Tuesday’s opening session of the returning Goffs Orby Sale saw a daughter of
Giant’s Causeway top proceedings when selling to Hugo Merry Bloodstock, on
behalf of owner Jim Hay, for €475,000. Just
31 lots in, Cahermorris Stables’ January-foaled filly, who is the second foal
out of the 2005 Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) winner Saoire (GB)
(Pivotal), sparked a bidding war between Demi O’Byrne and the ultimately
successful Tom Tate, who was acting on behalf of the agency.
“Jim Hay and Tom Tate arrived here (Monday), and they asked me what I liked,”
Hugo Merry explained. “I put this filly to them and they very generously allowed
me to buy her. She’s an absolute queen, and Tom is going to be training her.
I’ve only ever bought two Giant’s Causeways before today. Both of them have been
good and one of them, First Passage, is a very smart stakes filly in America.
Let’s hope this filly continues the run.”
In the early days of Aidan O’Brien’s reign at Ballydoyle, it was Second
Empire (Ire) who flew the flag when securing domestic juvenile champion status
as a result of his success in the 1997 Grand Criterium (Fr-G1). His dam Welsh
Love (Ela-Mana-Mou) is one of the stalwarts of Pat O’Kelly’s esteemed broodmare
band at Kilcarn Stud, which has provided the topper here on eight occasions. Her
son by Montjeu (Ire), Hip No. 113, attracted the customary keen interest and,
although Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff put up a fight, John Magnier was in
determined mood and prevailed at €420,000.
It was the second-highest price of the day.
“He was a bit of a standout,” winning bidder Demi O’Byrne commented. “The
mare is old, but this colt measured up very well. We know the family well
already through the likes of Second Empire. There’s not much more you can say
about the sire either.”
Along with Kilcarn, Kirsten Rausing’s Staffordstown Stud has a mighty
reputation at this venue. Its latest sales star was Hip 128, a Sadler’s Wells
filly from the dynasty of Alruccaba (Crystal Palace) who was knocked down to
Richard Frisby Bloodstock for €300,000.
While Alba Stella (GB) (Nashwan), dam of Hip 128, did not hit the heights of her
illustrious Alzao half-sisters Alborada (GB) and Albanova — whose filly topped
this auction at €2.4 million two years ago
— she has a pedigree which belongs among the world’s elite. Just one of its
high-class products Quarter Moon (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) is starting to put her
own stamp on the modern game via Saturday’s Fillies’ Mile (Eng-G1) third You’ll
Be Mine (Kingmambo).
Selling continues Wednesday. Full results are available at goffs.com.