Five first-crop sires whose progeny shone at Goffs November

Muhaarar
Sire - Dam (Damsire)
Oasis Dream - Tahrir (Linamix)
Standing at Nunnery Stud

With speed and precocity the watchwords for many buyers in the current market, the first foals by Shadwell's Muhaarar, a four-time Group 1-winning sprinter, always seemed likely to have their share of admirers. Even so, the reception his Goffs November lots received was quite something.

Admittedly he had just the three sales ring representatives, but he managed to hit a home run with all three, as even the cheapest fetched €200,0000, almost six times his covering fee.

The priciest of the trio went the way of Sheikh Hamdan's operation after they parted with €340,000 for Muhaarar's first offering at the sale, a colt out of the Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Miss Beatrix offered by Ballintougher Stud.

All told Muhaarar's debut draft brought an aggregate of €775,000, an average of €258,333 - over seven times his covering fee of £30,000 - and a median of €235,000.

With ten more lots by the July Cup-winning son of Oasis Dream set to come under the hammer at this week's Tattersalls December Foal Sale, including a half-brother to Breton Rock, and with stakes winners accounting for 41 per cent of his debut book of mares, it seems certain that there's a great deal more to come from Muhaarar's first crop.

View Goffs November Foal Sale sire stats

Muhaarar lands the 2015 British Champions Sprint StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Gleneagles
Galileo - You'resothrilling (Storm Cat)
Coolmore

As a Group 1-winning two-year-old and a dual Classic winner backed up by a near flawless pedigree, being by the all conquering Galileo and out of a Group 2-winning sister to Giant's Causeway, the appeal of Gleneagles is plain for all to see.

And that appeal duly translated into significant returns during the opening round of foal sales, as six of his sons and daughters sold for a total of €730,000, an average of €121,667 - more than double his debut covering fee of €60,000 - and a median of €142,500.

Of the six lots that Gleneagles had sell five fetched six-figure prices, including the €170,000 half-sister to Lilbourne Lad purchased by Ted Naughton. Two lots fetched €150,000, with Flash Conroy's Glenvale Stud buying the colt out of Convocate, while the international appeal of Gleneagle's stock was illustrated by Northern Farm's Katsumi Yoshida giving the same price for a colt out of Waveband, an Exceed And Excel sister to Bungle Inthejungle.

Gleneagles, whose first book contained no fewer than 45 stakes winners, has 14 foals due to grace the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, including a half-sister to recent Melbourne Cup hero Rekindling.

Gleneagles surges clear of the field in the 2015 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker

Gutaifan
Dark Angel - Alikhlas (Lahib)
Yeomanstown Stud

The Dark Angel juggernaut shows no signs of slowing on the racecourse or in the sales ring, and on the evidence provided at Goffs plenty out there are banking on his son, and Yeomanstown Stud stablemate, Gutaifan following in his footsteps.

Gutaifan's first sales ring representatives, who were bred at a fee of €12,500, generated an aggregate of €1,595,000 for 34 sold at an average of €46,912 - almost four times his 2016 covering fee - and a median of €36,500.

Moreover, three of the 34 Gutaifan foals that sold fetched six-figure sums, headed by the half-sister to Great White Eagle and 675,000gns Craven Sale-topper Kings Shield who went the way of Aidan O'Ryan at €155,000.

Clearly there is a long way to go before Gutaifan can rival the achievements of his own sire, but it is interesting to note that those returns stand far in advance of what Dark Angel's first crop achieved at the corresponding sale in 2009, with an average of €11,269 and a median of €9,500.

Having covered 207 mares in his first book there will be plenty of Gutaifans to go around, but the early signs suggest getting your hands on one may be easier said than done. The 22 lots by Gutaifan bound for the Tattersalls December Sale include a half-sister to Group 3 and Derby Trial winner Best Solution.

Gutaifan (maroon cap) wins the 2015 Flying Childers StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Cable Bay
Invincible Spirit - Rose De France (Diktat)
Highclere Stud

In a polarised market, life is not always easy for stallions starting off at chickenfeed fees.

However, Highclere Stud's Cable Bay, a Group 2-winning son of the ever-popular Invincible Spirit, made significant strides towards breaking through the glass ceiling when seven of his first crop foals sold at Goffs for an aggregate of €211,000, an average of €30,143 - over four times his debut covering fee of £6,500 - and a median of €30,000.

Highclere themselves sent a homebred foal to the Kildare sales ring, and were duly rewarded when the colt out of Coin A Phrase, a Dubawi daughter of Group 2 winner French Bid, sold to Tally-Ho Stud for €75,000, more than ten times the price the foal was conceived at.

Cable Bay, the most popular British-based retiree to stud in 2016, has 35 foals headed to the Park Paddocks ring this week, and it will be interesting to see if he can build on his early momentum.

Cable Bay (yellow cap) takes out the 2015 Dubai Challenge Stakes at NewmarketCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Outstrip
Exceed And Excel - Asi Siempre (El Prado)
Dalham Hall Stud

With two of Exceed And Excel's sire sons supplying Group 1 winners in 2017 it is understandable that buyers were keen to get behind one of his newest sons on the market, Darley Club sire Outstrip.

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner had ten foals sell at Goffs for an aggregate of €226,600, an average of €22,660 - over four times his covering fee - and a median of €10,250.

The priciest of the bunch was Glebe Farm Stables' colt out of Cape Mystery, who went the way of Abbeylands Farm for €90,000, while the colt out of Tawjeeh bought by Tally-Ho Stud for €39,000 topped Saturday's session.

With a pedigree to match his race record, being out of a Grade 1-winning daughter of the influential El Prado, and a promising set of results at Goffs, the 21 Outstrip foals catalogued for Tattersalls look sure to pique the interest of buyers.

Outstrip (4) wins the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita ParkCredit: Wendy Wooley

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