Goffs Orby Book 2 Recap: Daughter Of Night Of Thunder Leads Way At 140k

Goffs chief Henry Beeby acknowledged the selective nature of the trade at the re-branded Part 2 Goffs Orby Sale where a €140,000 Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly led the way on Friday when selling from Derrinstown Stud to Macie and Kishore Mirpuri.

That sale continued the theme of well-bred fillies commanding plenty of respect in the ring during Book 1 and Book 2 of this year's Orby Sale. 

Lot 955 was purchased by the Polish agent Kishore Mirpuri on behalf of Macie Jodlowski, the leading trainer in that jurisdiction. However, neither had time to chat, as they quickly nipped off to Dublin Airport to catch a flight home as soon as they signed the dotted line. 

There was no shortage of buyers at the upper end of the market but the middle to lower tiers remained patchy across both days of the Book 2 Sale. The statistics backed up such a statement. 

All told, the sale returned an aggregate of €8,097,500, representing a 22% fall from the Sportsman's Sale last year while the median fell 14% to €18,000 and the average dipped 7% to €23,136. Of the 464 horses offered, 350 were sold, representing a clearance rate of 75% [down from 86% in 2022]. 

Beeby commented, “Following an excellent Orby Book 1 headed by two millionaire lots it was always going to be a challenge to maintain such a vibrant trade in our rebranded Orby Book 2.

“Orby Book 2 is the successor to the Sportsman's Sale which has enjoyed many strong years, not least 12 months ago when it was headed by a superb €300,000 top price, grew by 49% with a 21% leap in average and the median advancing by nigh on a third over the 2021 edition. So to come anywhere near to those statistics is relatively pleasing and, in fact, today's figures represent the second best since the sale expanded to two days due to popular demand in 2019.”

He added, “All that said we would be bordering on deluded not to acknowledge the selective nature of the trade. Whereas those yearlings deemed to hold the most appeal were as hard as ever to buy, as demonstrated by more six-figure transactions and more over €75,000, there were plenty that struggled as evidenced by a less than pleasing clearance rate of 75%. It will be interesting to review the last two days at the end of the autumn sales season when more context will be available but I confess that we would have preferred a deeper buying bench from the UK and across Europe as was the case in 2022.

“So we will review the results of the sale with the benefit of time and reflection, and work with ITM to explore how to make the sale more attractive to overseas buyers who are so vital to the marketplace. We will also take soundings from breeders and vendors as to the format of the sale as a more select one day version may be preferable especially when we have the two/three day Autumn Sale in four weeks' time as a very viable alternative for those more commercial types.

“As ever I extend our thanks to every purchaser and each vendor for their support throughout the week. Both Books of the Irish National Yearling Sales exist to serve the Irish breeder and over €60 million of yearlings have been traded in Kildare Paddocks which is a fitting testament to the appeal of the world class Irish bloodlines that are nurtured with such skill and devotion in the spiritual home of the thoroughbred.”

King Of The Jungle Goes Back To The Well

Maurice Burns might want to send Con Marnane a Christmas card this year for all that he has done to promote Bungle Inthejungle (GB).

Or maybe it should work the other way around given the amount of luck that Marnane has enjoyed with the Rathasker Stud-based stallion?

The highlight came earlier this summer when Marnane sold Givemethebeatboys (Ire) to Bronsan Racing for £1.1 million at the Goffs London Sale.

Marnane once again reinvested in a family he knows well when landing a sister to Funny Money Honey (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) from Newlands House Stud for €95,000.

Marnane said, “It's more than likely we'll race her, that'll be the plan. She's a long-term broodmare prospect, and hopefully she's able to gallop.

“I'd say Pat Burns of Newlands House Stud is pound for pound the best breeder in Ireland. He only produces seven or eight horses each year and comes up with stakes horses time after time.”

The @BanshaHouse love affair with Bungle Inthejungle continues as they buy a half-sister to Listed winner Funny Money Honey, campaigned by the Marnanes, for €95k from Newlands House Stud.

The Marnane's also bought G3 winner Givemethebeatboys (Bungle Inthejungle) for €11k at… pic.twitter.com/V9nJMf96Cn

— Goffs (@Goffs1866) September 29, 2023

Talking Points

• There's an old saying that, if you give a busy man a job, he will get it done. That certainly applied to Goffs Senior Bloodstock Executive Conor Wixted, who enjoyed a profitable day with an Equiano (Fr) pinhook. Purchased alongside Goffs Bloodstock Executive Joan Tyner for just €6,500 here at the November Foal Sale, the Equiano colt (lot 936) rocked into €26,000 on Friday to BBA Ireland on behalf of Javier Maldonado. A brother to six winners, including the James's Delight (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}), who was placed in the Sportsman's Challenge, the Equiano colt was clearly well bought by the Goffs young guns. Hats off. 
• Amy Lynam was another busy woman at Goffs this week. As well as signing for fillies by Kodiac (GB) and Dark Angel (Ire) to the tune of €125,000 in Book 1, she played a leading role at Book 2 when snapping up a James Garfield (Ire) filly (lot 989) on behalf of “a long-standing owner” of her father Eddie Lynam's who “wants a good horse.” Who doesn't?!
• Cristiana Brivio of Razza Latina has enjoyed a profitable stint in Ireland in recent weeks. After signing for 14 yearlings for just shy of €400,000 at Tattersalls Ireland last week, the Italian buyer picked up on where she left off at Goffs with a further six purchases for €233,000.
• It was interesting to see bloodstock agent Kevin Ross and Gavin Cromwell team up this week. Ross bought three horses on behalf of the multiple Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot-winning trainer at Book 2 for just under €70,000.
• It has also been noticeable over the past two weeks that Johnny Murtagh is a huge supporter of the domestic yearling sales. Along with his right hand man and leading breeze-up consigner Eddie Linehan, Murtagh has signed for numerous yearlings at Tattersalls Ireland and this week at Goffs. His Book 2 haul at Goffs was headed by a Havana Grey (GB) filly (lot 914) on behalf of Nick Bradley Racing, for whom Murtagh has enjoyed good success with, courtesy of talented handicapper Wave Machine (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}). “We've had a bit of luck with Nick Bradley Racing this year,” Murtagh said. “This is the one he picked out and when we went down to see her all the lads loved her. She was the one we wanted today, she just cost a bit more than we expected! When the good ones come in, they're all making their money. I haven't trained one by Havana Grey before but he's doing well. You could see how many people were on her today.”

Buy of the Day

Kevin Ross was rewarded for staying to the bitter end when landing a nice Invincible Army (Ire) colt from Rossenarra Stud  [lot 1050] for just €28,000. It's hard to see a situation where that does not turn out to be decent value. 

A lovely-walking colt, he boasted plenty of size and substance and a good attitude to boot. He was followed into the ring by plenty of decent judges and looked like a racehorse.

Thought for the Day

Reading between the lines of Henry Beeby's statement following Part 2 of the Orby Sale, a smaller and more select catalogue could be in store next year. That would make sense given how things played out this week. 

In the defence of Goffs, it must be remembered that any agents who hoped to get some viewing done on day two of Orby Book 1 were stopped in their tracks due to the pretty vicious storm. Without having got around to all of the barns, they couldn't exactly leave lengthy lists for horses to be bought in Book 2. 

But all things considered, Goffs will no doubt be disappointed by the lack of a buying bench for those middle to lower tier horses. It will be interesting how trade is for horses in that bracket for the rest of the yearling sale season but perhaps a more streamlined version of Orby Book 2 would work best in future.