No Nay Never Colt Tops Goffs November Foal Sale Opener

As was the case at many of this year's European yearling auctions, it was a tale of two halves on Day 1 of the Goffs November Foal Sale at Kildare Paddocks Nov. 19.

The familiar hallmarks of polarization were in evidence as trade toward the top of the market proved solid with pinhookers out in force.

However, demand all but flat-lined among the lower tiers, and despite a bustling sales ground, the clearance rate stood at 59%, with just 145 of 244 offered lots finding a buyer, while 25 foals failed to register the minimum bid of €5,000.

The aggregate finished at €2,685,000 (US$3,065,000), down 34% year-on-year, while the average was €18,520 ($21,100), a decrease of 13%, and the median fell by 9% to €15,000 ($17,125).

Another running theme from this year's yearling sales was the insatiable appetite for progeny of red-hot first-season sire No Nay Never, and that too continued into Monday's sale as the Pier House Stud team secured a colt (Lot 157) by the son of Scat Daddy for the session-topping sum of €125,000 ($142,725).

Ciaran 'Flash' Conroy of Glenvale Stud, Ed Sackville, and the Tally-Ho Stud team all showed an interest in the April-born foal, but—with the gavel raised at €120,000—Brendan Morrin joined the fray and a solitary €5,000 raise was enough to seal the deal.

"He was the best foal of the day," said the Pier House Stud man. "He's an excellent mover and by a very good stallion. He'll come back here next year."

The colt was bred by 92-year-old Audrey Thompson of Kilmore Stud, who has compiled quite the breeding résumé, having also produced Then Again, who won the 1987 Queen Anne Stakes (G2) for Luca Cumani, while her father pinhooked the legendary dual-purpose performer Brown Jack.

Thompson keeps a two-strong broodmare band at Kilmore Stud in County Tipperary, but left the preparation of the No Nay Never colt to her cousin Andrew Thompson and Con Marnane's right-hand man Mike O'Brien—the duo responsible for breeding champion miler Ribchester.

"He's a foal that just wanted to please you every day," Andrew Thompson said. "Some foals you want to move on, they may not be that nice to handle, but this colt has a kind temperament and was good fun to do. Hopefully he'll make a nice 2-year-old—No Nay Never's obviously been a sensation."

A delighted Thompson added that the session-topping price had exceeded his already fairly lofty expectations, with the colt proving a hit with prospective buyers during pre-sale inspections.

"He'd had well over 200 shows so we knew he was popular," he said, "But we were thinking he might fetch around €70,000 or €80,000 and I didn't think he'd go over the €100,000 mark."

The colt is out of Celestial Dream, whose foals have now fetched a total of €324,000 in the Goffs ring, a fine return considering she was bought by Kilmore Stud for just 18,000gns ($31,131) at Tattersalls in 2009.

The daughter of Oasis Dream and Nunthorpe Stakes winner Lochangel has produced five winners from five to foals, including the winning War Command 2-year-old Loch Ness Monster.

"We bought the mare and she's paid us well—all her foals have sold well," added Thompson. "She's not in foal at the moment so we'll have to put our thinking hats on."

The session-topping colt was bred when his sire stood for just €17,500, but in light of a stunning debut crop—with his 26 European winners headed by unbeaten Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1) hero Ten Sovereigns—No Nay Never will now stand for 2019 at €100,000.

With 25 more foals due to come under the hammer this week, it seems highly like that the progeny of No Nay Never will continue to make an impact at the November sale.