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 morning.

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 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.

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. 

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

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.

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.

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