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

In various forms and different elements, alchemy happens when Dandy Man, John O'Connor and Sheila Lavery are combined, and once more they will be hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with O'Connor's homebred half-sister to Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up New Energy.

Consigned by Ballylinch Stud, where O'Connor is managing director, the gorgeous bay will sport the same red, black and yellow silks of John Lavery as her older half-brother having been knocked down for €150,000. That is the highest price attained this year by a son or daughter of Ballyhane Stud's mainstay.

The price is also ten times what Joanne Lavery paid as a foal for Lady Kaya, the Dandy Man filly bred by O'Connor who Sheila Lavery trained to win the Group 3 Priory Belle Stakes. Lady Kaya was also runner-up in the 1,000 Guineas and Moyglare Stud Stakes. Like that ill-fated filly, their latest acquisition is out of a Singspiel mare.

"Sheila has bought two Classic horses from us; Lady Kaya, by Dandy Man, and this filly's half-brother New Energy, by New Bay, so Sheila has been very lucky with our stock and hopefully will be lucky again," said O'Connor.

Ballylinch Stud's Dandy Man filly will be trained by Sheila Lavery after selling for €150,000 at Goffs OrbyCredit: Goffs

In addition to New Energy, who was also placed in the Group 2 Park Stakes and three Listed contests before his purchase this year by Australian interests, the April-born filly is a half-sister to the Group 3 Premio Elena e Sergio Cumani winner Victoria Regina. That daughter of Mastercraftsman is the dam of Irish Lullaby, who was second in this season's Listed Noblesse Stakes to Lavery's homebred Elzaam mare Moracana.

O'Connor added: "She's a lovely, well-made and powerful filly, and I'll be surprised and disappointed if she's not a good race filly."

Her dam, For Joy, won twice in France and is a full-sister to the Group 3 Henry II Stakes winner Gloomy Sunday and the Group 3 Autumn Stakes winner Abjer, out of Fine And Mellow, a French Listed winner by Lando. 

For Joy has quite the record as a broodmare, with six winners from eight runners, and is carrying to an exciting young stallion at Ballylinch.

Ballylinch Stud's sister to Saffron Beach completed an excellent day for the team at GoffsCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

"For Joy is in foal to Bayside Boy," said O'Connor. "She's already bred a good horse by New Bay so I'm looking forward to seeing her foal from the first crop of his Queen Elizabeth II Stakes-winning son."

It was an outstanding day for O'Connor and the team at Ballylinch as they also sold the first seven-figure yearling of the season in Ireland. Amanda Skiffington went to €1.65 million on behalf of Fiona Carmichael for a beautiful and impeccably bred daughter of Ballylinch sire New Bay.

"Falling Petals boards at Ballylinch and we were delighted to sell her New Bay yearling on behalf of China Horse Club," said O'Connor. 

"We sold her sister, Saffron Beach, as a foal and last year we sold her full-brother here as a yearling. Grainger Bay is in training with Jane Chapple-Hyam and she thinks he's very similar to Saffron Beach, with a lot of her characteristics, so that's very encouraging. He should run before the end of the season."

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