Yulong Investments wins race for Shadwell colts as yearling sale records tumble

The second day of the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale followed a similarly bustling pattern to the first: early fireworks for a member of the Derrinstown draft followed by pulsating trade with an international cast of buyers that led to record-breaking results.

As with the opening session, the tempo was set just a handful of lots into proceedings when a colt by leading sire Lope De Vega, one of 11 yearlings offered at Goffs on Wednesday by the Irish arm of the Shadwell operation, quickly raced up tens of thousands, making €78,000.

He hails from the same branch of Height Of Fashion’s family as Shadwell’s unbeaten Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Prix du Moulin winner Baaeed. His sire has been good to Yuesheng Zhang’s Yulong Investments, so it was no surprise to learn that Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland had secured him to run in their green and white silks.

“Obviously the sire has already been very lucky for Mr Zhang with Lucky Vega, who we’re looking forward to standing at the Irish National Stud in 2022,” said Donohoe. “This colt is a good-looking sort from a nice pedigree and he’s been produced by one of the world’s great breeders, so we were delighted to get him.”

The fourth foal out of Saraha, he is bred on the proven Lope De Vega–Dansili cross that has already produced seven stakes winners headed by the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes winner Capla Temptress. Of Lope De Vega’s 13 Group/Grade 1 winners, five of them have Danehill or one of his sons as their broodmare sire.

Saraha is a winning daughter of Dansili out of the Listed Prix Charles Laffitte winner Kareemah, a Peintre Celebre half-sister to Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes winner Lahudood, the second dam of Baaeed.

Donohoe was among the busiest buyers at Kildare Paddocks this week, working on behalf of Zhang’s breeding and racing operation that spans both hemispheres.

Michael Donohoe: busy but successful weekCredit: Laura Green

“We bought 20 for Yulong Investments here yesterday and, in all, Mr Zhang is hoping to pick up around 40 yearlings here,” he said.

“He’s a great supporter of the industry and hopefully breeders might reciprocate some of that support when Lucky Vega comes to stand here next year. Mr Zhang will be fully behind him, doing everything he can to make him a success and supporting him very strongly at the foal and yearling sales.”

The Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner, who was placed in the 2,000 Guineas, Middle Park and St James’s Palace Stakes, is coming to the end of his first season at Yulong’s Australian farm.

Donohoe was also the buyer of an Invincible Spirit colt from the same source who, at €92,000, was the most expensive yearling of the second session.

He is a brother to Tawaazon, who was second in a six-furlong three-year-old maiden at Brighton for Owen Burrows in the summer.

Their dam Tamadhor was placed in the Blenheim and Garnet Stakes, both Listed races, for Kevin Prendergast and is out of Hedaaya, an Indian Ridge half-sister to Group 3 Tyros Stakes winner Remember Alexander and to Cherry Hinton and Albany Stakes winner Memory, dam of the Queen’s Acomb Stakes winner and young sire Recorder.

Tamadhor is a member of the Shadwell draft at the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale, offered in foal to Eqtidaar.

Donohoe revealed: “He’s for Yulong Investments and will be trained by Jessica Harrington. We are big fans of the sire, and he’s a smashing colt that looks a precocious two-year-old type and again from a very good breeder.”

The Awtaad filly whose dam Zaakhir will herself be selling at Goffs later this monthCredit: Goffs

Joe Foley pounced for an Awtaad filly who is closely related to the Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes winner Convergence, from the Derrinstown draft.

She is the second foal of a winning two-year-old by Raven’s Pass out of Listed runner-up Zahoo, a Nayef half-sister to Group 1 winner Matterhorn and to the dam of champion miler Ribchester.

“She’s a lovely filly, she reminds me a little of Romantic Proposal, who is by this filly’s broodmare sire Raven’s Pass,” said Foley of his €78,000 purchase who, like the Eddie Lynam-trained Group 1 Flying Five Stakes winner, will sport the silver silks of Steve Parkin’s Clipper Logistics.

Her dam Zaakhir will take her turn in the Goffs sale ring in just over two weeks, selling as lot 1243 at the November Breeding Stock Sale. She was a member of the first book of mares covered at Kildangan Stud by Darley’s Group 1 Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes winner Earthlight.

Derrinstown Stud’s second-session draft sold for a total of €458,500, so achieving an average price of €41,682.

Bangers for 'banner

The tale of the Derrinstown yearlings was just one strand of the narrative around a record-breaking renewal of the sale.

Starspangledbanner has enjoyed a stellar season and progeny by Coolmore Stud’s sire of the Group 1 Cox Plate and Grade 1 Saratoga Derby winner State Of Rest were in demand at Goffs on Wednesday.

The most sought-after was a filly from the Kelly family’s Ballybin Stud, out of the unraced Fastnet Rock mare Callisto Star, who brought a winning bid of €80,000 from Kevin Ross.

The Starspangledbanner filly who made €80,000 to a bid from Kevin RossCredit: Goffs

The agent said: “She is a lovely, quality filly and we were keen to get a Starspangledbanner filly. She is going to take a little time but she’s a lovely filly."

The second foal of her dam, she is a full-sister to Rhea Moon, who was placed on both her starts this season for Ken Condon and will continue her racing career in America.

Second dam Livia Galilei is a Galileo full-sister to the Group 3 winner Eye Of The Storm and a three-parts sister to Mohican Heights, who beat subsequent Ascot Gold Cup winner Subjectivist when winning the Listed Stonehenge Stakes last year.

A pair of Starspangledbanner fillies who were part of the supplementary catalogue provided later highlights.

First up was a filly from Kilcarn Park Stud and she had the benefit of a significant recent pedigree update as her two-year-old Fast Company half-sister Symphony Perfect won the Listed Bosra Sham Stakes at Newmarket last Friday for Amo Racing and Richard Hannon. She had previously been third in Redcar’s Listed Two Year Old Trophy.

Federico Barberini went to €68,000 to secure the third foal out of Irish Romance, a Rip Van Winkle half-sister to the dam of Starspangledbanner’s 2020 Listed Tipperary Stakes winning daughter Dickiedooda.

Just two lots later Baroda Stud offered a Starspangledbanner filly who is the first foal of the unraced Camelot mare Lavish, and she made €65,000 to Willie Browne.

Her third dam is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner and blue hen Park Appeal, Irish Oaks winner Alydaress and the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Desirable, dam of 1,000 Guineas winner Shadayid.

Now the sire of three individual Group/Grade 1 winners, Starspangledbanner was responsible for a quartet of fillies offered at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale and they sold for an average price of €57,875, which is more than three times the fee the Golden Jubilee Stakes and July Cup winner commanded in 2019.

Facts, figures and reflections

Wednesday’s aggregate figure of €2,928,900 was an astonishing increase of 580 per cent on the equivalent session last year. The median and average also recorded incredible increases, with the average of €13,435 up 118 per cent, while the median figure of €10,000 was an even 100 per cent jump on the 2020 figure.

The two-day sale aggregate came to €6,080,400, with 431 of 471 lots offered being sold for a clearance rate of 92 per cent. That was a vast improvement on the 2020 sale held online; the more comparable metrics were the average, which rose 119 per cent to €14,108, and median, which at €9,000 was up 105 per cent.

Of course the draft of Shadwell yearlings from Derrinstown Stud played their part in driving the unparalleled growth but, as Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby stated, even without them the sale would have recorded impressive statistics.

“Take them away and the two days still enjoyed a 76 per cent rise in average and a 320 per cent leap in turnover to clearly illustrate the strength throughout,” he said.

“The demand we enjoyed has been driven by a truly international buying bench, with a flood of overseas buyers headed by a 50-plus strong group from Eastern Europe and significant parties from Scandinavia, Germany and Italy taking on spirited bidders from the UK and Ireland.”

Henry Beeby: Goffs chief executive hailed the booming international trade across the past three daysCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

Beeby took a moment to reflect on the poignant presence of the yearlings bred by Sheikh Hamdan, saying: “The highlight has been the one-off draft from Derrinstown, which accounted for 24 per cent of takings, and we feel privileged to have handled these classy yearlings from the estate of the late Sheikh Hamdan, who was such a wonderful and respected supporter of our sales.

"His consignment would have graced any catalogue and naturally dominated the leaderboard, with eight of the top ten prices."

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