'The dream is this could be a potential Derby horse' - Godolphin beat Juddmonte to land €1 million brother to Teona

Godolphin and Juddmonte renewed their auction ring rivalry during the early stages of the Goffs November Sale on Wednesday as a full-brother to Teona burst to the head of the market at €1,000,000. 

“What an opportunity,” said auctioneer Andrew Nolan, shortly before Juddmonte’s general manager Simon Mockridge moved the price to €850,000 from his position opposite the rostrum. The Godolphin team, huddled on the top tier of the auditorium, returned in kind as Anthony Stroud delivered a €50,000 raise with a subtle nod of the head. 

It took a while for a response to materialise but, after a long hold while Mockridge made a seemingly crucial phone call, the Juddmonte man eventually pushed matters to €950,000. But Stroud wasted little time in delivering with the raise that took the price into seven-figure territory, at which point Mockridge hung up the call and gave an unequivocal shake of the head. 

The rival camps had clashed over Teona herself when she topped last year’s Tattersalls December Mares Sale at 4,500,000gns. On that occasion it was Juddmonte who came out on top. 

“He’s a beautiful horse and he’s out of a Group 1 winner,” said Stroud. “He’s by Sea The Stars, who speaks for himself, and he’s a full-brother to a Group 1 winner. Obviously we thought he was very nice; he moves very well, has a good body. He’s just an extremely nice horse and we’re very pleased to have him. Juddmonte were very strong opposition, as they always are.” 

The colt is a sibling to three winners, with Prix Vermeille heroine Teona joined by Group 2 Prix Hocquart scorer Al Hilalee and the Group 3-placed Imperial Quarter. 

There are plenty of stamina influences in this youngster’s pedigree as his dam, Pretty Polly Stakes winner Ambivalent, is by Authorized and out of a Darshaan mare. Asked whether the stout nature of the pedigree appealed, Stroud said: “It’s a very good thing, we like staying horses. The dream is that this could be a potential Derby horse.” 

Godolphin also purchased the last foal to sell for seven figures in this ring after bidding €1.2 million for Al Nafir, a brother to Ghaiyyath, in 2019. 

The bid board hits seven figures as the Sea The Stars colt parades beneath

The Sea The Stars colt was bred by Yulong Investments’ Yuesheng Zhang under the banner of Rifa Mustang Europe Ltd. The dam was purchased with the seven-figure youngster in utero for €925,000 at last year’s November Mares Sale. That ticket was signed by Avondale Bloodstock. 

The session-topper was prepped, raised and sold by Baroda Stud. Asked how the transaction had matched up to expectations, Baroda’s David Cox said: “When I saw who was vetting him I thought we could get there. When one team were looking at him yesterday I saw they were looking up what the top-priced foals at Goffs were, so I thought we could be getting into that bracket!

“To have a horse like that, out of a mare like that, that turns up and x-rays clean and has a temperament like he has, it’s great. I’m delighted for Mr Zhang and the team. That’s the second millionaire we’ve sold for them this year [after the 1,100,000gns Frankel colt bought by Amo Racing at Book 1], they’re great supporters. It’s great for the team at home too because they do a wonderful job.” 

Cox added: “He was always a class horse, always stood out. Vin Cox [Yulong general manager] was up during the summer, saw him and said we should put him in the sale and see if we could get a few quid back in, because they paid a lot of money for the mare. It happened on the day, which is great.” 

€550,000 pinhook play

There have been some bold pinhooks struck during this year’s November Foal Sale, but none can match the efforts of Danish owners John Christensen and Alice Weiste of JC Organisation. Through agent Filip Zwicky, the couple went to €550,000 for the Night Of Thunder colt out of Assurance offered by The Castlebridge Consignment. 

Bred by Flintstone Bloodstock, the colt is the third foal out of the Teofilo sister to Group 1 winner Gear Up. The youngster is also his dam’s most expensive offspring, despite plenty of previous sales success. Her first foal, Pretty Diva, sold to Katsumi Yoshida for €460,000 at the 2022 November Sale and has shown clear promise in Japan for trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka. 

The Castlebridge Consignment's Night Of Thunder colt out of a Teofilo sister to Gear Up with Anthony 'Stampy' Stamp Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Her second foal, a daughter of Mehmas, sold at this year’s Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, where Henry Lascelles signed the docket at 420,000gns. 

Outlining plans for the Night Of Thunder colt, Zwicky said: “He’s been bought by the JC Organisation and he’ll board here in Ireland with the Irish National Stud. We loved him from the minute he took the first step. 

"He’s a lovely individual and obviously we had our eyes on the Kingman filly in Japan, who we hope will prove to be a good horse. We’re looking forward to bringing him back to Goffs for next year’s Orby. Hopefully he’ll get into Book 1!” 

This is not JC Organisation’s first punchy pinhook. In 2020 they invested €300,000 in a Footstepsinthesand half-brother to Phoenix Stakes winner Lucky Vega. They were rewarded for the endeavours when, nine months later, BBA Ireland and Yulong Investments purchased the colt for €630,000. 

“The owners have been lucky with their pinhooks before,” added Zwicky. “Obviously a few years back we took a chance buying a €300,000 pinhook, and now we’ve upped the game a bit. It’s a young family and something great could come up. Having a good runner in Japan would be a great help.” 

Newtown Anner land ‘best filly here today’

Maurice Regan’s Newtown Anner Stud was another end-user to invest in a future racing prospect after farm manager PJ Colville went to €450,000 for the Lope De Vega filly out of Ayr Missile.

The dam has bred four winners, most notably Lowther Stakes scorer Living In The Past and the Listed-winning Jungle Drums, both of whom are by Bungle Inthejungle. 

“I thought she was the best filly here today,” said Colville. “Obviously she’s got a great pedigree and the mare has produced two horses rated over 100 already. She’s been bought for Newtown Anner Stud, so she’ll be kept for racing. She’s got a great second dam too. 

PJ Colville: "I thought she was the best filly here today"

“She’s beautiful physically, every show was excellent and I saw her maybe four or five times. She vetted very well, has great presence, great action. She has a lot of quality. We liked her a lot anyway. 

"You always have to push the boat out with these ones, but Maurice was keen to have her so we were always going to be strong.” 

There is plenty going on on the page as Ayr Missile is a half-sister to Suelita, dam of black-type siblings Alkumait, Chaldean, Get Ahead, Gloves Lynch and The Broghie Man. 

The €450,000 Lope De Vega filly is not the only member of this family to hit the market this winter as Whitsbury Manor Stud offers a Frankel sister to Dewhurst and 2,000 Guineas hero Chaldean at next week’s December Foal Sale at Tattersalls. 

The Lope De Vega filly was bred by Patrick Burns and sold through Greenville House Stud. Adam Morgan’s up-and-coming County Kilkenny operation enjoyed a productive day in the ring as the Greenville House draft also featured a Blue Point half-brother to Rumbles Of Thunder bred by Francis Killen and bought by Sumbe for €320,000, and a Mehmas colt from Max Ervine who sold to Katsumi Yoshida for €100,000.

“Having good owners supporting you is a massive thing, especially when you’re young,” said Morgan. “It’s a privilege they entrust high-quality animals like that to me, I’m massively grateful. It’s like trainers: there are plenty who are well able to train, but you need to have the right raw materials to get you where you want to go. 

“I used to work for Maurice Burns at Rathasker Stud and I returned home and started up Greenville House Stud about four years ago. I get a lot of help from my dad Isaac, who bred Fast Company, and aunt Mary, who bred Shattered Love. My partner Jill has rowed in behind me too. I suppose she must be prepared to stay by my side if she’s willing to put up with all the hard work!” 

He added: “We started quite small and we’re slowly building it up. Last year, we had the guts of 28 yearlings at home and ten foals, and this year we had the guts of 45 yearlings and 20-odd foals. It’s nice to get the good prices to justify that expansion.”

Another for in-demand Night Of Thunder

The last big transaction of the day came when renowned pinhooker Philipp Stauffenberg went to €440,000 for the Night Of Thunder colt out of a sister to Lilbourne Lad offered by Des Leadon and Mariann Klay’s Swordlestown Little Stud. 

The Night Of Thunder colt bought by Philipp Stauffenberg for €440,000Credit: Goffs

“I’ve been waiting for this horse all day,” said Stauffenberg. “I think he’s a standout colt, well muscled and well made. I’ve been very lucky with Night Of Thunder. In his three-year-old crop there’s Romantic Style, who I bought here as well. 

“She was a little bit cheaper, €240,000, but she turned out to be a good pinhook [sold to Godolphin for 550,000gns] and a good racehorse. Hopefully we’ll do it again with this colt. We’ll make a plan and see where we send him [next year], but he’s an Orby Book 1 or a Tattersalls Book 1 horse.”

Night Of Thunder, whose current crop of foals are his first bred at a fee of €100,000, had four lots sell on Wednesday for an average of €405,000 and a median of €440,000. Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe operation was among the buyers to get behind Night Of Thunder, having gone to €340,000 for the colt out of a sister to Knight To Behold offered by Newtown Stud. 

Coolmore collect Mother Earth sibling

Coolmore’s MV Magnier paid €150,000 for Mother Earth at the 2019 Orby Sale, a sum that looks ridiculously good value given she went on to win the 1,000 Guineas and the Prix Rothschild. 

Mother Earth’s accomplishments meant Magnier had to pay considerably more – €420,000 – to secure her Camelot half-brother who was offered by Mark and Adrian Wallace’s Grenane House Stud on Wednesday. Rob Speers, standing besides owner Vefa Ibrahim Araci, filled the role of frustrated underbidder.

The Camelot half-brother to Mother Earth in the ring at Goffs on WednesdayCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“He’s a very nice horse and Mother Earth was just one of those special fillies,” said Magnier. “Camelot is having the best year he’s had since he’s been at stud. He’s flying and they’ve been selling well all year. He’s a very good stallion, and with what he’s done this year, he’s into that elite status now. He can get you a proper Classic horse. 

“In fairness to Adrian and Mark, they’ve been great supporters of ours for a very long time. They send a lot of their mares to us so we’re delighted to be able to support them with a great result.” 

Camelot leads the European sire standings, thanks in large part to his daughter Bluestocking scooping £2.4m for winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. His other Group 1 winners in 2024 are Irish Derby hero Los Angeles and Coronation Cup scorer Luxembourg. 

The Coolmore man also had an update on Mother Earth now that her second career is well under way. He added: “Mother Earth has a Frankel filly foal and she’s in foal to Justify.” 

Magnier also shared his reflections on the market at Goffs, saying: “It really is fantastic how it’s gone the whole way through, right from the lesser foals at the start of the week through to the better-bred stock.

MV Magnier signing for the Camelot half-brother to Mother Earth at GoffsCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“Today’s market has been very strong, and the best thing about the whole thing is the amount of young people around here. That’s the best sign here and just shows there’s young people coming into the business, which is great to see. In fairness to Goffs, they’ve done a good job of encouraging the young generation to buy horses. It can’t be about us old lads anymore!” 

Carrick Hill in clover again

Twelve months ago saw Aaron Langan and Jer Hickey of Carrick Hill Stud receive the sort of result every small breeder dreams about when their Sea The Stars half-brother to Futurity Stakes second Maritime Wings sold for €310,000. 

But that success was surpassed on Wednesday when Epona Bloodstock went to €360,000 for the year-younger half-brother by Blue Point midway through the session. 

“It’s unreal,” said an emotional Langan. “The only sad thing is that Jer isn’t here today to enjoy it as he’s doing the day job. He’s teaching and couldn’t make it down. The two of us are out walking these foals every morning, putting the work in, and our families sacrifice so much so we can do it.”

The breeders bought the dam, Celeste De La Mer, a Zoffany half-sister to Derby, St Leger and Gold Cup runner-up Mojo Star, for just €19,000 at the Goffs February Sale in 2017. 

Langan continued: “Celeste is more like a pet than a broodmare, she’s a part of the family. Everyone loves her, she’s so quiet at home. She has a fan club of her own, and I think her foals are getting one too. Every one she produces, she throws to the stallion. This colt here is like a small version of Blue Point, that’s what he is. 

“He walks for fun, has a great attitude and does everything the Sea The Stars did last year, but he’s probably just a bit more precocious looking. He should be more a seven-furlong type of horse, and hopefully he’ll eventually appear towards the middle of his two-year-old season, whereas last year’s should be a 12-furlong horse.”

To the surprise of no-one present at Kildare Paddocks, trade not only reached record-breaking levels but also produced some major year-on-year gains across the key market indices. 

Turnover reached €18,246,500, which is up 47 per cent year-on-year. The average price rose fully 61 per cent to €115,485, while the median went even further, up 64 per cent, at €82,000. All three metrics returned record results for a session of foals in the Goffs ring. There was also a rock solid clearance rate of 88 per cent as 158 lots sold from 180 offered.

The November Foal Sale continues on Thursday, with the concluding session starting at 10am.

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