The Tally-Ho band plays on as Starman and Kodiac top the early charts at Goffs

For Tally-Ho Stud sires young and old, there were high notes to be hit at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale on Wednesday.

The first crop of Starman, David Ward's homebred Group 1 winner by Dutch Art, has been playing a sweet tune at the yearling sales this season and that popularity has continued at Goffs this week. 

During Tuesday's opening yearling session, Starman sired two of the day's four most expensive horses, and his progeny were back among the chart-toppers on Wednesday.

The early running was made by Ross Doyle, who struck for the fifth lot in the ring, a filly with a promising pedigree by Starman, whose greatest hour came in the July Cup.

Offered by the Castlebridge Consignment, the chestnut is the first foal of Beloved, who is a Frankel half-sister to the Group 1 Tokyo Yushun winner Deep Brillante and Group 3 Flower Cup runner-up Hubble Bubble, both by Deep Impact.

Foaled in late February, she was snapped up by Kelly Equine for just 6,500gns as a foal last December and proved a shrewd investment, making €50,000 to the Doyles on Wednesday morning; a price that would not be bettered in nine hours of trading.

"A very nice, racy filly," was the verdict of Ross Doyle, who confirmed she had been bought to go into training with Richard Hannon.

"She is very typical of Starman's stock and she is out of a Frankel mare which will hopefully give a boost, but it's a strong page on the dam's side."

Unraced at two, Starman made his debut in July of his three-year-old career, winning a six furlong maiden at Lingfield and was successful in the Listed Garrowby Stakes at York on just his third start.

Ross Doyle signing for Castlebridge's Starman fillyCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

Unsuited by the soft ground in the British Champions Sprint on his first try in Group 1 company, Starman returned at four in the July Cup and defeated Dragon Symbol, Oxted, Art Power and Creative Force in the Newmarket sprint.

Upped slightly in trip for the Prix Maurice de Gheest, he was third and ended his career as a narrow runner-up to Emaraaty Ana in Haydock's Sprint Cup.

With a peak Racing Post Rating of 124, he was retired to Tally-Ho at an advertised introductory fee of €17,500 and stood for €10,000 in 2024.

The inherent risk of purchasing an unknown quantity is amplified when the sire's stock are yet to race, a situation of which Doyle is cognisant.

"We're taking a bit of a gamble on a first-season sire but he's getting consistent types, that look strong and athletic, which is what you like to see," he said.

Six-year-old Beloved carried the same blue silks of Ward as Starman and was a contemporary of the sire at Ed Walker's yard, but her racing career was rather less illustrious than his or her half-siblings. 

She was placed twice as a three-year-old at seven furlongs and was sold, carrying this filly, for 125,000gns to Dean Hawthorn Bloodstock and Badgers Bloodstock in December 2022, and was exported to Australia the following year.

Beloved is out of the Group 3 Prix Chloe winner Love And Bubbles, who is the dam of ten winners from 13 foals and is a Loup Sauvage half-sister to the Italian Listed winner Jeune Dream, with Japanese St Leger winner That's The Plenty and Japan's champion juvenile filly of 20 years ago, Shonan Peintre, also members of the family.

Norman Williamson was another buyer who decided to risk it on Starman and the leading breeze-up practitioner went to €40,000 for the colt from Abban Farm whose dam is a half-sister to Duntle, first past the post in the Group 1 Matron Stakes and dam of the multiple Group 1-winning miler Circus Maximus.

"Starman was a very fast horse himself," remarked Williamson of the sire who comes from the family of Hard To Justify, conqueror of Porta Fortuna in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf.

"This horse has a lot of size and scope to him, so let's hope that his sons are as fast as he was."

The bay colt is a half-brother to three winners and it was the most recent of them to enter the winner's enclosure who caught Williamson's attention.

He added: "This fellow's two-year-old half-sister by Saxon Warrior [Chica Guerra] won at Gowran recently for Mark Fahey, so that's a nice little update. He's a good-looking colt, a good mover."

Their dam Elusive Gold was bred by Airlie Stud and the daughter of Elusive City won as a three-year-old. She was bought by legendary Laois footballer Beano McDonald at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale for just €18,500 and the Arles-Killeen star has bred two winners from her.

Tony O'Callaghan bought Knockatrina House Stud's Kodiac filly for €45,000Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Elusive Gold has a colt foal by Magna Grecia.

Kodiac's star undimmed

Kodiac is the elder statesman at Tally-Ho and, despite the emergence of Mehmas, who threatens any day now to break the older horse's record for two-year-old winners in a calendar year, the 23-year-old still has the talent and ability to rival some of the younger popular stars in the stable.

Not that Tony O'Callaghan needs reminding of Kodiac's success, but the patriarch of the Mullingar-based family was determined to acquire the daughter of Kodiac offered by Canice Farrell's Knockatrina House Stud.

A strong bay, she is the first foal out of the unraced mare De Chancer, who is by the late Middle Park winner The Last Lion. O'Callaghan brought the hammer down at €45,000.

De Chancer is a half-sister to Italian Listed winners Black Mambazo and Diglett, both by Storm Cat sons in Statue Of Liberty and One Cool Cat, and she is a half-sister to Listed-placed Way To Fly, who is a son of Footstepsinthesand, a grandson of Storm Cat.

Second dam Rich Gift was third in the Listed Flying Fillies' Stakes and is by Cadeaux Genereux.

Staffordstown a reliable source of quality

Kirsten Rausing has an enduringly successful relationship with the Rogers family of Airlie Stud, with Rausing and Sonia Rogers breeding Alouette, the dynasty founding matriarch together.

A month ago Rausing's Staffordstown Stud consigned one of the most eagerly anticipated yearlings to come on the open market this year and the full-sister to Arc heroine Alpinista, who is a great-granddaughter of Alouette, duly made a seven-figure price.

Although the Autumn Sale occupies a parallel universe to Book 1, another Staffordstown homebred was to be found in the upper echelons of the yearling trade at Goffs on Wednesday, with Andy Oliver going to €44,000 for the son of leading sire Lope De Vega.

The chestnut has a brilliant pedigree – which is to be expected – but it is not a family cultivated at Lanwades or Staffordstown. Instead his roots lie with one of the greatest family trees nurtured by the Wertheimers.

Andy Oliver was delighted to purchase the Lanwades Stud-bred Lope De Vega colt who is closely related to ShamanCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

Oliver said: "I’m very happy. I looked at him in the yard. He’s a very nice, strong horse. He is by a proper sire too."

At €44,000 the colt's ring price is substantially lower than the €125,000 fee his sire has commanded over each of the last four seasons.

Now with 24 individual Group 1 winners to his name, the son of Shamardal is entitled to be considered one of the leading sires at stud around the world and his line works particularly well with this family.

This colt's dam, Fresh Strike, has already produced the Group 3 Prix des Chenes third My Kurkum, by Dariyan, a son of Shamardal who formerly stood at his breeder the Aga Khan's Haras de Bonneval.

Fresh Strike is a Smart Strike half-sister of Shaman by Shamardal and the winner of the Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt, who was second in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix Jacques le Marois, stands at Yeomanstown Stud and has sired the Group 3-placed Brian and the Listed-placed Eternal Elixir from his first crop of two-year-olds.

Fresh Strike is also a full-sister of Green Sweet, who won Listed contests in France and Australia, and their dam is the Listed winner Only Green.

She is a Green Desert half-sister to the Prix de la Foret winner Occupandiste, dam of the dual Grade 1 winner and sire Mondialiste and the second dam of Intello, triumphant in the Prix du Jockey Club, as were Shamardal and Lope De Vega.

Third dam Only Seule is a half-sister to July Cup winner and sire Elnadim and of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Mehthaaf.

The shrewd trainer, who was buying for an existing owner in his County Tyrone yard, was not put off by the colt's late birthdate.

"Even though he is a May colt, I would think you have a good chance of seeing him run towards the end of next year," said Oliver.

The image of his sire: Lot 462 is a son of Lope De VegaCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

Pegasus take flight

The team from Sherborne Lodge were the successful vendors of the day's most notable pinhook as David Marnane's MRC international went to €34,000 to secure their colt by The Grey Gatsby.

Found last December for just €3,000 by Pegasus Bloodstock, the chestnut's price took wing and his buyers were rewarded with a handsome profit.

Already named Golddream, he is a full-brother to Goldami, who won at three in Toulouse for his owner-breeder Andreas Fehr.

Golddream is a half-brother to Goldwings, a daughter of Manduro who was fourth in the Listed Grand Criterium de Bordeaux, also in Fehr's colours.

Their dam Goldtara carried the blue and yellow silks of Fehr to victory in the Listed Prix Moskowa at Chantilly and she was placed at Group 2 and 3 level. The daughter of Goldaway was also fourth in the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak of 2013.

Golddream was the sole yearling in the catalogue by The Grey Gatsby, who won the Prix du Jockey Club and the Irish Champion Stakes and the scarcity value attached to him was also affixed to Drumhill Stud's colt by Cracksman.

The third foal out of Cundinamarca, a winner in Spain, he was bought by Kevin Ross and Gavin Cromwell for €30,000. 

There was little scope for profit in that figure despite it being one of the best prices of the session as he was purchased for 20,000gns as a foal last December.

His Camelot dam has been sent to visit Cracksman at Dalham Hall for each of her first three coverings and this colt has two older full-brothers by the dual Champion Stakes winner.

The flashy colt by The Grey Gatsby was bought by MRC International for €34,000Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Seeing double

A year ago Victoria Macauley topped the sale with her Havana Grey filly who made €65,000 to Bobby O'Ryan and Dermot Weld. This time round the Downpatrick native offered an Ardad colt, purchased last December for 7,500gns from Mickley Stud.

The profit may not have been as great 12 months on but she still came out on the right side of trade, with bloodstock agent and namesake Hamish Macauley going to €35,000 for the handsome bay.

The identity of Macauley's client caused the assembled press pack some momentary confusion and a fair few double takes but, when questioned, Macaulay confirmed that leading point-to-point handler Donnchadh Doyle was the new owner.

"Donnchadh Doyle has bought him," said Macauley. "He might race him or breeze him."

It would appear that breezing was uppermost in the minds of Macauley and Doyle's rivals for the colt, who was consigned by Victoria Macauley through her family farm of Erenagh House Stud, where her late father Denis bred the Champion Hurdle winner Brave Inca.

Macauley said: "There were some good judges on him, Con and Amy Marnane, and Thomond O’Mara. They made us pay. Hopefully he will be fast, otherwise, he will have been expensive!” 

His sire was a £170,000 purchase from Tally-Ho at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale and went on to win the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 2 Flying Childers.

Standing at Overbury Stud, his yearling crop are his largest to date, with 153 registered, and they were bred on the strength of his first crop's results on the track, with Perfect Power successful in the Group 1 Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes at two and adding the Commonwealth Cup the following year.

Ardad's current crop of two-year-olds include the Listed Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy winner Candy.

The buying agent added: “He’s a lovely, big, strong horse. Hopefully the sire is going to have a big year in 2025."

Citation Flight: the distinctively marked daughter of Japan turned heads at GoffsCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

This colt is the fourth foal out of the Choisir mare Lamya, making him inbred 3x4 to Danehill. Lamya was bred in Germany by Gestut Graditz and was successful over six furlongs as a juvenile for Richard Hannon.

Her third dam, Liska, was third in the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux and is a Bigstone half-sister to the Listed winner and Group 1-placed Livadiya and to Lidaiyka, the dam of dual Group 1 winner Linngari and of Lidana, who foaled Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris winner and sire Mont Ormel. Lidana is the second dam of the 2022 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Pyledriver.

They were the only horses to sell for €30,000 or more of the 243 yearlings offered during the second session of the sale, which produced a clearance rate of 76 per cent with 185 sold.

Wednesday's turnover came to €1,472,900, with the average coming in at €7,962 and the median hitting €5,500.

The sale concludes on Thursday with the first lot in the ring due at 10am.

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