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Sportsman's Sale concludes after two days of selling
The Goffs Sportsman's Sale concluded at Kildare Paddocks on Friday with large increases sent in the major indicators. Of the 480 lots offered, 413 of them sold for an aggregate of €10,360,000, up 49 per cent from last year's figure of €6,962,500. The average of €25,085 was an increase of 21 per cent from last year while the median rose 31 per cent to €21,000.
The sale was topped by a filly from the first crop of Coolmore Stud's Ten Sovereigns (No Nay Never) who was bought by Rabbah Bloodstock and Kilfrush for €300,000 on Thursday. Sold by Abbeville Stud as Lot 713, the filly is a half-sister to the Listed placed colt Cadamosto (No Nay Never) being out of the winning mare Saucy Spirit (Invincible Spirit).
"She is an absolutely beautiful filly, a real athlete and a pleasure to have anything to do with," said Eimear Mulhern owner of Abbeville Stud.
"She's a princess. I am delighted for Carol, Peter and Eric (the filly's breeders), who are long-standing clients and it is wonderful to see them achieve such success."
The €300,000 price tag broke the previous sale record of €240,000 set in 2007.
Rabbah Bloodstock and Kilfrush also finished the sale as the leading buyer with their sole sale topping purchase.
On Friday, the only lot to sell for six figures was a son of Magna Grecia (Invincible Spirit) who was bought by Getinthegame.ie and Archdale Bloodstock for €145,000. The colt is out of the unraced Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Callisto Star who is the dam of two winners already.
He will be re-offered next year at the breeze up sales.
"My selection team thought he was the best colt of the sale, not just today, and it's rare you can get those horses," said Johnny Hassett of Getinthegame.ie.
"The mare has bred two winners from her first two foals and the two-year-old was fourth in a Listed race and the three-year-old was entered in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks but scratched from the race on the day, so there is possible upside."
David Cox's Baroda Stud was the sales leading vendor by aggregate, selling 19 lots for €538,000 at an average of €28,316. Abbeville Stud meanwhile was the leading vendor by average having sold five yearlings for €452,000 at an average of €90,400.
Reflecting on a memorable week at the Orby and Sportsman's Sales, Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said: "Sustained demand is an oft used phrase to describe successful sales but it is more than apt when summing up the two day Sportsman's Sale and, indeed, both parts of the Irish National Yearling Sale this week.
"On Wednesday we reflected on a record breaking edition of Orby headed by the world's highest priced yearling of the autumn at €2.6m and Sportsman's only continued the theme with a vibrant trade driven by domestic and overseas buyers. Once again we are indebted to our vendors for entrusting us with two big days of yearlings that held huge appeal and allowed us to shout wide and loud about the strength of the catalogue.
"Like Orby we have broken records, not least for top price with Abbeville Stud's superb colt selling for €300,000 which has proved to be the highest priced yearling ever sold in Ireland outside the Orby Sale so demonstrating that Sportsman's very much lives up to its billing as Part 2 of the Irish National Yearling Sale."