TWO more records, for average and median, were established over the two days of the Goffs Orby Book 2 Sale, with an aggregate that nudged agonisingly close to €10 million. It was enough to have Henry Beeby reaching for superlatives as he celebrated at the end of four days selling at Kildare Paddocks on Thursday evening.

Among his comments, he said: “We have always maintained that this is a sale that outperforms expectations and Irish breeders sent us a superb selection of smart, commercial yearlings. They were greeted by a huge buying bench from home and abroad competing with a strong contingent from the UK and Ireland. Especially gratifying was the huge numbers of UK trainers and agents who stayed on from Orby 1 or came specially for Orby 2. Their involvement alongside a massive group of overseas buyers precipitated a truly memorable sale.

“I want to record our thanks to, and appreciation of, the work of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing who once again combined with the Goffs Purchaser Attraction Team to ensure that both parts of the Irish National Yearling Sale set new benchmarks and scaled unprecedented heights. The last four days have given everyone a huge lift as the positivity from start to finish has been inspiring. What a great industry when we work together and back each other.

“We know we amount to nothing without the support of Irish breeders and never take their support for granted. The mantra “every lot matters a lot” is one that resonates as we value every single entry at any level and then treasure each bid as it is made. Goffs exists to serve the Irish industry as we work to attract a global audience to Co Kildare, and we just love it when it comes together as it has done so spectacularly this week.”

Chairman connection

With a record nine lots sold for prices ranging from €100,000 to a sale-topping €210,000, it was fitting the best in Book 2 of the Goffs Orby Sale was consigned by the Irish National Stud, and sold on behalf of a three-decade long friend of the Goffs chairman, Eimear Mulhern. Montgomery Motto was the buyer of the daughter of Cotai Glory, which was sold by the Austrian owner-breeder Michael Rosenfeld.

Motto has enjoyed success with a daughter of Cotai Glory, having raced the Grade 1 winner Excellent Truth, and now he has high hopes for this half-sister to Group 3 winner Ostraka. The stakes-placed dam of these fillies is a half-sister to the Rosenfeld-owned and bred Osterhase, and it was the late John Mulhern who saddled him to win a dozen times, capturing the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes.

“This filly is very similar to Excellent Truth: nearly a spitting image, in fact. There was a lot of competition for her. The market here is very strong. I don’t have a plan yet, but she’ll likely race in Europe. I used to train for myself in Florida; then I came to Europe and I’m based between Italy and the UK. I have horses with two trainers – Andrea Marcialis in Italy and Mauricio Delcher Sanchez in Chantilly, who trained Excellent Truth.”

TWELVE different sires featured among the 14 who sired yearlings that sold for €80,000 or more in Book 2 of the Goffs Orby Sale, but displaying the breadth of support from Irish breeders, the same 14 came from different vendors, and sold to 14 separate buying entities. That Paddy Twomey, however, featured twice, representing the owners of the first two horses home in the weekend’s Goffs Million.

The more expensive of the duo was the €120,000 Ghaiyyath daughter of the winning Danehill Dancer mare Ardingly, and it was coincidental that the mare’s three-year-old son Uncle Goalie won the race before the Goffs Million [he is due to run in a listed race tomorrow]. Kevin Quinn’s Ladytown Stables sold the filly, who is from a mare that Quinn bought in 2022 for €5,500. The three offspring she had since have grossed €230,000.

Brian O’Riordan formed the Red Lily Syndicate who race the Goffs Million winner Trean. He said: “We paid a bit more for her than we thought we were going to, and now I’ll have to explain that to the syndicate. She cost a fair bit more than Trean [€20,000]. She was Paddy’s pick. He’s the judge and we pay the bills. She was very athletic and came highly recommended by the breeder. She has a good family behind her too.”

Kevin Quinn was emotional: “I’m over the moon; she was a queen, and never put a foot wrong since she got here. Everything she’s done since she’s been here was telling me to keep her. What means more to me is where she’s going [to be trained], and that she’s going to Brian and the syndicate is the icing on the cake. Joseph Murphy has the Camelot filly [half-sister] and she’s beautiful as well.”

Twomey will also train the €95,000 Bungle Inthejungle filly from Rathasker Stud for Corbett Court Racing. Her only two siblings are juvenile winners, and this year’s is stakes-placed. “We ended up paying €85,000 for Hi Corbett Court [the Goffs Million runner-up], and we almost nicked it at 80/1. It was an amazing day and I’m hoping to do it again next year.

“I own the horses with my sister Anna. We both own the Corbett Court restaurants in Kilworth and Charleville. We love racing. My father was into racing. He always regretted missing out on Meis El-Reem, who finished second in the English 1000 Guineas. He was within 1,000gns of buying her here and it always bugged him. Hopefully we can make up for that now”.

DERRINSTOWN Stud’s Awtaad and Darley’s Ghaiyyath were the two sires with a pair of progeny each among the top 10 lots in Book 2. Awtaad had a colt sell for Kevin Ross and Gavin Cromwell, while a filly caught the eye of Hubie de Burgh. They sold for €140,000 and €110,000 respectively.

The colt was the first six-figure lot of the sale, and Paul Giles’ Moyfinn Stud sold him on behalf of fellow Longwood, Co Meath resident Laurence Kennedy. The colt is an own-brother to Group 3 and Royal Ascot winner Create Belief, and their half-sister Star Girls Aalmal was fourth in the Irish 1000 Guineas.

Ross said: “He is going to take a bit of time, but we don’t mind that. We like the sire as well – we have had luck with him. He fitted the bill for us, just a lovely stamp of a horse. He has plenty of scope.” Kennedy added: “I’m very, very pleased with that result. We knew he was a nice horse, and initially thought we might put him in Goffs Orby Book 1. Fair dues to Nick Nugent, he convinced us that the colt might stand out in Book 2.

Super mare

“We do the job commercially, so it has to pay its way. That’s why a sale like this is so important: it keeps the boat afloat. The dam has been great for us. This one is her best so far. She’s been a super mare for us. She is in foal to Awtaad again! I didn’t put too much thought into that covering.”

Mark, and Elaine and Ben Clarke’s Wardstown Stud bred the Grade 1 winning mare Blond Me, and retained her half-sister My Brunette.

The latter has had two winners, and this week produced a best sale ring result when her daughter by Awtaad sold. She will go into training with Jessica and Kate Harrington for Craig Bernick.

The agent said: “We love Awtaad, he is a very underrated stallion, and she comes from a very good family.” Harrington’s winners for Bernick’s Glen Hill Farm include Group 1 performers One Voice and Sounds Of Heaven, in addition to Group 3 winner Paris Peacock.

WITHIN the last hour of selling in Book 2 on Thursday, two of the sale’s best were sold. Powerstown Stud’s Tom Whitehead gave €130,000 for a Bayside Boy filly consigned by Adam Morgan.

The filly looked for a while as though she would be the best of the day, and she possesses a flawless pedigree.

Whitehead said: “She was way up there at the top end of what I was going to give for her, but she is very good looking and she will hopefully be off to breeze. She has a great physique, is a nice colour and has plenty of substance. She walks well and hopefully can run too.”

Then with five lots to sell, the Thursday best strode into the ring. Cormac Farrell, who will break in the new purchase, bid €195,000 for Gerrardstown House Stud’s superb son of Ghaiyyath, on behalf of US agent Deuce Greathouse. The vendor, Donie Fahy, said he believed the colt will stay in Europe.

“Deuce picked him out”, Farrell said. “He loved him and I think he’s right. He is a proper nice horse.

“The vendor deserved to get a good price for him, but I think we were probably all out there.

“Good horses made a lot of money today. The plan for this one is undecided. I’ll leave it up to Deuce; he’ll make the call as to what he wants to do with him.

He is a very fine horse and hopefully has a good future. He made his value, every bit of it. Good horses deserve to be well paid for.”