'It’s very special to keep my dad’s name going' - drinks on American Bar after winning €50,000 Goffs bonus

American Bar became the first winner in the Goffs €50,000 Bonus Series with a comfortable victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Listowel on Sunday, on her debut for Paddy Twomey.

The No Nay Never half-sister to Group 3 Round Tower Stakes third Chandigah rates as an exciting prospect for Bond Thoroughbred Limited, for whom she was bought by Jason Kelly Bloodstock for €300,000 from Camas Park Stud at last year’s Goffs Orby Sale.       

A delighted Charlie Bond said: “American Bar has done very well at Paddy’s and we expected a good run, even though we were a bit concerned by her wide draw. 

"She did it nicely in the end and there should be quite a bit of improvement to come as she’s a big, rangy filly. She's very exciting for the future. 

“We ended up taking home around €71,000 for winning the race: the Goffs €50,000 bonus and a €10,000 Irish sales voucher on top of €11,000 prize-money.

“It’s a great gesture by Goffs and, with incentives like that, the Bond Thoroughbred team will certainly be going back to the sale with our trainers to find more nice horses.”

American Bar has delivered the perfect start for Bond’s plans to restore his late father Reg’s famous black and yellow silks to their former glory by sourcing well-bred yearlings and placing them with leading trainers. 

“It’s very special to keep my dad’s name going in racing; his colours mean a lot to the family,” said Bond. “We have big ambitions to buy some well-bred fillies and race them at a high level, in order to breed from them. 

“American Bar exemplifies what we’re trying to do, as she’s by a brilliant sire in No Nay Never and is a half-sister to a black-type performer out of an exciting young mare with a deep page.” 

Bond said he had one eye on the Goffs Million at the Curragh in September, Europe’s richest juvenile race exclusively for horses purchased at the Goffs Orby Sale. The race was won by Twomey last year with Connolly Racing Syndicate’s filly One Look. 

“With Paddy winning the big one last year we thought we’d get involved and go down the same line,” he added. “With that much prize-money on offer it has to be a big attraction. 

“We won’t be pushing Paddy though. We’ve bought the horses to race for many years and gain black type for when they go to stud, but if they’re good enough we’ll certainly be throwing our hat into the ring for the Goffs Million. Watch this space!”

The Goffs €50,000 bonuses are part of the Goffs Two Million Series, which is headed by the Goffs Million which, along with the Goffs 500, takes place on Goffs Millions day at the Curragh on Saturday, September 28. 

The incentive scheme is open to two-year-olds who were catalogued in the 2023 Goffs Orby Book 1 and Orby Book 2 Sales and have been declared eligible by Goffs by payment of the qualification fee. All yearlings offered at this year's Orby Sale will be eligible for the series in 2025. 

There are still nine Goffs €50,000 bonuses to be won. The full list of nominated races is available on the Goffs website.   

Goffs London Sale

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