A draft of 15 yearlings by champion Australian sire Fastnet Rock should ensure that Australasian interest in next month’s Goffs Orby Sale in Ireland is at an all-time high.
Coolmore Australia’s flag-bearer has not yet proved himself in Europe, and while the locals certainly know of him and respect his deeds down under, this sale could give Australian buyers an opportunity to pick up a son or daughter of Fastnet Rock at a lower price than they could expect to pay at an Australian auction.
Among his yearlings catalogued for Orby this year are several well bred fillies that have the potential not only to excel on the racetrack, but to develop into top-class broodmares.
There are also some top-drawer colts with stallion potential.
Lot 2 of the sale is a Fastnet Rock filly out of a winning Machiavellian mare who has produced a two-year-old winner. The filly’s granddam is the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) winner Caerlina.
Lot 150 is a colt from the Group 3-placed Darshaan mare Super Gift, who has left a Group 3 winner and a listed placegetter among her six winners.
Lot 151 is out of an unraced Montjeu daughter of Group 1 English Oaks winner Shahtoush.
Lot 213 is a colt out of the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas placegetter Amethyst, a sister to the dual Group 1 winner and stallion King of Kings.
Lot 335 is a half-sister to three stakes performers including last year’s Royal Ascot listed Chesham Stakes winner Tha’ir.
Goffs Australasian representative Mark Player believes the injection of Australian flavour, highlighted by the Fastnet Rock consignment, will attract strong interest from down under.
“This year’s Orby sale is one of great depth, and it really befits the size and importance of the Irish racing and breeding industry on the world stage,” Player said.
“While it’s a difficult time of year to attract Australian interest during the peak of the spring carnival, the presence of Fastnet Rock is a huge attraction.
“The sale should also be viewed as a great opportunity for southern-hemisphere buyers to get in on the ground floor so to speak.
“The prices of proven horses have climbed considerably in the past couple of years and this will lead to greater value for buying yearlings.”
As well as Fastnet Rock, the Orby sale will feature progeny of reigning Australian champion Exceed And Excel, as well as yearlings by More Than Ready and Starspangledbanner.
The now Rosemont Stud-based Starspangledbanner has had well documented fertility issues, and his two yearlings entered for Orby are sure to be sought after, in particular lot 374 — a colt from the Group 1-winning South African filly Igreja.
There are plenty of yearlings going through the Orby sale with family ties to horses that would be well known in Australia via their deeds in top races in the British Isles and Hong Kong.
One such entry is lot 29 — a bay colt by Dark Angel, sire of Goffs Orby graduate Lethal Force, who won this year’s Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot as well as Newmarket’s July Cup.
This yearling is out of a sister to this year’s Group 1 QE II Cup and Singapore International Cup winner Military Attack, and is also related to 2012 Hong Kong Vase winner and 2011 Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux.
Lot 31 is a filly by the Aga Khan’s stallion Aazmour, who this spring has shuttled to New Zealand’s Brighthill Farm. The filly is a half-sister to two group winners and is related to Sydney Cup winner Mourayan.
Lot 57 is a colt from the first crop of Group 1 Prix Morny winner Arcano and related to Group 2 winner and ATC Australian Derby runner-up Polish Knight.
Lot 85 is an interesting colt by Arc-winning champion Sea the Stars out of the Australian Group 3 placegetter Rezyana, a filly who carried the Arrowfield Stud colours and produced a Charge Forward colt from her only covering in Australia before being exported.
Lot 87 is a filly by the Group 1 Prix du Moulin winner Aqlaam out of a sister to Group 2 winner Rekindled Interest and Group 2 runner-up Rekindled Alliance.
Lot 195 is an Excellent Art filly who traces back to multiple Group 1 winner Whobegotyou.
Lot 278 is a Rip Van Winkle filly related to last year’s Melbourne Cup placegetter Jakkalberry.
The final day of the sale also features relatives to a pair of Chris Waller-trained imports. Lot 290 is a half-sister by Arcano to listed winner and Metropolitan runner-up Hawk Island, while lot 314 is a Henrythenavigator colt from the family of this year’s Group 2 Brisbane Cup winner, Moriarty.
Goffs Orby graduates have enjoyed a particularly strong past 12 months, with the likes of Lethal Force, Just the Judge (Irish 1000 Guineas winner) and Sky Lantern (English 1000 Guineas winner) flying the flag high.
This year’s Goffs Orby sale will be held on October 2 and 3, followed closely by the Goffs November sale, which will feature a dispersal of Paul Makin’s broodmare band and racing stock. Next week we will take a look at that sale, which is also set to feature an elite group of mares from the band of the Aga Khan.
– Racing Network
