Baroda teams up with Shadwell in €125,000 sale-topping venture

Baroda Stud enjoyed a super second day of the Goffs February Sale, selling three of the seven most expensive weanlings including the session-topper, which was one of a number of youngsters David Cox's farm offered on behalf of Shadwell Stud.

The colt by Darley's top-class Night Of Thunder, sire of two individual Group 1 winners in 2021, traces his lineage back to Whakilyric, the dam of Hernando and Johann Quatz. He is the fourth foal out of Afdhaad, a Nayef half-sister to the Group 3-winning fillies Alrahma and Efaadah and was the only lot to break the six-figure ceiling on Wednesday when purchased by Abbeylands Farm for €125,000.

"He is a lovely colt by one of the best sires in Europe and it is great to be able to buy from Shadwell as they have been fantastic supporters of ours over the years," said Abbeylands' Frannie Woods. "We need a bit of luck with the pedigree but the reports on the Invincible Spirit two-year-old are positive."

Baroda sold the only colt in the session by Sumbe's Le Havre, a son of the Canadian stakes winner Endless Light, who is by Pivotal and out of a half-sister to Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes winner Megahertz and the Group 3 Dahlia Stakes winner and Group 1-placed Heaven Sent. Bought by JRSA for €60,000, he is inbred 3x4 to Marie D'Argonne and Rahy.

Frannie and Niamh Woods, who bought the session-topping Night Of Thunder coltCredit: Peter Mooney

Baroda also sold a colt from the first crop of Darley's European champion sprinter Blue Point for Shadwell, and the late-May foal has an exciting pedigree as his dam is a Zamindar half-sister to another champion sprinter in Muhaarar. Paul Harley went to €50,000 to secure the half-brother to three winners.

Coolagown's filly answers the early call

Whatever the Soldier's Call filly out of Saga Celebre does on the track, her residual value as a broodmare is assured. David Stack's Coolagown Stud offered the filly from the first crop of the multiple Group 1-placed sprinter early in proceedings and the chestnut proved very popular.

With her pedigree, it's no wonder that she made €45,000 to Mags O'Toole, for she is a half-sister to the dam of last season's Middle Park and Prix Morny hero Perfect Power. Her second dam Saga D'Ouilly is a Linamix sister to Arc winner and sire Sagamix and Group 1 winner Sagacity. She is also a half-sister to Shastye, dam of the successive Grand Prix de Paris winners Japan and Mogul.

The Soldier's Call filly out of Saga Celebre, from Coolagown Stud, who was purchased by Mags O'Toole for €45,000Credit: Peter Mooney

It's a beautiful page and the successful agent also emphasised just how well the filly represented the first produce of Ballyhane Stud's exciting son of Showcasing.

O'Toole said: "She is a superb example of what the stallion is producing and he is getting really lovely stock. She has a great page and there are lots of options open to her."

Evans returns to a familiar source

David Evans clearly thinks a lot of Bastogne, the three-year-old son of Holy Roman Emperor who he trained to be fourth in the Listed Prix Saraca at Chantilly in October, for he has Bastogne's two-year-old Camacho sister at his yard in Pandy, Monmouthshire.

He now has the weanling Exceed And Excel colt out of Wavebreak, as Finn Kent purchased him from breeders Ballinafad Stud for €75,000, on behalf of the trainer.

Finn Kent, who bought Ballinafad Stud's Exceed And Excel half-brother to BastogneCredit: Peter Mooney

Kent said: "I have bought him for David Evans to go into training eventually. He has Bastogne in partnership with my dad and he looks to be a lovely horse. David also has the two-year-old Camacho filly and she is going quite nicely. This colt is a very straightforward horse and an easy one to like."

It's not hard to see why Evans and Kent were keen on the colt, whose dam has a perfect record with her runners and is a Tiger Hill half-sister to the dam of Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner and 2,000 Guineas runner-up King Of Change, who is standing his second season at Derrinstown Stud, and his Group 2-winning half-brother Century Dream, new to Norton Grove Stud for 2022.

Irish National Stud on the double

A beautifully bred filly from the third crop of the Irish National Stud's Decorated Knight earned the highest price for a filly at Goffs on Wednesday, where she was bought by Hugo Merry for €62,000.

She is out of the Prix de l'Abbaye winner Gilt Edge Girl, who is by Monsieur Bond, so the weanling is bred on a variation of the outstanding Galileo-Danehill Dancer cross. She is a half-sister to the Listed winner Time's Arrow, by Redoute's Choice, and the family includes the Prix Morny winner Arcano.

This Decorated Knight filly out of Prix de l'Abbaye winner Gilt Edge Girl made €62,000Credit: Peter Mooney

The Kildare farm also offered a Profitable colt out of Grace Rafaela, a winning two-year-old by the farm's own Dragon Pulse and a granddaughter of the Group 1 winner Menhoubah. An impressive first foal by one of 2021's best first-season sires, he was bought by KCS Bloodstock for €54,000.

Crystal Ocean's first crop continues to gleam

The National Hunt selection of weanlings was topped by a colt from the first crop of the Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Crystal Ocean, whose foals have been major talking points at every sale at which they have featured.

Cleaboy Stud and Coppice Farm consigned the colt with an excellent pedigree that could easily see him serve as a lovely middle-distance prospect on the Flat. The Crystal Ocean colt was knocked down to Oak Farm Stables for €40,000.

A three-parts brother to winning hurdler Park Paddocks, he is out of a Tiger Hill half-sister to the Prix de la Nonette winner Dream Peace. His second dam is the EP Taylor Stakes winner Truly A Dream, by Darshaan, and she is a half-sister to Solo De Lune, the dam of Prix Saint-Alary winner Cerulean Sky and ancestress of Irish Oaks winner Moonstone, among other Group 1 performers.

Vadamos, Crystal Ocean's teammate on the Coolmore National Hunt stallion roster, recorded the first four-year-old maiden point-to-point winner from his first crop at the weekend and his offspring were popular with buyers at Goffs on Wednesday.

Graiguebeg Stud offered a half-brother to the Scottish Champion Hurdle winner and Fighting Fifth Hurdle third Cockney Sparrow from the family of Warning, Commander-In-Chief, Yashmak and Dushyantor by Monsun's Group 1-winning miler son and he was snapped up by Pat McCarthy for €36,000

The weanling session concluded with an improved clearance rate of 76 per cent, with 138 sold of the 182 offered. Wednesday's aggregate was €2,161,800 and the average came in at €15,665 with a median figure of €10,000, which was the same as that of Tuesday's opening session.

The third and final session of the Goffs February Sale, which is dedicated entirely to breeding stock, starts at 10am on Thursday.

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