Enhanced Catalog Offers Exciting Start to Year at Goffs

Increased demand for places in the 2022 Goffs February Sale has seen the company expand the event to three days, starting at 11 a.m. Feb. 8.

The sale, which offers something for everyone with flat and national hunt elements, includes horses in training, youngstock, weanlings, fillies, and mares.

By far the largest single section is the weanling one, for which 300 flat- and national hunt-bred youngsters have been cataloged and is spread over a day and a half.

One breeder who is both eagerly and anxiously awaiting Tuesday's session is John Kehoe, who offers a beautifully bred colt from the second crop of QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1) hero Saxon Warrior .

Lot 188 is the third foal out of Pour Deux, a Dansili half sister to last season's Prix des Chenes (G3) winner Ancient Rome , who was placed in both the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Grand Criterium (G1) and Criterium International (G1) for Andre Fabre, and to Coolmore Stud Irish E.B.F. Naas Juvenile Fillies Sprint Stakes (G3) winner Etoile .

Their dam Gagnoa  was a dual group 3 winner and placed in the Prix de Diane-French Oaks (G1), Montjeu Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (G1), and Darley Irish Oaks (G1). She is also a Sadler's Wells half sister to Investec Epsom Derby (G1) winner Pour Moi .

"The mare has a lovely page," said Kehoe of Pour Deux, one of two mares he is breeding from. "By all accounts this colt is very nice; everyone who looks at him tells me that, so hopefully the buyers will think that at Goffs this week."

Kehoe purchased Pour Deux through Richard Knight at the 2016 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale, where she was consigned by her trainer John Oxx. Successful in a Naas maiden at 3, Pour Deux was fourth in the listed Cooley Fillies Stakes and Kehoe bought her at the end of her 4-year-old season.

Her first foal is a 3-year-old Australia  colt named Najem Shalghoda, who was bought as a yearling by Zied Romdhane and is in training in France. She has a 2-year-old Mastercraftsman  filly and is due to visit No Nay Never  this spring.

"I retained the Mastercraftsman filly because I like the pedigree a lot and I wanted to have a filly out of her that could hopefully go on and achieve on the track, and then I could continue the line," explained Kehoe.

"The fact that she is a daughter of Mastercraftsman was a big influence in that decision as I think he could be an excellent broodmare sire."

That filly is in pre-training at Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connell's Longways Stables and Kehoe is planning on sending her to Joseph O'Brien, who trained his Dark Angel  mare Annie B to win at 3. Annie B, who is named in honor of Kehoe's mother, is booked in to visit Gleneagles  this year.

Kehoe is excited about what is to come in the family, with Ancient Rome potentially making the group 1 breakthrough this year and their half sister from the first crop of the unbeaten Triple Crown winner Justify   hopefully set to make her debut during the season.

Gagnoa also has a yearling filly by Justify and her half sister White Hot is the dam of Bobby Flay's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner Pizza Bianca .

The Aherne family, breeders of Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) and Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois (G1) winner Romanised , consign the Saxon Warrior colt for Kehoe and he is the only offering from their Prospect Stables.

Other youngsters to look out for include Railstown Stud's half brother to Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes (G1) winner Champers Elysees . The February-born colt (Lot 118) is a son of Cotai Glory , who was Europe's leading first-season sire by winners last year.

Another weanling with an eye-catching pedigree is Coolagown Stud's filly from the first crop of the Royal Ascot winner and multiple group 1-placed sprinter Soldier's Call  (Lot 221).

For those with their eyes on the long game, she makes perfect sense as a broodmare prospect because she is a half sister to the dam of Perfect Power , successful in the Darley Prix Morny - Finale des Darley SEries (G1) and Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1) last season.

Her second dam Saga d'Ouilly is a Linamix sister to Arc winner Sagamix and a half sister to group 1 winner Sagacity and to Shastye, the dam of group 1-winning brothers Japan  and Mogul .

The Godolphin draft contains some impeccably bred broodmares and breeding prospects, including Panegyric (Lot 580), who is a Monsun three-parts sister to group 1 winner Ultra  and a half sister to the dam of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) winner Modern Games .

The 11-year-old is the dam of three runners from three winners, including the listed-placed Lackeen , by Shamardal , and is offered in foal to Cracksman .

Also among the draft is Bergamask  (Lot 534), the dam of Coventry Stakes (G2) winner and dual group 1-placed Buratino . The listed-placed daughter of Kingmambo, out of a Sadler's Wells half sister to Danehill Dancer, is offered in foal to Harry Angel .

The Castlebridge Consignment offers Tates Breath (Lot 510), an unraced 4-year-old Bated Breath  half sister to Australian group 3 winner Spirit Ridge out of Tates Creek, winner of the Yellow Ribbon Stakes (G1T) and Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap (G1T) both in 2003.

She comes from a typically excellent Juddmonte family as a Rahy half sister to the multiple grade 1 winner Sightseek and to Quest to Peak, dam of group 1 winner Special Duty  and second dam of Juddmonte's Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Expert Eye , who has his first runners this year.

Henry Beeby, group chief executive of Goffs, is anticipating strong trade on the back of such a deep catalog.

"We're delighted to kick off 2022 at Kildare Paddocks with a February catalog of real depth and diversity," he said.

"Following the vibrant foal and record breeding stock trade seen at the Goffs November Sale, demand for February Sale places was especially strong and has resulted in the sale being expanded to three days. This catalog should hold huge appeal for domestic and international buyers alike."