A new record price for a colt foal in Ireland topped the fifth and final day of Goffs November Foal Sale when a son of Darley Stud’s Dubawi (Lot 1129) out of the Classic winning Nightime was sold by The Castlebridge Consignment to John Ferguson for €1,100,000 after he saw off a number of contenders for the outstanding foal that included Ross Doyle as well as Rob Speers and Ibrahim Araci.
The only Galileo on offer was purchased by Eugene Daly, Hunday, for €475,000. This eye catching son of the champion sire is a brother to Lilbourne Lad and was consigned by Swordlestown Little (Lot 1182).
Dermot Farrington paid €450,000 for a New Approach sister to Scintillula (Lot 1165) from Redmondstown Stud, while Rob Speers secured a colt by Yeomanstown Stud’s Dark Angel, out of Group 1 winner Miss Beatrix for €370,000 (Lot 1115).
John Ferguson made two €300,000 purchases, a Dawn Approach colt from Esker Lodge Stud from the family of Intense Focus (Lot 1178), and a Dark Angel colt from the family of Kingsgate Native consigned by Springfort Park Stud (Lot 1201).
Reflecting on the five day November Foal Sale, Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby:
“I nearly don’t need to say it but we are, of course, delighted to have smashed a foal record for the second year in succession as the €1.1 million paid by John Ferguson for the Dubawi colt out of Nightime is an Irish record for a colt foal, comfortably eclipsing the €850,000 we achieved for the colt from the first crop of Sea The Stars in 2011.
The Dubawi was the highlight of another superb Goffs Foal Sale that has enjoyed a trade of depth, consistency and real fireworks especially for those that appealed the most. That we were entrusted to offer the only Galileo colt foal of the year anywhere is also a wonderful endorsement of the Goffs service and it was fitting that he was the second highest price of the sale.
Whilst we have not quite kept pace with the records set last year when the sale was topped by the record breaking €1.8 million Frankel filly, and when the average and median were up by 41% and 29%, the statistics are the second best on record which is the cause for some celebration although it must be noted that the clearance rate is less than 2014 which mirrors the trends seen throughout the autumn at the yearling sales to an extent. However, this is very much the first choice for the cream of the Irish foal crop every year at a sale at which pinhookers, end-users and international buyers choose to invest and it is revealing that today’s median price actually rose by 6% and the clearance rate was an impressive 84%.
Indeed, this is another Goffs sale that has truly outperformed the market over the last five years so it was no surprise that we were inundated with entries leading to an additional day at the start of the week which may have been another factor in the reduction of the week’s clearance rate. Whilst some of those foals may not have been the most commercial we enjoyed huge interest on every day of the sale and the 5 days has consolidated the amazing growth of recent years and this sale’s market leading position.
As ever we are indebted to every vendor and each purchaser whilst I want to make special mention of the Goffs outdoor team who have ensured Kildare Paddocks has looked as immaculate as ever despite some torrential rain at times and when they have worked 24 hours a day to accommodate the inevitable double standings required for a catalogue of this size.”
