her potential stud career as much as her racing promise that drew Kilbride and his client's attention.

"Obviously there are no more Shamardal yearlings left and she's for a client who is trying to develop a broodmare band," John Kilbride said. "We've raced a few so far and retired a few stakes fillies. 

"I feel with these Derrinstown/Shadwell horses, they're from families that have been developed over time and we're looking for fillies with that long lineage. We're jumping up the ladder here, but that's one of the reasons why we wanted to buy her. 

"We probably gave a little bit more for her than we thought we'd have to, but we're very happy to get her. She'll probably have a little break and then we'll aim to send her to a trainer in January or February, most likely in the UK as that's where the client's horses have been trained so far."

The April-born filly does have impeccable broodmare credentials but, unlike the majority of the yearlings offered by Derrinstown at Goffs this week, her family is one Sheikh Hamdan bought into relatively recently with the purchase of her dam Elshaadin as a yearling from her breeders Newsells Park Stud for 550,000 guineas ($924,462) in 2012.

By Dalakhani , she is out of Distinctive Look, a Danehill half sister to group 1 winners Nathaniel , Playful Act , and Great Heavens , and will be offered in foal to Too Darn Hot  at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Driver in Fast Lane 

A Dark Angel  colt (Lot 370) surpassed her price when making €180,000 ($208,362) online to Adam Driver, who had also purchased a filly (Lot 348) by Yeomanstown Stud's leading sire for €155,000 ($179,423) just 20 lots previously.

Speaking by phone, Driver said, "On pedigree, they were two standout horses, and I've been very kindly assisted by Tom Clover, who sent me videos of both. They're two very nice individuals to go with their pedigrees. 

"Luckily I had a client who was keen to get a couple more yearlings and it was fantastic to have this opportunity to buy two yearlings like this from Shadwell. They'll go back to Jo Fenton to be broken in and then around December time we'll decide on where they'll go into training."

The colt is the first foal of Moghamarah, a winner at 2 for Kevin Prendergast. She in turn is out of Shimah , who won the listed Balanchine Saoire Stakes and was second in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1).

Moghamarah, in foal to Tamayuz , is due to sell later this month at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale from the sizable Derrinstown Stud draft.

Scheduled to sell two lots before her at Goffs on Nov. 19 is Maqaasid , the dam of the Dark Angel filly who Driver bought for €155,000. Consigned by Derrinstown Stud, she is descended from Height of Fashion, the foundation on which Sheikh Hamdan's empire was built.

The filly is a half sister to two winners out of the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) winner and QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1) third Maqaasid. She is a Green Desert half sister to the dam of Sea The Stars  group 1 winner Shraaoh out of Eshaada , a Storm Cat three-parts sister to One Thousand Guineas and Coronation Stakes (G1) winner Ghanaati  by Giant's Causeway .

Kerr and Co bought the Teofilo  colt (Lot 437) out of the Leopardstown One Thousand Guineas Trial (G3) winner Rawaaq  for €140,000 ($162,060).

He is from the family of the champion miler and sire Bahri, and his Invincible Spirit dam, who is in foal to Awtaad , will take her turn in the Goffs' spotlight in a little over a fortnight's time at the November Breeding Stock Sale.

Marco Bozzi went to €90,000 ($104,181) for a daughter of Invincible Spirit out of Qareenah (Lot 425), an Arch full sister to the grade 1 winner Prince Arch and to Archangel Gabriel, the dam of Sir Michael Stoute's recent Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes (G3) winner Ville de Grace  by Le Havre . 

A total of 17 yearlings were offered either by Derrinstown Stud or Lumville Farm during the course of proceedings on the first of a two-day sale and they sold for an aggregate €1,073,000 ($1,242,070), with an average price of €63,118 ($73,063). There are 11 more due to go under the hammer on Wednesday.

Facts and Figures

Trade on Tuesday remained incredibly buoyant throughout the day and the strength of the market as a whole was evident through a record-breaking aggregate figure.

Even if the Shadwell draft were to be removed from calculations, Tuesday's aggregate would comfortably eclipse the entire turnover for each of the three previous Autumn Yearling Sales.

The aggregate for the day was a whopping €3,151,500 ($3,648,080), which was an astonishing 75% higher than on the first day of the 2020 Autumn Yearling Sale. Another key indicator of the strong health of the market was the clearance rate of 91%, with 213 of 234 lots offered finding a buyer.

Tuesday's average of €14,796 ($17,127) was an astounding 123% increase on the same day last year, while the median grew by an extraordinary 90% to €8,000 ($9,260).

The second and final session of the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale gets underway at 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday.