Camelot filly tops trade on day one of the Sportsman's Sale

A Camelot filly was hammered down to Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and George Murphy for €100,000 during the opening session of the two-day Goffs Sportsman's Sale on Thursday.

George Murphy is a son of the trainer John Joseph Murphy, who saddled Newmill to win the Champion Chase at both Cheltenham and Punchestown in 2006, when he dominated the two-mile chase division.

"She's a very good-moving filly," said Coleman, who signalled the winning bid from the pair's secluded position on the top balcony.

"We bought Fighting Irish, who was Camelot's first Group winner, and this filly had a similar shape and walk as him."

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Sent into the ring by Pine Tree Stud, the April-born filly benefited from a significant pedigree update in recent weeks after her two-year-old Fastnet Rock half-sister Orlaith landed the Listed Byerley Stud Stakes over the minimum trip at Newbury in August.

Orlaith followed that win up with a close fourth to Rose Of Kildare in the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr last month.

Leading vendor

The Castlebridge Consignment realised €70,000 each for a pair of fillies as the session reached the later stages.

First into the ring was a February-foaled No Nay Never filly out of the winning Fastnet Rock mare Dancing On Air, who was knocked down to Church Farm Stables as a breeze-up prospect for €70,000.

The same price was achieved by the same vendor for a Fastnet Rock colt out of the Galileo mare Desire Moi, who found favour with Gerry Hogan Bloodstock.

The April-born colt is bred on the same cross as seven elite winners, led by the Oaks heroine Qualify and Group 1-winning juveniles Intricately and Rivet.

The Castlebridge Consignment ended the first session as the leading vendor by aggregate, with 14 lots sold for total receipts of €375,000 at an average spend of €26,786.

Sibling success

Two hours into the session, Peter Molony signed for a Kodiac colt from Tally-Ho Stud for €65,000 on behalf of David Redvers.

The May-foaled youngster is out of the High Chaparral mare Victoria Montoya, one of seven stakes performers out of the Listed-placed Robellino mare Spurned, who offspring also includes the German Group 2 winner and British-based sire Passing Glance.

"He's a lovely colt by a proper sire and stood out in the catalogue," said Peter Molony. "The three-year-old half-brother Ranch Hand is a son of Dunaden who we stood and has turned out to be very good."

The Andrew Balding-trained Ranch Hand races in the silks of Kingsclere Racing Club and brought his record to three wins in five starts when successful in a Class 2 staying handicap at Haydock last month.

Peter Molony signed for a Kodiac colt from Tally-Ho Stud at €65,000Credit: Peter Mooney

Speed sire

The next most expensive lot was Castletown Stud's Footstepsinthesand colt out of the Group-placed Spectrum mare Artistica, who was hammered down to Karl Burke for €62,000.

"He's a lovely, athletic colt and a strong, powerful individual," said Burke, who signed for the March-foaled colt together with his daughter Kelly.

"He's been bought on spec. The mare was rated in and around 100 and her runners to date are mostly by stamina stallions, so I'm hoping the sire has injected a bit of pace."

Artistica, who took third in the Prix de Royaumont, is a half-sister to the Grand Prix de Paris scorer and sire Montmartre.

Footstepsinthesand has seen his name in lights this season with Threat having scored twice in Group 2 company in the Gimcrack and Champagne Stakes, while Mums Tipple routed the opposition to win the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes at York.

Cover star

Sir Dancealot features on the front cover of this year's Sportsman's Sale catalogue, with the multiple Group 2 winner having been sourced by Joanna Morgan and Kevin Quinn for €30,000 at the 2015 edition, and the duo were back on the lookout for future talent on Thursday.

The pair's first outlay of the day - a €56,000 Ivawood colt hailing from Lynn Lodge Stud - will be for the same racing partnership behind Sir Dancealot.

The colt was taking his second turn through the ring, having been snapped up by Mags O'Toole for €32,000 at last year's Goffs November Sale.

"We hope he'll make the front cover like Sir Dancealot some day," said Morgan of the March-foaled youngster. "He's a big, strong horse and has been bought for the same people.

"Ivawood has done exceptionally well with the mares he's been sent - they all have very good heads and are big, strong specimens like their sire."

Morgan has enjoyed success with the sire's offspring before including the filly Persian Queen, who was third to the Aga Khan homebred Katiba in a competitive maiden at the Curragh on Sunday.

Both the winner and runner-up, Gin Blossom, hold entries for next year's Irish 1,000 Guineas, and Morgan suggested more can be expected from Persian Queen next season.

Polish interest

The first lot to pass the €30,000 mark on Thursday was Ballintry Stud's April-foaled Holy Roman Emperor filly, who is now destined for Poland after catching the eye of owner Krzysztof Gozdzialski and agent Bobby O'Ryan.

"She's a lovely racey filly," said O'Ryan about the pair's new acquisition, after signing on the dotted line at €35,000.

Maciej Jodlowski, who will train the filly, saddled last year's Polish Derby third Akademia, a filly by Muhtathir, and this year's Polish Oaks sixth Polonia Lady, a daughter of Australia raced by Gozdzialski.

The first session of the Sportsman's Sale saw 158 of the 205 lots on offer change hands for a 77 per cent clearance rate, at an average spend of €18,150 and median price of €14,000.

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