5 minute read
....Girls aloud
AS ALWAYS THE Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale kicked off the UK and Irish yearling sales season at Doncaster. It was positive to see such a range of buyers and vendors gathered at the complex to support the auction – everybody was hoping for a strong renewal and looking for an indication of the potential strength of this year’s buying bench.
As such it was very positive to see 27 six-figure lots over two days and it was particularly positive to see big sale ring success for a number of small-scale breeders.
With 460 lots offered, the sale achieved an 82 per cent clearance rate with slight falls in the aggregate, average and median – it was a clear sign of the continuance of last year’s selective market and a demand for the top quality.
Small breeders enjoyed some of top plaudits at Doncaster – Muriel Knox’s family farm in Northallerton sold a homebred Havana Grey filly to Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock and Skara Glen Stables for £240,000 (Lot 157).
Paul Giles of Moyfinn Stud, Ireland was another small-scale breeder to experience huge success – he topped the sale with his Tasleet colt, a three-quarters brother to Cool Hoof Luke, winner of the Gimcrack Stakes (G2), the colt purchased by Amanda Skiffington for £350,000 (Lot 334).
The Lincolnshire-based Sally Nicholls was another small breeder to hit the highlights when selling her stock through the National Stud.
Her Showcasing half-sister to Listed winner No Half Measures was sold to Oliver St Lawrence for £130,000 (Lot 357), while her Havana Grey colt was bought by Richard Hughes for £100,000 (Lot 349).
Sarah Fanning also achieved her best-ever auction result – in her fourth year of consigning she sold a filly by new sire A’Ali to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for £130,000, bought on behalf of Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa (Lot 173).
The sales tour bus rolled on for its next destination and a brief stop in Baden-Baden in Germany for the BBAG yearling sale for the crème de la crème of German breeders’ yearlings.
The buyers were not disappointed – Godolphin paid a recordbreaking €850,000 for a Camelot colt out of the Preis der Diane winner Diamanta, consigned by Gestüt Brummerhof.
Other colts to note were a Soldier Hollow colt sold for €320,000 to Alex Elliott and a Gleneagles colt, who made €200,000 to Liberty Racing. Top of the fillies was an impressive daughter of Kingman –she was bred and consigned by Gestüt Gorlsdorf out of a full-sister to Sea The Moon.
THE TATTERSALLS SOMERVILLE SALE was the next date on the sales calendar and this year, and due to its previous success, the sale extended to two days. While there were some definite high points and good results, the combination of the highly selective market and increased numbers led to a drop in the clearance rate to 72 per cent and a decrease in the median by 5,000gns to 22,000gns, while three lots made six-figure sums at this year’s sale.
Elliott was responsible for the highest-price purchase when landing a daughter of Havana Grey from Whitsbury Manor for 140,000gns bought on behalf of Amo Racing (Lot 419).
It was an excellent sale for Whitsbury Manor as leading vendor and with two of its young stallions Havana Grey and Sergei Prokofiev meeting repeatedly with the taste of buyers.
There were also a number of successful Irish vendors at the sale.
First-crop yearling sire Starman proved popular when his Tally-Ho-consigned daughter made 100,000gns to Richard Ryan (Lot 154), while there was a good result for Paddy and Helena Burns of Loughtown Stud when their Acclamation colt made 75,000gns to Oliver St Lawrence (Lot 2), while the excellent producer Ballyhimikin Stud also sold a son of Palace Pier for 75,000gns Kevin Ross (Lot 431).
While some people are having good results, it is clear to see that the market has retained its selectivity and the competition from purchasers is stiffest at the very top end of the market.
While the final clearance rate was satisfactory, many horses unsold in the ring are changing hands later through private sales, with many horses sold for a loss; it is very hard for breeders who are contending with expensive covering fees and rising production costs.
There should be hope, with the quality to come at the Goffs Orby and Tattersalls October Sale, that the market will continue to strengthen, especially with the expected influx of foreign buyers due to European-bred Turf horses’ success at the highest levels.
There has also been high spending in the US, where there has been a strong market so far this yearling season (at the talk on “buying value” forum held at Tattersalls before the Somerville Sale, Elliott reported that the Saratoga Sale was one of the strongest he has ever attended) as well as in Hong Kong and Australia.
One of the toughest things at the sales season so far has been the tragic news of the sudden passing of Tracy Vigors.
Tracy, alongside with her husband Charlie Vigors, made up the successful team behind the top consignor Hillwood Stud, the couple ably assisted by their two smashing young sons Harry and Oliver, who already have many successful exploits in the saddle and are often on the sales ground with the Hillwood drafts.
Tracy was one of the most talented horsewomen you could meet, as evidenced by the always immaculate turnout and wonderful condition of the consignments from Hillwood.
The outpouring of grief and sadness felt by so many from all around the sales community is a testament to the esteem in which the whole Vigors family is held. The deepest sympathies and condolences go to the family and friends at this desperately sad time.
