A son of War Chant topped the first Goffs Dundalk Flat Breeze-Up Sale on
Wednesday when snapped up by Yuma Bloodstock for 67,000. Consigned by Willie
Browne’s Mocklershill Stables, Hip No. 23 is out of a half to Hawkster (Silver
Hawk), fellow sire Silver Kite (Silver Hawk) and the 1988 Prix de la Grotte
(Fr-G3) winner, Silver Lane (Silver Hawk), herself the dam of the top Far
Eastern performers Black Hawk (Nureyev) and Shakespeare (Rainbow Quest).
The February-foaled bay was the center of attention after a swift breeze on
the Polytrack and Yuma’s Alfred Tse was not to be denied despite Bobby O’Ryan’s
persistence.
“He’s a very nice colt with a top pedigree who did a good breeze and he’s
been bought to go to Hong Kong,” Tse revealed. “We’ve bought horses at Doncaster
before, but obviously it’s my first time here. It’s a good set up and there were
some nice horses here.”
Later, O’Ryan paid 43,000 for Hip 37, a colt by Invincible Spirit from the
draft of Con Marnane’s Bansha House Stables. He is out of the listed-placed
Randonneur (Red Sunset) from the extended family of Almushtarak (Fairy King) and
Group 2 winner Captain Marvelous (Invincible Spirit).
“I’ve bought him for Michael Green, who is a new owner with David Murray
Smith,” the agent said. “I was trying to buy the War Chant for him as well, but
we did get this one, who is a very nice colt by the right sire and looks a nice
prospect.”
Jamie Osborne purchased a son of Kyllachy consigned by Pat Doyle’s Suirview
Stables. Out of a half-sister to the 2005 Prix du Gros-Chene (Fr-G2) and dual
Group 3 scorer The Trader (Selkirk), Hip 43 was knocked down to the Lambourn-based
trainer for 42,000.
“I’ve bought him on spec,” Osborne explained. “Pat Doyle recommended him to
me and he’s a good solid horse who did it well in his breeze. It wouldn’t do any
harm to have a few like him in the yard.”
Castleton Lyons freshman resident Toccet made an instant impact when the
Knockgraffon Stables-consigned Hip 1 was snapped up by Gerry Hogan for 40,000.
The half-brother to the stakes winner Ideveter (Ide) from the family of Beldale
Lear (Majestic Light) and Sweetsouthernsaint (Saint Ballado) will join the ranks
of rookie trainer Sean Curran.
“He’s a good-looking, athletic horse and there’s plenty to like about him,”
Hogan said. “He breezed well earlier today.”
That price was later matched by Andrew Heffernan for Bansha House’s Hip 30, a
colt by Choisir whose page includes King of Kings (Ire).
Five Star International Bloodstock took home the top-priced filly when
securing Hip 4, a daughter of Celtic Swing consigned by Brendan Holland’s Grove
Stud. Out of a half to the 1997 Ballyogan S. (Ire-G3) scorer Catch the Blues
(Ire) (Bluebird), she sold for 26,000.
Signs were healthy at the close, with the clearance rate making a respectable
65 percent and the average and median at 14,483 and 11,000, respectively.
“We are delighted with the strong trade witnessed today at Dundalk. Back in
January, following our National Hunt Breeze-Up, I said that the surface,
location and facilities at Dundalk are absolutely ideal and sales here had a
very bright prospect,” Chief Executive Henry Beeby said. “Today’s sale
reinforces that point quite graphically. The sale attracted an excellent crowd
and we sold horses to Hong Kong, America, Italy, Greece, Spain, France, the UK
and, of course, Ireland. There is little doubt in our minds that this sale has a
very bright future and we are grateful to our vendors for providing an excellent
first catalog that allowed us to return some highly respectable figures.”