'All we can do is our best' - Goliath's dam Gouache fails to sell at €5 million during Goffs November Sale drama

Drama and disbelief abounded at Goffs on Friday afternoon as Gouache, dam of this year’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Goliath, was led out of the November Breeding Stock Sale unsold at €5,000,000. 

Goliath is set to contest the Japan Cup on Sunday, but even the prospect of an almost immediate pedigree update was not enough to prompt the massed ranks of major players to join the fray so far into seven-figure territory. 

Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby was on the rostrum when Gouache took to the ring, and commented on events by saying: “I quote my late father as he always said, ‘If you haven’t got a horse, you can’t sell it.’ Even if people are looking for big money, you bring the horse to the ring and present it to the market. 

“We’ve promoted this mare, the current owners value her very highly, obviously, and when we spoke about it yesterday they drew comparisons, for very understandable reasons, with Alpha Centauri and Alpine Star, who sold for €6 million apiece last year. 

“They were looking for something between five and six [million] and the market didn’t agree. It’s disappointing for us and slightly frustrating, but if you haven’t got the horses you can’t sell them, and all we can do is our best. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s the vendor’s prerogative.” 

Beeby added that there was still the potential for a private deal to be struck outside of the ring.

Gouache, who was presented by Millennium Stud, was making a fairly swift return to the sales ring having been signed for by the Rotterdam-based Agrolexica International Trading at €200,000 at Arqana last December, at which point Goliath’s biggest accomplishment was winning a Listed contest at Clairefontaine. 

Gouache poses for the camera at GoffsCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

His race record has been on an upward trajectory since. Trained by Francis Graffard, he has won the Group 3 Prix d'Hedouville and finished second to Isle Of Jura in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes before he streaked two and a quarter lengths clear of subsequent Arc heroine Bluestocking in the Group 1 King George.

On Sunday he will sport the colours of Resolute Bloodstock after US owner John Stewart bought a 75 per cent share in the son of Adlerflug following his Ascot heroics. 

Goliath is one of three winners out of Gouache, who was offered in foal to Baaeed. Her first foal, Goliath’s sister Gamine, won five races in Germany, while her third foal, Cloth Of Stars filly Galaxy, shed her maiden tag since the publication of the November Sale catalogue. The mare delivered at Blackbeard filly bred under the banner of Millennium Stud on March 27 this year. 

Gouache hails from a deep Gestut Schlenderhan family being a Listed-winning sibling to German Group 2 scorer Guardini and fellow Listed winner Guizot. In turn, Gouache is out of a daughter of Guadalupe, who carried the silks of Baron Georg von Ullmann to victory in the Italian Oaks. Guadalupe also produced two Group 1 winners at paddocks in Guignol, a three-time top-flight scorer in Germany, and Guiliani, who landed the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches.

Millennium Stud may have been out of luck in selling Gouache but the operation had better fortune as a buyer, having purchased four mares on Friday for an outlay of €402,000. The priciest of those was A Ma Chere, a half-sister to Japanese Group 1 winner Mad Cool in foal to Gleneagles who was secured by agent Ananias Antoniadis at €210,000. Alex Elliott filled the role of underbidder on the Moyglare Stud-consigned six-year-old.

Top lot Honour goes Elliott’s way

Her Honour was also led out unsold when the bidding reached €850,000, but Springfort Park Stud later struck a private deal with Alex Elliott at €725,000. The 13-year-old daughter of Shamardal has developed into a prolific producer despite her earlier covers having been to a range of stallions who failed to shine at stud. 

Her four winners at paddocks feature first foal Mirage Hero, a Listed-placed son of Due Diligence; her second foal is her best to date, with Brazen Beau mare Vadream winning four races, including the Group 3 Bengough and Palace House Stakes; while her fourth foal turned out to be Midream, a Listed-placed daughter of US Navy Flag. 

She has since received some punchier covers, as befits her status as the dam of three black-type horses. She has a two-year-old colt by Kodiac, a yearling filly by New Bay and she was offered in foal to Night Of Thunder. 

“She wasn’t sold for €850,000 obviously, but we honoured our last bid in the ring,” said Elliott. “What a producer. She’s a Shamardal mare from a huge family with Harzand and Emily Upjohn on the page [under the second dam]. 

Alex Elliott: "I’d imagine we’ll breed her to Frankel or Wootton Bassett"

“She’s bred stakes horses by inferior stallions really. It’s time to upgrade her and Peter and Hugh McCutcheon reluctantly agreed to sell her. They didn’t really want to let her go but she’ll be bred to some big stallions now. I’d imagine we’ll breed her to Frankel or Wootton Bassett. 

“She’s been bought for an English breeder and she’s going to reside at Baroda Stud with David Cox. The McCutcheon brothers have kept a New Bay filly out of her, so they’ll still be cheering her on. She’s in foal to Night Of Thunder too, who’s going to stand for €150,000 next year. She’s a mare with a bit of age but she’s proven.” 

Her Honour capped a busy afternoon for Elliott, who also went to €320,000 for M'Lady Nicole, a Sea The Stars sister to Knight To Behold, from Newtown Stud. The five-year-old has produced colts by Lope De Vega and Night Of Thunder, and was offered back in foal to the latter. 

The agent was also in action for Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing and went to €230,000 to secure Ambiguous from the draft of Lackagh Springs Stud. The 12-year-old, a Kheleyf half-sister to Group 1-winning sprinters Alpha Delphini and Tangerine Trees, has bred two winners, including the Listed scorer Marine Wave.

She was offered in foal to Mehmas and is set to visit one of the three stallions Joorabchian stands alongside the record-breaking two-year-old sire at Tally-Ho Stud. 

“She will probably be one for Bucanero Fuerte next year,” said Elliott. “She’s a proven mare in foal to a phenomenal stallion in Mehmas. She’s a sister to two Group 1 winners and she’s bred a stakes winner. There wasn't a lot not to like. Kheleyf is a great broodmare sire too.” 

Ballylinch collect Oaks winner Qualify

Qualify, winner of the 2015 Oaks, is leaving the Godolphin broodmare band for the picturesque paddocks at Ballylinch Stud after the farm’s managing director John O’Connor outbid an online player at €650,000. 

The daughter of Fastnet Rock, who was offered in foal to champion sire-elect Dark Angel, was making her second appearance on the public market after she joined the Godolphin fold at the end of her Classic-winning season. On that occasion she was knocked down to John Ferguson at 1,600,000gns during the Tattersalls December Mares Sale. 

The 12-year-old has bred two winners at paddocks, most notably the Jebel Ali Group 3 scorer Swing Vote. There should be more to come from her breeding record, not least because her two-year-old colt Cualificar, who is by Ballylinch resident Lope De Vega, made a promising debut earlier in the month. 

Qualify at Goffs after her sale to Ballylinch StudCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“Obviously we’re dealing with an Oaks winner here, and a very good Oaks winner too,” said O’Connor. “We bid for her when she came up for sale before because these kinds of mares are scarce. She’s already bred a good horse to Shamardal and we have a horse from that sireline that might well suit her. At the moment I’d say she’s most likely to go to Lope De Vega, and she’ll have future dalliances with the same sireline too. Her two-year-old looks promising and is with the right man to progress in Andre Fabre.” 

On the six-figure acquisition, O’Connor added: “This is all part of the process because we sell a few mares each year and try to add in a few that are at the level we’re hoping to operate at. We’re not trying to build a huge broodmare band, we want to keep the quality up and the numbers under control. That’s our thinking.” 

Lope De Vega’s fee has risen from €12,500 in his third and fourth seasons to a career-high €175,000 for 2025. Not only does his record contain 247 stakes performers, 24 of whom have won at the highest level, but no horse has supplied more black-type horses during the 2024 campaign. His 61 stakes-class runners this calendar year include Cartier champion two-year-old colt Shadow Of Light and Prix du Jockey Club hero Look De Vega, who is joining his sire on the Ballylinch stallion roster for 2025. 

On Lope De Vega’s season, O’Connor said: “He’s confirmed what probably everyone already knew: that he’s one of the world’s top stallions. When I last looked he was the leading sire in the world by black-type horses, so he’s one of the world’s great sires. We’re just very lucky to have him and we’ll keep trying to find the type of mares that are appropriate to go to him. 

“From next year we’ll manage the numbers in his books a bit more conservatively. He’s been plenty busy and it’s time to start managing his book to extend his career for as long as we can. He’s such a good horse that I want to have him around for as long as possible.” 

O’Connor also dipped into the Godolphin draft earlier in the session when he went to €170,000 for Pietrafiore, a Dubawi sister to Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso whose three winners at paddocks include Listed scorer Blue Trail. The 11-year-old was offered in foal to Blue Trail’s sire Teofilo. 

John O'Connor signs the docket for Oaks winner Qualify at GoffsCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“She’ll go to Look De Vega, that’s the plan at the moment anyway,” said O’Connor. “We’re going to buy some nice mares to go to him next year. He’s going to get a lot of support from the syndicate that owns him.

“I liked her as a type, she’s a lovely mare, and she’s a full-sister to a Dubai World Cup winner. We also know her Camelot yearling filly has gone into training with Andre Fabre, so there might be some nice updates to come from that. She’s already bred a stakes winner and is back in foal to his sire. I like mares who have already proven they can produce stakes winners: they’re the ones we want to go to our young sires.” 

Ballylinch also gave €340,000 for the Group 3-placed Scarlett O'Hara who was offered by The Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of Kilcarn Stud. The operation topped the buyers' chart with an outlay of €1,160,000.

Gone West 

Neither Jacob West nor Mike Repole were in attendance at Kildare Paddocks, but that did not stop the names of the leading agent-owner combination appearing prominently on the results. The pair were bidding through Goffs agent Tom Taaffe when they landed Firebird Song from the Godolphin consignment at €230,000. 

The eight-year-old daughter of Invincible Spirit, the dam of one winner from one runner, was offered in foal to Blue Point, who is set to stand the 2025 season at €100,000. There is plenty of bold black type on the page as Firebird Song is a sibling to the dam of Sirenia Stakes scorer Symbol Of Strength, while Territories appears beneath the second dam. 

“She’s for Jacob West, agent for Mike Repole, who’s been a great supporter of here for the last number of years,” said Taaffe. “I gave them a shortlist this morning and I couldn’t believe it when, at ten to five their time, Jacob texted me with an addition! Mike is an early morning person and had it all covered. She’ll go back to America because he wants to bring some international bloodlines into his broodmare band.”

The six-figure purchase helped Godolphin top the consignors' table with 24 lots sold for an aggregate of €1,943,000.

The session saw 207 mares offered and 161 changed hands at a clip of 78 per cent. Direct year-on-year comparisons in the key market metrics are heavily distorted by the presence of the once-in-a-generation Niarchos draft on this day last year. Turnover for the day reached €10,839,000, which is 15 per cent behind last year’s results minus the Niarchos contingent. The average was €67,325, which was also back 15 per cent, while the median was down five per cent at €40,000.

The November Breeding Stock Sale concludes on Saturday with a session starting at 10am.

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