Highly touted Exceed And Excel colt tops Sportsman's Sale

An Exceed And Excel colt was snapped up by Joe Foley for €135,000 during the second and final session of the Goffs Sportsman's Sale on Friday.

Consigned by Derrinstown Stud on behalf of Hadi Al Tajir, the March-born colt became the most expensive yearling sold at the auction since 2007.

"He's an interestingly bred colt as he's inbred to Height Of Fashion," said Foley, who signalled the winning bid from his position on the back wall.

"He's by a sire of sires and has a stallion's pedigree. He was well produced and we'd like to think he'll be a good racehorse. He looks a fast horse."

View Sportsman's Sale results and buyers

Foley also went to €60,000 early in the session for a Raven's Pass filly, who is the first foal out of the Sea The Stars mare Kirouna, an unraced daughter of the Group 2 Blandford Stakes scorer Katiyra.

"She's a lovely filly and we liked her a lot," said Foley. "We liked that she was out of a mare by Sea The Stars, who we think will do well as a broodmare sire, and she looks like an athlete."

The April-born youngster was sent into the ring by Pat McCarthy's Clonsast Stud and the vendor spoke of his delight at the result.

"She's a lovely filly and all the right people were on her," said McCarthy. "I thought she'd sell well but didn't think she'd make that much."

The Kingman colt Raakib Alhawa became the first stakes winner out of a Sea The Stars mare when landing the Listed August Stakes at Windsor this year, with the sire's oldest daughters now eight.

Joe Foley signed for the top two lots on FridayCredit: Peter Mooney / Goffs

Buoyant trade

The second most expensive colt on Friday was a son of first-crop stallion Ajaya who went the way of Johnny Murtagh for €55,000.

Consigned by Mountain View Stud, the March-born youngster is out of the King's Best mare Missy O'Gwaun, a half-sister to the Group 2 Prix Guillaume D'Ornano scorer Knight To Behold, and they in turn are out of an unraced half-sister to the St Leger winner Millenary.

"He has plenty of size and scope and looks fast," said Murtagh. "We're taking a bit of a chance with a first-season sire."

Cormac O'Flynn was also on the lookout for future talent on Friday, purchasing an Acclamation filly for €47,000.

The February-foaled filly was offered by Norelands Stud and has an attractive pedigree, with her granddam Aunty Mary a winning half-sister to the champion racemare Attraction.

"She has a very strong back pedigree and her two-year-old half-sister Justina is a winner for Jessica Harrington," said O'Flynn, from his position on the top balcony.

Early action

The first lot to pass the €40,000 mark was Derrinstown Stud's February-foaled Exceed And Excel colt out of the Lawman mare Ghany, a full-sister to the Italian juvenile Group 1 winner Law Enforcement.

"He's for a syndicate who are looking to buy and race a few horses with a view to selling them on," said trainer Mick Halford.

Mick Donohoe of BBA Ireland, who signed on the dotted line at €43,000, was returning to the well having previously purchased the smart colt Yulong Xionghu from the same vendor.

The son of Raven's Pass broke his maiden on his second start at Naas before his transfer to John Moore in Hong Kong, for whom he has won a pair of valuable handicaps at Happy Valley.

Mick Donohoe was on the lookout for future talent on FridayCredit: Peter Mooney / Goffs

Final figures

Trade across the two-day Sportsman's Sale saw 283 of the 360 lots on offer change hands for a 79 per cent clearance rate and total receipts of €4,854,900, at an average spend of €17,155, down ten per cent, and median price of €13,000, which fell from €15,000 last year.

Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said in his end-of-sale statement: "A two-day Sportsman's Sale always provokes discussion and this year has been no different. The decision goes back to inspection time when we received a higher-than-ever number of applications from established vendors with the right types.

"That growth in demand flowed from a good renewal of the sale in 2018 and presented us with a real conundrum. Do we keep the sale to one day and upset large numbers of valued clients who have good yearlings or do we expand and risk supply outstripping demand?

"There is never going to be an answer that is 100 per cent correct but first and foremost Goffs exists to serve Irish breeders by providing a viable market place for their produce so we decided to hold a two-day sale, committing extra resource to buyer recruitment.

"Doubtless opinion will be split as to whether we made the right decision but we feel the results ultimately vindicate the move with a vibrant trade on both days especially given prevailing market conditions and the background of a volatile world economy.

"We have welcomed a wide variety of buyers from home, the UK, across Europe and further afield following a concerted effort from our network of international agents and the team at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing.

"Their presence meant that there was keen competition for those that appealed with a high of €135,000 today although the trends witnessed at every other yearling sale in 2019 were evident. That said a 79 per cent clearance rate is perfectly acceptable and points to a trade of some depth.

"So as the week closes we can reflect on a market that soared at the top of Orby, headed by the second highest yearling filly price in Irish auction history amongst four millionaires, but tightened in the lower echelons notwithstanding a top Sportsman's price that was the second highest on record.

"These results clearly demonstrate the enduring demand for the best and that Goffs is absolutely the measure of any sale in the world at the top whilst perhaps highlighting some issues that may give pause for thought.

"As ever we are supremely grateful for the support of our vendors and wish every buyer success on the racecourse."

More from Goffs:

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

Galileo filly out of Green Room snapped up by MV Magnier for €3m

Click here to read our Autumn Yearling Sales Pullout Preview