‘That’s life-changing money’ - Sioux Nation filly tops buzzing November Foal Sale trade at €185,000

Buoyed by the resurgence in the autumn yearling market, pinhookers continued to pay chunky prices during a buzzing second session of the Goffs November Foal Sale on Tuesday. 

No vendor received a bigger dividend than Conor and Kathryn Quirke of Hunting Hill Stud as Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud gave €185,000 for the Sioux Nation filly out of the useful producer Jolie Chanson. 

“There’s a lot of notes there, all good!” said McCartan after rifling through his heavily annotated catalogue to the page of Lot 405. “She’s a filly with a proper pedigree and Sioux Nation has done very well. He has a huge crop to run for him next year so hopefully that momentum will continue. I like what I’m seeing from him and I think everybody wants his stock. I think the best is yet to come.” 

McCartan, renowned as one of the shrewdest judges around, added: “She’s a beautiful filly and she was well recommended to us by the vendors. Conor and Kathryn are good operators - and they’re operating in all aspects of the industry. We had to give a few quid to get this filly but I’m happy that we’ve bought her.” 

The filly is a sibling to three winners, most notably Listed scorer Majestic Dawn and the Mill Reef Stakes runner-up Rousing Encore. There is plenty of action in the pedigree as no fewer than 12 black-type performers appear beneath the second dam. Among the names that jump off the page is champion sprinter Starman, whose second crop of foals are being offered at this year’s sales. 

Emotions run high for the Hunting Hill Stud after the €185,000 sale of their Sioux Nation filly at GoffsCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

Jolie Chanson joined the Hunting Hill Stud broodmare band at a cost of just 3,500gns in December 2018, while the filly was bred when Sioux Nation stood at Coolmore at a fee of €17,500. Conor Quirke said Tuesday’s transaction had not only surpassed his expectation, but would prove “life-changing”.

He said: “We set our stall out and said we thought €50,000 was a fair price that we’d release her at, and we just left the market to value her. Thankfully she’s exceeded all expectations. Earlier today I thought we might break the six figures, it’s a milestone in every consignor’s ambitions, but to do it in that style is something else. When we went up to the ring, one of the people interested in her told me to turn around and the whole outside ring was full. He said ‘They’re all here for her.’” 

Quirke continued: “We bought the mare for 3,500gns and she’s always been our flagship. She’s always done us well and we’ve made plenty before, but that’s life-changing money. We’ve both worked for big consignments and these big-money horses all become so familiar, but sales ring money and real life money are two different things. What this sales ring result can do in real life is massive for us.” 

Selling Tuesday’s session-topper is far from the only thing Quirke has had to celebrate this year. He is also credited with having bought Molecomb Stakes winner Big Mojo and Big Evs, who added this year’s King George Stakes to his victory in last year’s Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Things will come full circle next year as Quirke is set to send Jolie Chanson to Big Evs as he begins his second career at Tally-Ho Stud. 

“The mare is in foal to Lope De Vega and she’s going to go to Big Evs, which shows how strongly we feel about him,” he added. “It’s amazing to get that result and to have the Lope De Vega foal around the corner. Jolie Chanson’s a gem. We don’t just love her because she’s the golden goose, she’s the queen of the farm.”

Kameko kicks on

The day’s second top lot came much later in the session as Michael Fitzpatrick of Kilminfoyle House Stud went to €180,000 for the Kameko filly bred by the late Lady O’Reilly from the Group 3-placed Roseraie. The youngster is a sibling to five winners, including May Hill Stakes runner-up Dark Rose Angel. 

Dan Liston of Hollyhill Stud said: “Lady O’Reilly would be over the moon if she was here now. It’s great for the farm and I’m delighted for the lads. There’s four of us there, and we put a lot of work into it. I’ve been at Hollyhill Stud for 32 years if that tells you something about what a good person she was to work for.

“It shows how bright she was too, as she picked Kameko in his second season thinking he might do it with his first crop. We knew the filly would sell well, she hasn’t put a foot wrong since she came here. I was just amazed as I wasn't sure she’d behave here as she can be a little bit hot, but she just stood out and thrived.” 

Hollyhill Stud's Kameko filly out of Roseraie Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Tweenhills’ Kameko has made a notably bright start to his stallion career with his 14 first-crop winners including the Grade 1 Summer Stakes scorer New Century and the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes victor Wimbledon Hawkeye. 

Liston also had an update on the breeding activity at Hollyhill Stud, saying: “Hollyhill Stud is carrying on, [Lady O’Reilly’s] brother Peter John Goulandris has taken it on, and I’m so pleased for him too. We have about 15 pregnant mares on the farm, and eight or nine barren mares at the moment. The mares at Lady O’Reilly’s stud farm in France mares come in to foal in the season and then go back, as well.” 

On Point

Fitzpatrick also had a hand in the day’s third top lot as Barry Mahon, signing as Goodwill Bloodstock, went to €175,000 for the Blue Point colt out of Aaraamm from Oaklawn Stud. 

“He’s a lovely colt by a very good stallion and from a very good breeder,” said Mahon. “He’s got a nice pedigree being out of a Street Cry mare, he’s a broodmare sire we like, so I think he’s a nice package. He’s for myself and Michael Fitzpatrick so he’ll go back to Kilminfoyle House Stud and be reoffered next year.” 

Mahon said the strength of the market had forced the price to the upper limit of his budget. “There’s strong trade, but that doesn’t come as a surprise,” he said. “The October Sales were good and Keeneland has been strong in September and November, so there’s a lot of positivity around. There’s plenty of new faces and lots of people wanting to get involved, which is great.”

Kildangan Stud’s Blue Point has made a meteoric rise through the stallion ranks. With his first crop still only three, the son of Shamardal has already supplied 28 stakes performers. His roll of honour is headed by three Group 1 winners, namely Big Evs, Kind Of Blue and Rosalion. Those exploits have earned the four-time Group 1-winning sprinter a fee increase from €60,000 to €100,000 for the 2025 season. 

Barry Mahon: "all the signs are he’s going to be in the upper echelons of the stallion ranks"Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Mahon said of the stallion: “Richard Hannon’s horse, Rosalion, looks as good a three-year-old as there’s been all year. He’s started very well and obviously his fee has gone up to €100,000, so all the signs are he’s going to be in the upper echelons of the stallion ranks.”

The colt was bred under the banner of Mabaki Investments and sold by Oaklawn Stud. His dam, an unraced sister to the Champagne Stakes winner Saamidd and a half-sister to the E. P. Taylor Stakes runner-up Talmada, was added to the Oaklawn broodmare band through Brian Grassick Bloodstock at a cost of 150,000gns in 2016. 

There was something of a bitter-sweet reaction from breeder John McStay as he explained the family was putting the stud on the market. 

“We’ve decided to cut back on our activities to some extent, but we’re going to keep the trading name Oaklawn Stud and breed from some mares,” he said. “We’re not going away! We’ll just let somebody else have some of the heartache of looking after the stock on a day to day basis. Running a stud farm is 24/7, 365. It’s not easy. Although it’s Clodagh and Killian who put all the hard work in, I’m just a weekend farmer.

“The farm is up for sale, and there are a number of interested parties talking to the auctioneers. We’ve decided to leave it to them to do the work on that front, and when they’ve got something serious to tell us we’ll get around to going through with it.” 

He continued: “My dad bought Oaklawn Stud in the late 1960s. He was from Kildare town, and he knew the property as a young fella, so when he had a successful business career later in life he purchased it. He died when he was 69, before he had a chance to really get some fun out of it, sadly, but he loved it.

“The family has been in the business in one way or another since the early 1900s. My grandfather worked as a stud hand for Colonel Hall Walker at the Irish National Stud. Tassa Eida, who laid out the Japanese gardens at the stud, was at my grandparents’ wedding.” 

Hanly hangs tough for Blackbeard colt

Jack Hanly of Ballyhimikin Stud returned to the source of past success when bidding €155,000 for Stanley Lodge’s Blackbeard colt out of Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Pollyana. The youngster is a half-brother to three winners, most notably Benevento, who struck in this year’s Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes. 

Benevento was pinhooked at the 2022 renewal of the November Foal Sale for €140,000 before being sold on to Amo Racing through Robson Aguiar and Ben McElroy at 140,000gns during the following year’s Book 2. 

Stanley Lodge's Blackbeard colt out of Group 2 winner Pollyana makes €155,000 to TOHA Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

“He’s a lovely colt,” said Hanly, who signed the docket under the pseudonym TOHA. “We actually bought the brother two years ago. He’s very well bred, a beautiful animal and comes from a very good farm, so we’re very happy with the purchase. We bought him to reheat and sell him again next year. 

“They’re both very nice horses and there’s a lot going on in the family. They’re out of a 116-rated mare so it made sense to us. We always try to pinhook five or six every year just to supplement our homebreds and help keep us clued up. I’ve seen some nice foals by Blackbeard and we thought this was probably one of the better ones.” 

On the strength of trade, Hanly added: “It’s a very competitive market and trade has been strong. It’s always particularly difficult for the ones you want.” 

Blackbeard only raced at two but crammed plenty into a busy campaign for Aidan O’Brien, with his six victories including the Group 1 Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes. Coolmore’s son of No Nay Never covered a debut book numbering 195 mares at a fee of €25,000. 

Another for in demand Nation

The session-topper was not the only big result for Sioux Nation on the day as Hanshen Tham gave €130,000 for the colt out of Kalagia, a sister to Prince Of Lir, offered by Ballinafad Stud. 

After signing as Pattern Bloodstock, Tham said: “Sioux Nation is a very good sire, I’m very happy to get one, and I think I got a very good type by the sire. I think he’s one of the better ones that I have seen. He stands out here. 

“He will go to a premier sale next year, hopefully, and make some money. You have to focus on the quality with the way things are at the minute. I think he fits the bill. He’s our first purchase this week, and that is why we had to be strong, and get some business done. I’m looking for a few more but it's been strong so far, and will be again tomorrow. 

The audience watches on at a busy Goffs November Foal SaleCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

“There are always very nice foals here, and some very good physicals this week. I think you have to be strict on sires, the proven ones that everyone knows - there are no surprises. I'm quite risk averse - I don't try to do anything too clever.” 

Stauffenberg gets his star

High-rolling German pinhooker Philipp Stauffenberg was another thoroughbred prospector in action on Tuesday and went to €115,000 for a colt from the second crop of July Cup winner Starman. 

The colt was offered by Ridge Manor Stud and is out of Teeline, an Exceed And Excel half-sister to Queen Mary Stakes winner Signora Cabello who has bred three winners from four runners. The best of those is Mighty Eriu, who added another piece of Queen Mary form to the pedigree having finished runner-up to Leovanni in this year’s renewal. 

“He’s a lovely walker and looks like a really athletic horse,” said Stauffenberg. “He looks like a racehorse to me. I had to stretch, possibly a little bit too far! I thought he would be around €100,000, I hoped to get him for under that but there was no chance with so many other bidders.” 

Starman, who stands at Tally-Ho Stud, did not run at two but quickly made up for lost time by winning his first three races at three. At four he added the Duke of York Stakes and the July Cup to his record before placing in both the Prix Maurice de Gheest and the Haydock Sprint Cup. 

“I saw his first crop of foals last year and liked them,” said Stauffenberg. “They might take a little bit of time, so maybe this isn’t the right year to buy a Starman to pinhook, but I just liked how athletic this horse is. Whether the stallion produces two-year-old winners or not, I hope this colt will sell well next year. That’s my hope.” 

The colt was bred by Brian Canning and Tom Kelly who keep Teeline with John Banahan at Ridge Manor Stud. 

Philipp Stauffenberg signs for the Starman half-brother to Queen Mary Stakes second Mighty EriuCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

“He was one of the nicest foals we’ve ever had on the farm – to deal with, to look at, from every point of view,” said Banahan. “He was just a really stunning horse. I’m absolutely delighted he’s going to such a super home. 

“Starman was very popular all through the yearling sales, and that seems to be continuing with his second-crop foals. The dam has produced lots of good runners but between one thing and another it just didn’t happen for her until her Inns Of Court two-year-old filly Mighty Eriu. She was a sharp little filly and her run in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot was fantastic. 

“Maybe on another day with a clear run she might have won. She’s gone to Brendan Walsh now and hopefully she’ll continue to update the pedigree. She should have a bright future in America. Teeline is by Exceed And Excel and from a fast family, so there’s a lot of speed coming through in the pedigree. She’s in foal to Starman again. Seeing the foal this year, who was stunning from day one, made it an easy decision to go back to him.” 

A lively market duly produced a positive set of statistics. Aggregate sales were up seven per cent year-on-year at €8,200,5000, while the average price rose by 16 per cent and the median by 17 per cent. The former figure stood at €42,270 and the latter at €35,000. The clearance rate was 80 per cent as 194 foals sold from 240 offered. 

The November Foal Sale continues on Wednesday at 10am.

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