Camelot Colt Leads Second Day of Goffs November Trade

Pinhookers continued to clash over the prime offerings at the Goffs November Foal Sale Nov. 16 as trade went through the gears.

The second lively session in as many days brought turnover of €7,374,500 (US$8,426,680), a 50% year-on-year increase; an average of €34,460 ($39,376), 23% increase; and a median of €28,000 ($31,995), up 40%. The clearance rate was 84% as 214 foals found a new home. 

The familiar figures of Camas Park Stud's Timmy Hyde and Michael Fitzpatrick of Kilminfoyle House Stud fought out the closing stages of the bidding for Airlie Stud's son of Camelot  (Lot 434) who topped the session, with the former winning out at €170,000 ($194,255).

The colt's catalog page features just two dams, as his own, the winning Invincible Spirit  mare The Fairy, is out of Cinnamon Rose, whose brood includes Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) heroine Chelsea Rose.

That daughter of Desert King not only won a group 1 during her time on the racecourse but has since started a dynasty of her own, with her five black-type offspring headed by William Hill St. Leger (G1) and Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (G1) scorer Kew Gardens .

"He's a lovely horse with a lovely pedigree, it's a proper family," said Hyde, who confirmed his purchase was made with resale in mind. "We've been lucky with the sire before. Hopefully he'll be another Russian Camelot."

Airlie Stud has enjoyed a productive time of it at the November Foal Sale, having also sold a Zoustar colt (Lot 269) to Yeomanstown Stud for €90,000 ($102,841) Tuesday and a Starspangledbanner  filly (Lot 125) to Glenvale Stud for €62,000 ($70,941) on day one.

"It's a family we've had for a while and this was a lovely colt," said the stud's Anthony Rogers. "He's very straightforward with a beautiful temperament and is by a very good sire. I'm still digesting it but it's been a good week."

He added: "Cinnamon Rose was the first horse who ran in my colors. Gerry Cusack trained her, she was also the first winner in my colors when she won at Roscommon. Unfortunately she had an accident and she wasn't quite the same after that but she had a lot of ability."

The O'Callaghan family from Tally-Ho Stud hung around to secure the last lot into the ring on Monday, the session-topping Mehmas  colt (Lot 245) who fetched €140,000 ($160,191), and the same team were back in action early on Tuesday when they gave €130,000 ($148,548) for the Exceed And Excel  colt out of the listed-placed Ejaazah (Lot 247).

The youngster was offered by The Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of Shadwell Estates, who also sold the colt's half brother Elsals, who finished third on his debut at York, to Kevin Philippart de Foy for 140,000 guineas ($202,345) at the recent Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.

After two days of action Tally-Ho Stud was out clear at the head of the leading buyers' chart, with the O'Callaghans having signed for 11 foals at an outlay of €759,000 ($867,293).

Aughamore Stud in Action

Brothers Michael and Laurence Gleeson of Aughamore Stud in County Westmeath got among the action when they combined with Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock at €120,000 ($137,121) to secure the Camelot colt out of Lady Magdala (Lot 320).

Offered by Stanley Lodge and bred by John Kennedy, the March-born youngster is the first foal out of the Teofilo  half sister to three black-type performers, namely Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes (G3) scorer Max Vega  and the listed-placed pair Camphor and Quickstep Girl.

"We're big fans of the stallion and we thought this was an outstanding individual," said Michael Gleeson. "He comes from a good home at Stanley Lodge too; we got a good result with a Mastercraftsman  we bought off them last year (bought for €50,000, resold for 140,000 guineas).

"We've had a brilliant year selling so we'll try to do the same in 2022, and this colt is one to look forward to bringing back next year."

Although the colt was not bred by the team behind Stanley Lodge, William Kennedy, who owns the Cashel farm with John Wall, explained that he has a particularly close association with the pedigree, having bred Max Vega and his high-performing siblings from Paraphernalia, a listed-placed daughter of Dalakhani  who joined the broodmare band at a cost of 135,000 guineas ($231,833) in 2013.

"He's a lovely horse," Kennedy said of the Camelot colt. "He moves so well and has been very popular here so we're delighted for the owner. The mare doesn't board with us but we have the whole family as we bought Paraphernalia and bred all her foals. We know the pedigree inside out.

"He's a bigger model than others in the family as they're generally a bit Dalakhani-like, light, and a bit narrow. They're all very good runners though with good minds and are all very good in terms of physique, wind, and limbs."