Punchy pinhook success for Coolmore’s Arrault as Sioux Nation filly turns heads

The pinhooking wheel turned smoothly for the vendors of two of the most expensive fillies sold during the first session of the Goffs Orby Book 2 Sale on Thursday, when graduates of the company's November Foal Sale rewarded their investors handsomely.

Alexandre Arrault, an area manager for Coolmore, has made some early expeditions in pinhooking, with a Sioux Nation filly he purchased last November for €10,500 yielding an €85,000 sale to Justin Casse on behalf of Jack Sisterson and JWS Racing.

The bay daughter of Coolmore's leading second-season sire traces her lineage back to Park Appeal and a delighted Arrault, who is originally from Normandy but has been living in Ireland for the last 16 or so years, was still processing what the sale will mean in its direct aftermath.

"This is just my second pinhook," he explained. "I bought a Zoustar colt for €6,000 and sold him for €17,000. It is always good to get something and Sioux Nation is flying at the moment as one of the top second-crop stallions and there are not many on the market."

There are only 40 yearlings registered in Sioux Nation's third crop, although the sire of 11 individual stakes winners, including this year's 1,000 Guineas third Matilda Picotte, has been one of the most popular stallions with breeders for the past two seasons.

Trading under the name of Philipstown Stables, which is his father-in-law's farm in Cappagh White, County Tipperary, Arrault has strong belief in Sioux Nation having bred a colt by him in his second season. 

The two-year-old, named Sioux Passion, was bought at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster earlier this year and made his debut last weekend at Siracusa.

Arrault has a half-brother to Sioux Passion at home and will be reinvesting some of his profits from this Sioux Nation filly at the upcoming foal sales.

"It is a dream come true and it is what everyone wants to do, trying to be creative," he said. "I have an Arizona foal at home and I need to find him a companion."

His successful pinhook will not be travelling too far from home initially, as Casse outlined the detailed plan for the filly, who is out of the unraced Hard Spun mare Saiddaa – which was part of her appeal.

Justin Casse signs for the Sioux Nation fillyCredit: Goffs

"She will probably go to Joseph O'Brien for the time being," said Casse. "You'll see Jack Sisterson's name on the ticket, he's a trainer in the US and she may eventually end up there.

"We have a programme where we like to get them started in Ireland at two, and develop them here. If we feel they will suit the US, then we can move them over there at the end of their two-year-old season or at the start of their three-year-old career."

That is a plan that has previously worked with a colt from the first crop of Sioux Nation, the son of Scat Daddy who won the Phoenix and Norfolk Stakes at two for Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners.

Casse said: "Behind Enemy Lines won at Dundalk in January, Jack bought him off us and won a stakes race in the States and he was second in the Grade 2 Penn Mile Stakes. We think it is easier to get horses to the races here than in the US; we can build a foundation here and develop them."

The cross of Sioux Nation with a Hard Spun mare had already produced Kinta, second in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes last season, and the winner of Newmarket's 6f fillies' premier handicap on Thursday afternoon for George Boughey. 

Another son of Scat Daddy in No Nay Never sired the multiple Group 1 winner Alcohol Free out of a daughter of the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes winner, who is the sire of 15 individual Grade 1 winners and counting.

"She is out of a Hard Spun mare and that's easily relatable to folks back home," Casse continued, while his support of Sioux Nation extends beyond the sales ring.

"I love the sire and I have a few mares in foal to him," he added.

Creating a family legacy

For Michelle Motherway, this week at Goffs was about more than just selling her two beautifully-prepared yearlings. Launching her own consigning business under the banner TDM Bloodstock, she wanted to create a family business and name that would be a lasting memory of her and husband Paul's first son Tadhg, who was stillborn in 2019, and creating a legacy for their younger son Donnacha – they are the T and D in TDM Bloodstock.

TDM made its debut in Book 1 with the sale of a homebred Dark Angel colt for €100,000 to Richard Ryan, to go into training with Charlie Hills. That sale was especially emotive for the couple as the colt's dam Feileacain is named for the charity which supported them after Tadhg's birth, and the mare, who was only a yearling at the time, gave Motherway motivation to keep going through the darkness of that summer.

Michelle Motherway with her Kodi Bear filly at GoffsCredit: Sophie Webber Photography/Goffs

During Book 2, they sold a Kodi Bear filly who was initially supposed to go through the ring at Doncaster last month but got cast in her box and had to be withdrawn. Instead, she became a wildcard entry for Book 2 and made €75,000 to Cristiana Brivio of Razza Latina, who has been a prominent purchaser at recent Irish yearling sales.

The filly is a full-sister to Mutamaiezeh from the first crop of the Celebration Mile winner and Dewhurst runner-up who stands at Rathbarry Stud. She was third in the Premio Nogara and is a half-sister to another black-type performer in Italy; Irishman Mark, who was named in honour of Mark O'Hanlon, the much-missed ITM representative.

"She has exceeded expectations but the Italians were keen to have her as they had her sister," explained a delighted Motherway. "She was cast in her box in Donny and got a cut so I went to Henry [Beeby] and asked if it would be possible to get her into this sale if I withdrew her, not expecting him to say yes, but he did, so I am very grateful to him for that."

The tale turned out to have a happy ending with a Transatlantic bidding war between Italian and American interests, with the Europeans winning out at €75,000. The pretty brown half-sister to five winners was a €26,000 purchase in this ring last November.

Paul Motherway added: "You can get lucky at a sale like this when two people want a horse and there were two who really were keen on her today. Kodi Bear getting the Group 3 winner [Thunderbear at Newbury, trained by Jack Davison] at the weekend helped too."

Storm Agnes blew a gale around Kildare Paddocks on Wednesday, preventing many buyers from viewing the lots on their shortlists for Thursday, but once work began on Thursday morning, the team knew they had a popular filly in their Barn A stable.

Michelle Motherway (left) speaks with Cristiana Brivio (pink hat) after selling her Kodi Bear filly to the Italian trainer and agentCredit: Sophie Webber Photography/Goffs

"We didn't know how we were going but then this morning there were a lot of views and everybody loved her; the Americans did and the Italians too," said Michelle Motherway. "Both horses sold well but it is more important that the horses go to good homes, and they both have."

Yearling preparation and consignment is her equine passion and the business plan for TDM Bloodstock is to sell a handful of yearlings each year, a mixture of homebreds and pinhooks, with foals continuing to be sold through the family's renowned Yellowford Farm. 

Unique Selling Point for Mohaather colt

Abbey House Farm, the County Clare operation of Tomas Kerins, had just a solitary yearling in Goffs Orby Book 2 and he happened to be unique in another way as the only colt from the first crop of Shadwell's Sussex Stakes winner Mohaather in the catalogue.

As well as the rarity value of being Mohaather's sole son in the sale, he had the physique, athleticism and handsome profile to go with that selling point and duly made €70,000 to Diego Dias, who was purchasing with Byron Rogers and Star Bloodstock for next year's breeze-up sales. 

Lot 706 was the only son of Mohaather in the catalogueCredit: Sophie Webber Photography/Goffs

Originally from Brazil, Dias has made a name for himself with his breeze-up graduates and this season has been a successful one for his fledgling training operation with a Glorious Goodwood winner in Mansa Musa, who went on to be placed in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes and last week's Listed Blenheim Stakes. 

The Ten Sovereigns filly, along with Gaenari, who has been second in the Listed Tipperary Stakes and the Prix de la Vallee d'Auge, were members of the breeze-up class of 2022 for Dias, Rogers and Matt Eves' Star Bloodstock, that didn't sell and have gone on to prove their worth on the track.

Either way, Kerins' colt will have the opportunity to go on to further glory and the breeder was delighted with the identity of his new owners.

"He has gone to very good judges and I'm really happy about that. We could have gone to Book 1 with him but we thought he would stand out here and I think he has," said Kerins.

He purchased the colt's dam Ugneya as a three-year-old at Goffs for €85,000 through Brian Grassick Bloodstock from Shadwell and she has produced the multiple winning three-year-old Profitable filly Rajindri, and has a two-year-old colt by Raven's Pass.

Diego Dias (centre) signs for the Mohaather colt from Abbey House Farm at GoffsCredit: Sophie Webber Photography/Goffs

She is a Teofilo half-sister to last season's Group 2 Vintage Stakes winner Marbaan and to Convergence, who won the Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes and Listed Canford Cliffs and Patton Stakes for Ger Lyons. 

Second dam Zahoo was runner-up in the Listed Gillies Stakes and is a Nayef half-sister to Group 1 winner Matterhorn, this year's Dante winner The Foxes and the Group 2 York Stakes and Chapel Stud and DahlBury sire Bangkok. Her Marju half-sister Mujarah is the dam of Ribchester, whose four Group 1 triumphs included the Queen Anne and Lockinge Stakes.

"The mare has been very good to us. I prepped this colt myself for the sales and he is as tough as nails, he took his work so well," Kerins added.

Hassett hoping for more breeze-up stars

Johnny Hassett was another buyer to go all-in on the progeny of a stallion on the opening day of the sale, with the breeze-up practitioner purchasing the only two yearlings in the catalogue by Sea The Stars, including the session-topping lot.

Offered by The Castlebridge Consignment, the full-brother to Group 3 Grosser Preis der Landeshauptstadt winner Alpen Rose was the first yearling to break the six-figure barrier on Thursday, with Hassett stretching to €165,000 for the colt.

The Sea The Stars brother to Alpen Rose who was knocked down for €160,000Credit: Goffs

The February-foaled colt is also a full-brother to Sea Sylph, twice a winner for Alan King, and their dam Valais Girl is a winning daughter of Holy Roman Emperor.

Second dam Ellen is an unraced daughter of Machiavellian and the 1,000 Guineas winner, Sleepytime, who is a full-sister to the Sussex Stakes winner and sire Ali-Royal and a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and successful National Hunt sire Taipan.

Castlebridge were also the consignors of the other Sea The Stars colt in the sale, who Hassett bought for €68,000. He is a half-brother to the Listed Premio Seregno second Ursuly and out of the Group 3 Prix d'Aumale winner Shahah, by Motivator. He, too, boasts an excellent back pedigree as his second dam, Elegant Beauty, is an unraced half-sister to the champion two and three-year-old and sire Grand Lodge.

"Both horses will probably suit the breeze-ups in France," said Hassett. "I've had breezers by Sea The Stars before and got on quite well with them."

His purchases were two of the 11 horses to make at least €65,000 during the opening session of the sale, an increase of two on the equivalent day last year.

Johnny Hassett signs for his six-figure purchaseCredit: Goffs

Last year's opening session of the then Goffs Sportsman's Sale, now rebranded as Orby Book 2, saw a record price of €300,000 for a Ten Sovereigns three-parts sister to the Listed-placed Cadamosto. While Thursday's first session couldn't match that price, it outdid last year's sale by recording not one but two six-figure prices.

Late late show for Boherguy colt

Late in the day Boherguy Stud's Teofilo close relation to the Listed Lenebane Stakes second and Group 2 Beresford Stakes third Young Ireland was knocked down to SSF for €100,000.

It is a family that has provided Jim Bolger with plenty of talented horses over the years. Out of Ard Fheis, a winning Lil's Boy half-sister to the Irish Derby and Coronation Cup winner and National Hunt sire Soldier Of Fortune, he is a full-brother to the four time-winning filly Ceol Na Nog.

Clare Manning consigned the €100,000 Teofilo colt at Goffs Orby Book 2Credit: Goffs

His second dam, Affianced, won the Debutante Stakes and was also placed in the Beresford. She is an Erins Isle half-sister to the Group 1 Gran Criterium winner and Irish Derby and Eclipse-placed Sholokhov, the sire of Shishkin and Don Cossack. 

Also under third dam La Meilleure are this year's Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi and Aspen Grove, the daughter of Justify who won the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks for Fozzy Stack. Group 1-winning juveniles Skitter Scatter and Intense Focus are also from that branch of the family.

"He is a really nice, straightforward horse," remarked consignor Clare Manning. "He has a great walk and is really athletic, he is very typical of his sire's stock."

That couldn't prevent a drop in the statistics for the session, however, with the aggregate falling by 28 per cent to €4,366,500. The decline in the median and average figures was less, with the former down 16 per cent to €20,000 while the latter dropped 13 per cent to €24,125.

The second and final session of the sale commences at 10am on Friday.

Read more from the Orby. . .

Late drama as Coolmore swoop for €1,850,000 Frankel filly

'I feel totally sick!' - Saffron Beach sister steals the Goffs Orby show at €1,650,000  

'She's nearly a collector's item' - Banahans delight as €480,000 New Bay filly lights up Goffs Orby  

'She's a well-made and powerful filly' - Dandy a delight once more at Goffs for O'Connor  

‘She has the pedigree and the sire line’ - O’Brien swoops for State Of Rest’s half-sister at €750,000