“It's Disappointing” – Dam Of Japan Cup Hope Goliath Fails To Sell For €5 Million At Goffs

Anticlimactic goes by the household name of disappointing and there was no disguising the glum faces at Goffs on Friday when Gouache (Ger) (Shamardal), the dam of live Japan Cup hope Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), failed to sell at €5 million.

A collective groan was heard in the jam-packed auditorium when Henry Beeby uttered the words, “I'm afraid that's not enough,” at €5 million. One pressroom colleague suggested that he wouldn't be rushing into a game of poker with the Goffs chief executive any time soon as things seemed to be humming along nicely from one, two, three, and then four into five million euros. 

Alas, it was never going to be enough and the mare that was billed as the 'jewel in the crown' of the November Sale catalogue was led out unsold by Millennium Stud. 

Gouache was sourced by Agrolexica International Trading BV for just €200,000 at the December Breeding Stock Sale at Arqana last year. After she changed hands from Schlenderhan, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Goliath exploded onto the scene in Europe and accounted for the subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) in the King George at Ascot. Goliath is a general 7-1 chance to win the Japan Cup on Sunday.

Beeby admitted to being disappointed following the sale on Friday and revealed that the connections of Gouache were hoping to achieve somewhere in the region of €5 million or €6 million. They were understood to value the mare on a par with Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who lit up this sale 12 months ago when selling for €6 million apiece. 

Beeby commented, “As my late father used to tell me, if you haven't got the horse you can't sell it. So you get the horse and work it out after that. The market spoke and they [the owners] valued the mare very highly. That's their prerogative and I respect that very highly. They wanted more than the market valued her at. They took a line through Alpha Centauri and Alpine Star here last year, because they mentioned those mares when we spoke earlier.”

He added, “They obviously wanted somewhere between five and six million. It's a bit of a disappointment but that's the way it goes. We're still working, as we have done with the  Springfort Park Stud mare [Her Honour (Ire) (Shamardal), who was sold privately to Alex Elliott for €725,000 after failing to reach €850,000 in the ring]. We'll keep working through the weekend and, if Goliath happens to win, we'll ring a few people as well. If it happens, it happens.”

Goffs offered 207 mares on Friday and sold 161 which equates to a 78% clearance rate. The turnover was €10,839,000 and the average was €67,323 while the median rested at €40,000. Taking the Niarchos draft out of last year's bonanza, Goffs are 15% behind the corresponding sale 12 months ago on turnover and average while the median was €42,000 on this day last year.

Her Honour Leads The Way At 725k

It was Her Honour who ultimately topped the sale after Elliott negotiated a private deal to secure the dam of Vadream (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) at €725,000 from Springfort Park Stud. The mare was purchased on behalf of an unnamed British-based client and Her Honour would fit in nicely in just about any breeding operation being the dam of three highly-rated black-type performers and from the family of Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Elliott commented, “She wasn't sold for €850,000 obviously, but we honoured our last bid in the ring. What a producer. She's a Shamardal mare from a huge family with Harzand (Ire) and Emily Upjohn on the page. She's bred stakes horses by what are inferior stallions really. It's time to upgrade her and Peter and Hugh McCutcheon reluctantly agreed to sell her. They didn't really want to let her go but she'll be bred to some big stallions now. I'd imagine we'll breed her to Frankel (GB) or Wootton Bassett (GB). She's been bought for an English breeder and she's going to reside at Baroda Stud with David Cox. The McCutcheon brothers have kept a New Bay (GB) filly out of her, so they'll still be cheering her on. She's in foal to Night Of Thunder (Ire), too, who's going to stand for €150,000 next year. She's a mare with a bit of age but she's proven.”

Elliott also snapped up M'Lady Nicole (Ire), a Sea The Stars (Ire) mare sold by Newtown Stud, also in foal to Night Of Thunder (Ire). She cost €320,000 and is understood to be for the same client.

Among @A_C_Elliott's November Breeding Stock Sale purchases are two mares in foal to Night Of Thunder, including Her Honour from @SpringfortPark at €725,000 and M'Lady Nicole from @NewtownStud for €320,000. pic.twitter.com/IMXQ7yStxj

— Goffs (@Goffs1866) November 22, 2024

Quirke Lands Dam Of Big Mojo On Behalf Of RP Racing

To borrow a line from Bonnie Tyler, Goffs was left holding out for a hero on Friday evening, and JM Jackson (Ire) (No Nay Never), dam of G3 Molecomb Stakes winner Big Mojo (Ire) (Mohaather {GB}), did her bit to lift the spirits shortly after Gouache failed to sell. 

Offered by Derek Veitch's Ringfort Stud, JM Jackson found a fitting suitor with Conor Quirke landing the filly on behalf of RP Racing for €480,000. Of course, it is the business carried out with Paul Teasdale's RP Racing that has really put the young agent on the map. 

Quirke sourced the top-class Big Evs (Ire) and more recently Big Mojo on behalf of RP Racing. There is little speculation involved in trying to work out where JM Jackson, who was sold in foal to Showcasing (GB), might be off to next year. 

Quirke said, “The likelihood is that she will go to Big Evs and there is an outside chance that she might go to Blue Point. The sentimentality is there. She's a great physique and she matches both of those stallions. I am delighted for Ringfort Stud as obviously they are passing the baton at the minute. She's a young mare and has bred a very, very good horse and, look, I hope Paddy Power isn't watching because I hope to get a good price for him [Big Mojo] in the Commonwealth Cup next year. That's the kind of faith we have in him so time will tell.”

JM Jackson, dam of high class juvenile Big Mojo, sells for €480,000 to Conor Quirke / RP Racing from @RingfortStud.#GoffsNovember pic.twitter.com/ukIAueRoUI

— Goffs (@Goffs1866) November 22, 2024

Talking Points

You never know what you might learn at the sales and, in the case of lot 1072, the Ballylinch Stud-drafted Gyldan (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), perhaps we should be getting the tracker out for her Acclamation (GB) yearling that sold to Jason Kelly for €32,000 at Orby Book 2 earlier this year. Why? Because, according to auctioneer Tadhg Dooley, that filly has gone into training with Paddy Twomey. Who went to €75,000 to secure Gyldan under the banner of South Coast Bloodstock? Twomey himself. That's what you call a vote of confidence for the unnamed Acclamation filly.

Moyglare Stud's A Ma Chere (Ire) sparked scenes of pandemonium in the early afternoon when the Group 3-placed daughter of Kodiac (GB)–sold in foal to Gleneagles (Ire)–was knocked down by Bernard Condron to Alex Elliott on behalf of a partnership. To be fair, Elliott himself thought that he had landed the former Dermot Weld-trained mare, which would explain the cries of 'whoa, whoa, whoa' when the clipboard landed up to Anani Antoniadis to sign on behalf of Millennium Stud at €180,000. What had happened was Anani was bidding to the bid-spotter while Elliott was bidding to Condron himself. Given the two bidders were standing quite close to each other on the right-hand side of the rostrum, both men thought they had landed on the right leg. It was decided that Elliott's bid was €180,000 and the action continued behind closed doors where Millennium Stud ultimately won out at €210,000. One can only imagine the stewards enquiry-type drama that ensued in the Goffs office. Needless to say it provided some early entertainment for onlookers. 

Not to be defeated, Elliott went on to land Ambiguous (GB) on behalf of Amo Racing for €230,000 before striking for those already mentioned bigger-named lots on behalf of an unnamed client. Sold in foal to Mehmas (Ire), Ambiguous has been lined up to visit the recently-retired Bucanero Fuerte (GB) at Tally-Ho Stud next year. Elliott explained, “Bought for Amo. She will probably be one for Bucanero Fuerte. She is a proven mare, in foal to a phenomenal stallion, Mehmas. She's a sister to two Group 1 winners, and she's bred a stakes winner. There wasn't a lot not to like. Kheleyf is a great broodmare sire.” Later in the session, Elliott expanded on the approach to sourcing mares on behalf of Kia Joorabchian's operation, which has recently retired King Of Steel, Bucanero Fuerte and Go Bears Go (Ire) to stud. He said, “There's a stallion bench there but they're all unproven. We've got to try and box a little clever. I don't think we can buy some of these tip-top mares to be going to these 15 and 20 grand stallions. Ambiguous is a proven mare. She's proved she can do it and, if Bucanero Fuerte can do it, she's going to give him a chance.”

Ballylinch Stud Goes Big On Quality

Oaks winner Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was bought for €650,000 by Ballylinch Stud with a visit to Lope De Vega (Ire) in mind. The County Kilkenny stud boss John O'Connor revealed after that sale that, in order to prolong the superstar stallion's career, the 17-year-old would be limited to smaller books as of next year. 

Many will remember Qualify for springing a 50-1 surprise for Aidan O'Brien and Colm O'Donoghue in the Oaks back in 2015. She was subsequently bought by John Ferguson on behalf of Godolphin for 1.6 million gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale that year and has gone on to breed a Stakes performer and a promising two-year-old by Lope De Vega.

Speaking about Qualify, O'Connor said, “She's an Oaks winner and obviously those kinds of mares are scarce. She's already bred a good horse [the 107-rated Swing Vote (GB)] to Shamardal and we've a horse from that sire line that might well suit her! Her two-year-old [Cualificar (GB)] looks promising and is with the right man in Andre Fabre to progress. At the moment, she's most likely to go to Lope De Vega and she will have future dalliances with the same sire line.”

He added, “We buy and sell a few every year. We'll always be selling some and buying some and carrying some fillies in training as well. We try to keep the quality up and keep the numbers under control. That would be a part of our thinking.”

When asked to sum up what has been an amazing season for the progeny of Lope De Vega on the track, O'Connor continued, “He's just confirmed what everybody knows–he's one of the world's top sires. When I last looked, he was the leading sire in the world in terms of black-type winners, Group 1 winners. Lots of different categories, he leads the field. 

“He's one of the great sires in the world and we're very lucky to have him. We're going to try to buy or have the mares we think are appropriate to go to him and, from next year, we are going to start managing the numbers of his books a bit more conservatively. He's been plenty busy so it's time to start managing his books in order to extend his career for as long as we can.”

Ballylinch Stud spent €1,160,000 on three mares and O'Connor revealed that €170,000 purchase Pietrafiore (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was sourced with a view towards visiting new stallion Look De Vega (Fr) next year. 

Speaking after landing lot 1141, O'Connor said, “We're going to buy some nice mares to go to Look De Vega. He's going to get a lot of support and she'll be one of those. I liked her as a type–thought she was a lovely mare. She's bred a Stakes winner and is back in foal to the same sire. She's a full-sister to a Dubai World Cup winner [Monterosso (GB)] as well so there are a lot of things there that I like. The Camelot (GB) yearling has gone to Andre Fabre so there are quite a lot of positives. Largely, I liked her as a type and she's already proven, which is what I like. The mares who can breed Stakes winners are the ones we want to go to with our own sires so she'll go to Look De Vega.”

2015 Oaks winner Qualify is off to Ballylinch Stud after being bought for €650,000 @Goffs1866.

She is in foal to Dark Angel and is the dam of a G3 winner.

She was consigned by Godolphin. pic.twitter.com/7kieyV39Kf

— TDN (@theTDN) November 22, 2024

Buy of the Day

Massinga (Ire) (Selkirk) looks well-bought at €80,000 out of the Aga Khan draft. The Listed winner was sold in foal to 2,000 Guineas hero Chaldean (GB) to Mount Armstrong Kildare–not to be confused with Mountarmstrong Stud–and time might prove that exchange to be a bit of value for the buyers. Already the producer of a black-type horse in Mashia (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), the best may yet be to come from another one of her sons, Masoun (Fr) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who was bought by Blandford Bloodstock to join Joseph O'Brien at a horses-in-training sale here recently for €105,000. It's a good Aga Khan pedigree and there's no doubt that the progeny of Chaldean will prove popular next year. An interesting buy. 

Thought for the Day

It wasn't the outcome that Henry Beeby and the team at Goffs would have liked on Friday but, do you know what, they deserve plenty of credit for how they dealt with the dam of Goliath not selling. Beeby was up front and honest about what had just taken place and didn't try to make excuses or hide any of the facts. It just wasn't to be for the star attraction but it still proved to be a good sale on the whole.