10/02/2022. Mondo Ippico Internazionale: Goffs February Sale – Racing Post, Champion Hurdle Preview – TDN, Fasig Winter: Highgate Clears Every Bar

 

Recife Tops Breeding Stock Session At Vibrant Goffs February Sale
A vibrant renewal of Goffs February Sale that recorded significant increases in average (+33%), median (+25%) and turnover (+72%) enjoyed sustained demand for breeding stock throughout today’s third and final session. 
Lot 476: Recife (Giants Causeway ex Rietondale) in foal to Mehmas
Sold by Baroda Stud to Rathbran House Stud for €110,000
Top billing went to Recife (Lot 476), a seven-year-old mare by Giant’s Causeway out of an own-sister to multiple US Grade 1 winning filly Dynaforce.  In foal to Mehmas, she was consigned by Baroda Stud who were topping the sale for the second day running and purchased by Rathbran House Stud for €110,000.

The Godolphin draft once again provided several breeding stock standouts that were headed by the Listed placed Raven’s Pass mare Belonging (Lot 565) purchased by BBA Ireland for €90,000.  In foal to Dark Angel, Belonging is a half-sister to several Group and Listed winners and her dam is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Medaaly and Champion miler Charnwood Forest.  Tally Ho Stud later went to €85,000 for Panegyric (Lot 580) from Godolphin, a daughter of Monsun in foal to Cracksman.  She is already the dam of a Stakes placed horse and is a sister to Group 1 winner Ultra and to the dam of Breeders Up Juvenile winner Modern Games.

The Walk In The Park mare Bridal Knot was the final lot of the sale, Lot 599D, and the half-sister to Nicky Henderson’s four-time Grade 1 winner and King George VI Chase star Might Bite, offered by Seven Barrows, was knocked down to Seamus Byrne or €90,000. 

Click here to view full results.

Reflecting on a strong start to 2022 at Kildare Paddocks, Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said:

“We are pleased to have kicked off 2022 in a positive way and, perhaps more importantly, with a feeling of normality as this is the first sale since February 2020 that we have been able to conduct without a raft of restrictions and protocols.

The result has been a sale of vibrancy that picked up the positivity of the Goffs November Foal & Breeding Stock Sale with strong competition in each category. Of course, comparisons with 12 months ago are largely redundant given the circumstances forced upon us in 2021 but it is heartening to see that the sale has made significant progress when compared to 2020 rising by nigh on 50%.

As in November we would like to pay particular tribute to the Shadwell Estates draft from Derrinstown Stud and from Baroda Stud as their blue-blooded consignment added additional depth to the catalogue although there were several other drafts of note for which we are also most appreciative whilst we are grateful to the entire vendor group for supporting the sale as their first choice in such huge numbers. They have been rewarded with a broad and eclectic buying bench from home and abroad all of which was backed up by a significant online presence.

So all in all a very encouraging start to 2022 which allows us to look forward with a degree of hope and confidence”.

Comparative Figures

WHOLE SALE

  Offered Sold Turnover (€) Average (€) Median (€)
2020 450 292 (65%) 4,077,700 13,965 6,500
2021 275 152 (55%) 1,946,600 12,807 8,000
2022 490 352 (72%) 6,020,200 (+209%) 17,103 (+25%) 9,000 (+12.5%)

 
WEANLINGS

  Offered Sold Turnover (€) Average (€) Median
2020 237 154 (65%) 1,979,900 12,856 8,000
2021 84 35 (42%) 360,900 10,311 8,000
2022* 270 199 (74%) 3,413,300 (+72%) 17,152 (+33%) 10,000 (+25%)

 
* % comparisons made with 2020
 
 
Goffs Online Sale of Stallion Breeding Rights to Belardo, Cotai Glory, Profitable, Territories and Time Test is currently underway on www.GoffsOnline.com with bidding closing tomorrow, Friday 11 February, from 12 noon onwards.  
 
 
February Sale Results
 
 
 
 

 

Can any horse steal Honeysuckle’s crown?

 

Every now and again a horse comes along that is just in a different league to the rest in the two-mile hurdle division. In the 80’s it was See You Then, the 90’s Istabraq and in the last decade Hurricane Fly comes to mind. The 2020s is already Honeysuckle’s for the taking.

 

See You Then, Istabraq and Hurricane Fly were all males, but Honeysuckle is a mare and, not only is she the best around, but all of her main rivals bar Epatante have to concede 7lb to her.

 

Honeysuckle could race off level weights with the males and still beat them – she’s that good. So it makes the idea of any horse being able to concede 7lb to her seem, frankly, ridiculous.

 

Her performance in last year’s race was ridiculous, too. Off a strong pace she was able to complete the last half-mile of the race more than a second quicker than nearest rival Sharjah and, if she is in that form, nothing will live with her. And she probably will be in that form. 

 

Why wouldn’t she be? You can set your clock by her. She has yet to run a bad race, winning all 14 of her hurdle races under rules and her sole point-to-point. She is entirely bombproof.

 

Furthermore, nothing has come out of the novice division to lay a claim to her title and probably her biggest danger is Epatante, who was left toiling in her wake a year ago.

 

Appreciate It supporters will now be crying out his name. But the son of Jeremy won a weak Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last season, albeit by 24 lengths, and is hardly a young up-and-comer. He is already an eight-year-old and most recent champions have been younger.

 

In fact, only Annie Power (eight) and Hurricane Fly (nine) have won it at age eight or older since the start of 2010 and it’s hard to believe Appreciate It is in the same league as that pair.

 

Chasing was also on the agenda for Appreciate It until an injury hiccup forced connections to shelve that plan for another season and that is surely where his future lies in the next year.

 

Analysis by Graeme Rodway

 

 
 

Latest Cheltenham news
 
 
 
Fasig Winter: Highgate Clears Every Bar
 
 
Jill Gordon and Jacob West’s Highgate Sales made quite a splash with their initial consignment, selling the $750,000 sale topper Brilliant Cut (Speightstown). They had a 100% clearance rate, selling all 10 of their horses for a gross of $1.216 million and an average of $121,600.
 
Gun Runner and owner/breeder Christian Black had another strong showing Wednesday. Black sold two mares in foal to the champion freshman sire for $330,000 and $205,000, respectively. On Tuesday, Black sold a Gun Runner filly for $225,000 and two six-figure mares carrying foals by that Horse of the Year.
 
Taylor Made continued to dominate, selling six of the top 10 horses Wednesday, including Black’s two mares.
 
Fred Hertrich, John Fielding and City of Light were responsible for the session-topping yearling for the second day in a row, selling a $180,000 colt by that young Lane’s End stallion. Rob Tribbett was also a co-breeder on Hip 337, who was purchased by Four Star Sales.
 
A total of 431 horses changed hands during the two-day auction for a gross of $17,245,500 with an average of $40,013 and median of $16,000. There were 56 horses led from the ring unsold for a very low RNA rate of 11.5%.
 
There was a significant increase over last year’s auction, where 425 Thoroughbreds grossed $12,506,700 over two sessions with an average of $29,428 and a median of $10,000. There were 99 horses who did not meet their reserves last term for a RNA rate of 18.9%.
 
Below: Highgate’s Jacob West and Jill Gordon. Fasig-Tipton photo