Following the euphoria of Thursday’s Foal session dominated by the first
offerings of Sea the Stars, the Goffs November Sale produced more drama on
Friday as BANIMPIRE (Holy Roman Emperor) beat the company’s record when selling
to Martin Schwartz for €2.3 million. Jim
Bolger’s star three-year-old filly was always going to set off the pyrotechnics
as the attention switched to the Breeding Stock Sale, and ultimately only the
underbidders left the Kill venue disappointed.
Many of her trainer’s representatives are renowned for their toughness, but
this particular filly was as hardy as any the stable has nurtured in recent
seasons. Less than 10 weeks after opening her black-type account in the Group 3
Ballysax Stakes in April, the dark bay descendant of Detroit took Royal Ascot by
storm, adding a fourth Pattern-race success in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes.
She went on to add the Group 2 Royal Whip to her tally for good measure in
August.
“Here she is,” uttered auctioneer Henry Beeby before asking for a starting
bid of €1 million for the Kilcarn Stud-bred,
who also lost out by a slither in the Group 1 Irish Oaks during her industrious
sophomore campaign. “She needs little introduction as a Group 1 winner in all
but name and it is a great privilege for Goffs to offer her,” the chief
executive added.
While the bidding for Lot No. 942 actually began at
€200,000, it quickly caught fire with M. V.
Magnier and Michel Zerolo’s Oceanic Bloodstock eventually left with a face-off.
After the former refused to stretch beyond €2.25
million, Banimpire became the property of Martin Schwartz to a ripple of
applause.
“I have bought her for Martin Schwartz, who has owned the likes of Elusive
Wave, Stacelita and Maid’s Causeway, and she is going to race on in America,”
Zerolo explained. “She is a very high-class filly who has had a wonderful season
and she is a Group 1 winner in everything but name. You would have to think that
she could do very well in America next year on what she showed this year. We
were at our limit there.”
As ever, His Highness The Aga Khan’s draft proved popular. The star among
them was the 12-year-old mare ALASHA (Barathea), who was knocked down to Lodge
Park Stud for €260,000. The Lodge Park Stud
supremo defeated BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohoe for Lot 918, who came with a
coveted Raven’s Pass covering.
Successful in the 2002 Dick Hern Fillies’ Stakes, Alasha also hit the board
in that season’s Group 1 One Thousand Guineas and Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes.
She is the dam of this term’s Group 3 Sceptre Stakes heroine Alanza (Dubai
Destination).
“When we were starting off, we were very lucky with Red God, and this mare is
out of one of his granddaughters,” the Stud’s owner Seamus Burns said. “Before
today, we had 10 mares at home and three of them were Barathea mares. I really
like Barathea as a broodmare stallion and this is a good racemare who has
already bred a good filly.”
Moments after the excitement of Banimpire’s sale, Paul and Catherine
Cashman’s Rathbarry Stud were at the forefront when selling a trio of broodmares
all in foal to the establishment’s in-demand resident Acclamation for a total of
€470,000.
Lot 950, the seven-year-old PRETTY DEMANDING (Night Shift), whose dam is a
half to multiple Grade 3-placed stakes winner Step With Style (Gulch), sold for
€120,000; Lot 951, the eight-year-old
GLITTER BABY (Danehill Dancer), who is a listed-placed half to the 2007 Group 2
Beresford Stakes third Going Public (Night Shift), fetched
€150,000; and Lot 952, the nine-year-old
PETITE SPECTRE (Spectrum), who is already the dam of the 2009 Group 2 Coventry
Stakes third Rakaan (Bahamian Bounty) and promising two-year-old Ballyea
(Acclamation), was secured for the third
highest-price on the day at €200,000.
John Walsh Bloodstock was the name on the docket for all three.
“I’ve bought them for a client and obviously the big attraction was the
Acclamation coverings,” Walsh said. “They are three nice mares and Glitter Baby
is a black-type filly who was carrying her second foal. Petite Spectre has
already produced a couple of decent 2-year-olds and Ballyea looks a very
promising horse for next season.”
With one day left of the November Sale, the figures are showing healthy
increases, thanks in part to the star turns sold over the last two days.
Friday’s session suffered from a 68 percent clearance rate and, despite the 56
percent hike in the average of €38,069, due
mainly to Banimpire’s sale, the median of €16,000
actually fell by 11 percent.
Selling continues with a concluding session on Saturday. Full results are
available on goffs.com.