'The pedigree speaks for itself' - Quevega's first foal Princess Vega proves the sale-topper at €150,000

They left it late at Goffs on Thursday evening to provide the fireworks but, in Princess Vega, there was a little celebrity sparkle in the air and the nine-year-old mare, the fourth-last lot in the ring, became the only six-figure transaction of the February Sale.

On a bitterly cold evening with icy winds blowing snow across parts of the country, Quevega's first daughter Princess Vega ignited a spirited bidding battle between David Magnier and Gerry Hogan that warmed up only once the €100,000 mark was breached. 

The Magnier team took a pause to discuss strategy as the fight entered its closing stages, creeping up in increments of €5,000 and when Hogan, who was on the phone, indicated a bid of €150,000, it was the move which secured Princess Vega for his clients, who he revealed were Swanbridge Bloodstock.

"They are so delighted with her daughter that they decided to buy her mother," said Hogan. "They've had her for only two months but she's a really lovely filly and she has impressed them; the pedigree speaks for itself."

Liz Lucas of Swanbridge Bloodstock was at Goffs for the December National Hunt Sale and, in person, bought the first foal out of Princess Vega; a now two-year-old daughter of Order Of St George for €48,000.

Her second foal, a filly from the first crop of Santiago, was entered in that sale but withdrawn. Princess Vega was sold in foal to Walk In The Park. She was offered by the Irish National Stud on behalf of her breeders, the Hammer & Trowel Syndicate, in whose colours she made a winning debut in a Tramore four-year-old maiden hurdle.

Trained, like her famous dam, by Willie Mullins, she ran three more times but failed to finish in her final two outings and the daughter of Beat Hollow was retired. Her racing career gave no hint of what her younger half-siblings were capable of achieving.

Princess Vega takes a stroll at the Irish National Stud Barn at GoffsCredit: Orla Donworth/Goffs

Quevega's second foal is Facile Vega, the winner of eight of his 12 career starts, including the Grade 1 bumpers at the the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals, and last season's Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown and Punchestown's Grade 1 Champion Novice Hurdle.

He was last seen at the Dublin Racing Festival, when third to stablemate Il Etait Temps in the Grade 1 Irish Arkle, sponsored by Goffs.

His year-younger full-sister, Aurora Vega, lost her unbeaten record at the same meeting when fourth in the Grade 2 mares' bumper last Sunday. She was returning from a break after winning the Listed Mucklemeg Mares' Bumper at Gowran Park in late September, the third of three wins.

Quevega has a five-year-old daughter by Camelot, her four-year-old daughter is by Australia and her two-year-old and yearling are sons of Walk In The Park.

Princess Vega was a supplementary entry in the sale and making the third trip round the sales ring of her life, having been offered first as a yearling and then at the end of her brief racing career. 

New ball game for Severn

The early session highlight, and the most expensive weanling in the sale, could not represent a more different aspect of the bloodstock industry than Princess Vega.

Offered by the Castlebridge Consignment, she is by Havana Grey, whose first two crops have been all about precocity and sprinting power.

Willie Browne and team were determined to purchase the filly, who is a half-sister to a pair of winners, and there was brief excitement that she might be the first six-figure lot of the sale. Happily for Browne, his final bid of €90,000 sealed the deal for a horse that he will hope can light up the bid board back here in just under eight months' time.

Signing as JB Bloodstock, he remarked: "The sire needs no explaining and she is a very good-looking filly, I haven't seen one better than her here. She has great strength about her and a lovely walk too. We will bring her back for sale in the autumn, hopefully for the Orby sale here."

The sale was a successful first foray into thoroughbred breeding and trading for Tommy Severn, an accomplished polo professional. He is currently in Argentina, where he is competing, but the newly established Stoneyhill Stud, where this filly was bred, is in Gloucestershire.

Willie Browne after signing for the Havana Grey filly at €90,000Credit: Sophie Webster/Goffs

Speaking by phone, Severn praised the staff at the farm and everyone involved in producing the filly for sale. 

"I’m actually gutted to not be there, but that’s the way it is," said the breeder. "It’s all a credit to the team at Stoneyhill Stud  where she was born and bred. 

"We then sent her to Triermore Stud in County Meath, where Paul McDonnell and Terry Denning do a great job. The filly has thrived since she went there and, having seen the videos, she looked great on the complex, so Bill and his team at the Castlebridge Consignment deserve a lot of praise too."

Ed Harper of Whitsbury Manor Stud was another to come in for thanks from Severn, for his matings advice, as he builds his thoroughbred enterprise.

"It’s our [Stonehill Stud] second year in operation and a result like this is so important," he said. "Ed deserves a lot of credit too, as he was very strong on Havana Grey and advised me to use him."

Operating at the highest level in a team sport, Severn has adopted a similar approach to this venture and is not short of advice from others with more experience than him in bloodstock, and that was one of the key elements in creating this sales success.

 “I’ve loved her from day one," he said. "She was always a pretty classy filly and the dream was to keep her but, as a small operation, we have to keep trading. Billy Jackson-Stops felt she would stand out a bit here, so we targeted this sale as a result."

It was an excellent return on Severn's investment as he paid 6,000gns for Scots Fern, in foal to Time Test, and Havana Grey's covering fee was £6,000.

Scots Fern is one of six mares that Stoneyhill Stud currently owns, but that may increase with the profits from this sale set to be ploughed back into the business, with the idea of improving the quality of the stock on the farm.

Now 12, Scots Fern won over a mile at three and was trained by Andrew Balding for the Hot To Trot Racing Club. She is a half-sister to the Listed City Plate and Surrey Stakes-placed Mon Cadeaux and out of a half-sister to Frangy, dam of the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes winner Forte Dei Marmi.

Balding is the trainer of her three-year-old Ulysses colt Hebridean Nomad, who won last season on just his second start, and Severn had news of Scots Fern's latest offspring.

Stoneyhill Stud's Havana Grey filly in the ring at GoffsCredit: Sophie Webster/Goffs

"Scots Fern has been great for us and she foaled a smart filly by Perfect Power last week," he reported, the enthusiasm in his voice clear even all the way from Argentina. "We haven’t finalised our mating plans for the year, but there are an exciting bunch of stallions on the list so far."

There were two fillies by Whitsbury Manor's in-demand young sire in the sale, both sold on Thursday, with the other knocked down to ST Bloodstock for €38,000. Consigned by Kilconnell Stables, she is the first foal out of Napping, a six-time winning sprinter by Sleeping Indian.

Mares round-up

The mares section of the catalogue provided four of the top five prices of the session, with Miss McLeod, an unraced Dark Angel full-sister to Group 2 July Stakes winner Alhebayeb and a half-sister to the Listed Scarbrough Stakes winner Humidor, knocked down to Richard Ryan for €43,000.

Consigned by Baroda Stud, she was offered in foal to Ballylinch Stud's Bayside Boy, who carried the Teme Valley Racing silks to victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. 

Rathasker Stud went to €42,000 for Listed Land O'Burns Stakes winner Hay Chewed, a Camacho half-sister to Nunthorpe heroine Winter Power, by Rathasker's Bungle Inthejungle. The 12-year-old is the dam of two winners, both by Dark Angel, and was sold by Grangemore Stud in foal to Invincible Army.

Statistics

Only four lots made more than €40,000 on Thursday and it was a subdued session of trade once again, although the clearance rate of 69 per cent was considerably better than the 59 per cent recorded on Wednesday.

Gerry Hogan signing for Princess Vega on behalf of Swanbridge BloodstockCredit: Sophie Webster/Goffs

Overall, 125 of the 182 lots on offer were sold for turnover of €1,615,300. Thursday's average was €12,923 and the median came in at €7,500. Trade for the the two sessions generated €3,082,400 in receipts, with a sale average of €12,898 and a median of €8,000. The clearance rate over the two days was 65 per cent.

End-of-sale statement

Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said: "As ever, Goffs February has been dominated by weanlings and once again has delivered the highest-priced Flat and National Hunt weanling of the February sales season by some margin. 

"That is the strength of the sale and what sets it apart as, like November and December, Kildare Paddocks was awash with pinhookers finalising their 2024 yearling drafts and adding to their three-year-old stores of two years’ time, which led to several lively bidding duels for those youngsters adjudged to be the most commercial.

"Of course, a clearance rate of 65 per cent is a clear mirror of the autumn sales season and those the market deemed less appealing were friendless in the ring. However, the familiar cry of, 'It’s hard to buy the good one' was as evident as ever, and we are all having to adapt to the evolving nature of the market."

He continued: "Trade for the breeding stock session mirrored the weanlings, with keen competition for some, headed by the €150,000 top price, and less interest in others, but we have welcomed a diverse overseas contingent over the two days who are enticed year after year by the undeniable quality of Irish bloodlines and the proactivity of ITM working alongside the Goffs Purchaser Attraction Team and our superb international agents. 

"Indeed, buyers from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Libya, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, the UK and Zambia have all featured in the results and ensured a truly cosmopolitan feel to the sale. So Goffs February confirms its market leading status again with two vibrant sessions and a big crowd from start to finish. 

"As ever, we extend our thanks to each vendor and all our purchasers for we are nothing without them."

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