O'Brien Lands Sister To Globetrotting Sensation State Of Rest For 750k

A Sea The Stars (Ire) sister to globetrotting sensation State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) found a fitting suitor at the Goffs Orby Sale with Joseph O'Brien, the man who trained that Tinnakill House graduate to win at the highest level in America, Australia, Britain and France, going to €750,000 to secure the star attraction on Tuesday. 

Tinnakill House has enjoyed the ride of a lifetime with the family of State Of Rest having signed for the granddam of the four-time Group 1 winner, Monaassabaat (Zilzal), at the Goffs November Mares Sale back in 2007. 

The journey reached its crescendo on Tuesday when the hammer fell to O'Brien to deliver what was clearly an emotional success for Dermot Cantillon and his wife Meta Osborne.

“My big wish is that she goes on and becomes a super race mare,” – Dermot Cantillon

Speaking shortly after the sale, Cantillon said of lot 48, “We had a lot of footfall down to the stable and I was always confident that she would make a good price. I'd like to say a big thank you to Mrs Tsui for giving me the opportunity to breed to the stallion. We're not in a situation where we can breed to those top stallions regularly so to have a foal share was great.”

He added, “I'd also like to say a special thank you to the late John Clarke. It was John who facilitated the foal share and, without him, we wouldn't have had that beautiful filly here today. Then of course my own staff, my family for supporting us; you don't come across a filly like that many times in your life and my big wish is that she goes on and becomes a super race mare.”

State Of Rest's dam Repose (Quiet American), who has also produced the dual Group 3 winner Tranquil Lady (Ire) (Australia {GB}), was sold to Juddmonte in May of last year. Tuesday's headline act was the last remaining offspring the County Laois farm had of that brilliant family.

The Cantillon family with the sister to State Of Rest | Sarah Farnsworth

Recalling how the mating to Sea The Stars for Repose came about, Cantillon continued, “I was at the Goffs Orby Sale at Doncaster and I met John. He was looking at Tranquil Lady going around the ring and I told him it was a nice filly who was going to sell well and that the two-year-old was quite nice as well. That was State Of Rest. He said, 'she might be one we'd be interested in doing a foal share with,' so that's how it came about.”

He added, “I bought Monaassabaat here in 2007. It's been a long time in the making but we have done very well. A lot of people will say we are selling one of our crown jewels but sometimes you have to do that to keep the whole show running.”

🗣️ “she's a lot of quality and the mare has proven herself.” @JosephOBrien2 buys the half-sister to his G1 winner State Of Rest. Lot 48, by Sea The Stars, was consigned by @TinnakillHouse and has been sold for €750,000 @Goffs1866 Orby. pic.twitter.com/jTmXeDR5F7

— TDN (@theTDN) September 26, 2023

State Of Rest retired to Rathbarry Stud in Ireland with Saratoga Derby, Cox Plate, Prix Ganay and Prince Of Wales's S. triumphs to his name. O'Brien said that he was keen to secure the little sister to one of the smartest horses that he has trained and confirmed that he fully expected to have to shell out high six figures to get the job done. 

He said, “Obviously State Of Rest was a horse who progressed from two to three and this filly had a lot of quality and is medium-sized. We loved her from the moment we saw her and Sea The Stars is one of the best stallions in the world and the mare has proved herself as an outstanding producer. She will make a fantastic racing prospect in the short term and a brilliant breeding prospect further down the line. She will run for an existing client.”

€750,000 bought the Sea The Stars half-sister to State Of Rest from @TinnakillHouse, secured by @JosephOBrien2. @DermotCan told @nickluck what the result means to the family run operation, and his sense of pride in Goffs as a Board Director. pic.twitter.com/vaGXyrQgb8

— Goffs (@Goffs1866) September 26, 2023

Mike Repole Bolsters Turf Squad With Two Kingman Fillies

One of the major subplots of the Goffs Orby Sale in recent years has been the strength of the American investment. In Tuesday's preview, Goffs chief Henry Beeby paid a handsome compliment to the US agent to the sales company Jacob West, who has helped drive interest in the Orby among his American counterparts. 

Not only that, but West came up trumps on day one when signing for two different Kingman (GB) fillies on behalf of American powerhouse owner Mike Repole to the tune of €600,000. 

Speaking after signing for a €400,000 daughter of the high-class Group 2 winner Bocca Baciata (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) (lot 260) from Glenvale Stud, West said, “She was kind of the pick of the litter from a filly perspective. She was bought for Mike Repole to go back to America so I'd assume she'll go into training with Todd Pletcher. We'll keep our fingers crossed as we're opening up a new turf division for Mike. 

“We've bought two Kingmans today and as I got off the phone to Mike just now he said don't call him tomorrow because he's done! That's Mike Repole in a nutshell. The update with the filly winning today only helped and we're happy to secure her. Kingman has done well in America, I think his stock appreciates the firm going that we have.”

That update came when Bocca Baciata's daughter Foniska (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made all to win the Navigation S. at Cork for Jessica Harrington, who also trained the dam.

West added, “We've bid on a few today but it's strong for the right ones, there's plenty of trade. I love this sale, it produces top runners year after year. I feel like there's value here and they're raised right and come from good people. It's a great sale.” 

Frankel Colt Stars As Godolphin Make Return To The Orby

Godolphin returned to the Orby Sale market in style when snapping up a Frankel (GB) colt (lot 32) from Yeomanstown Stud for €625,000 before adding a Dubawi (Ire) colt (lot 100) from Ballylinch Stud for €400,000 and a Teofilo (Ire) filly (lot 168) for €190,000 from Baroda Stud. 

A buying team of Anthony Stroud, Charlie Appleby and David Loder saw off a determined challenge from Mark McStay for the Frankel colt out of Promised Money (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a Listed-winning sprinter for Eddie Lynam and producer of Listed winner Salimah (Ire) (El Kabeir) and G2 Mill Reef S. runner-up Fivethousandtoone (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

“He's for Godolphin,” said Stroud after signing for the Frankel colt. “Charlie, David and myself all saw this horse and we all liked him very much. 

“He's by Frankel and comes from a very good farm. He's very smooth and came within the range we thought he would. He's just a very nice horse.” 

Godolphin had been absent from the Orby since 2019, where their purchases included the subsequent Group 1-winning sprinter Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

🗣️ “he was very smooth…”

Anthony Stroud has bought lot 32 @Goffs1866 Orby for Godolphin. The colt is by Frankel and was consigned by Yeomanstown Stud. He paid €625,000 for the son of the L. Winner Promised Money. pic.twitter.com/bCpduwzjGw

— TDN (@theTDN) September 26, 2023

McStay Goes To 400k For Daughter Of No Nay

He may have been out of luck on the Frankel colt but McStay had more than one hand to play on the afternoon and the chips were firmly down on lot 156, a No Nay Never filly bought from Glenvale Stud for €400,000. 

Out of Juddmonte's black-type performer Ultrasonic (Mizzen Mast), the No Nay Never was reported to have been top of McStay's wish list on what proved to be a busy afternoon for the agent.

“She's as nice as there is on the grounds here today,” he said. “I thought the price was probably right because the sire is having a phenomenal year and she has a very good pedigree; what's not to like? There was plenty of competition so I'm delighted to get her.” 

The No Nay Never filly was purchased for an unnamed client and no trainer was revealed, however, McStay also featured among the buyers for lot 87, a Fastnet Rock (Aus) filly for €200,000 on behalf of well-known connections. 

She was consigned by Marlhill House Stud and is on her way to Donnacha O'Brien and will run for Medallion Racing, the part-owners of the brilliant G3 Albany S. winner Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio). 

Medallion also added a Ten Sovereigns (Ire) filly (lot 116) to their haul from Glenvale Stud for €98,000 and she will go into training with Paddy Twomey.

• Al Shira'aa Farms lit the touch paper for the sale when going to €200,000 for the second lot into the ring, the Whitehall Stud-drafted American Pharoah half-sister to Group 1 winner Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).  Not long afterwards, Kieran Lalor, who buys on behalf of the powerful owner-breeder, added a Wootton Bassett (GB) filly (lot 12) out of a sister to Saxon Warrior (Jpn) for €250,000. She was consigned by WH Bloodstock.
• Pinhooking profits always make for encouraging reading and few do it better than Tally-Ho Stud. Lot 86 is as good an example as any. Bought for 130,000gns from Ringfort Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sales, the Ghaiyyath (Ire) filly out of a Listed-placed Zoffany (Ire) mare realised €360,000 to Peter and Ross Doyle. Meanwhile, lot 31, a Havana Grey (GB) half-brother to The Wizard Of Eye (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), was picked up for €52,000 from Pipe View Stud in November. He was on Tuesday sold to Sackville Donald and Dermot Farrington for €180,000.

• Paula Flannery was another to pull off a shrewd pinhook on the day when her 23,000gns Havana Grey (GB) foal purchase rocked into €140,000. Lot 148 was consigned by Ballyvolane Stud and was bought by Andrew Balding.
• Mick Kinane was another busy buyer at Goffs on Tuesday. On behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Kinane bought an Acclamation (GB) colt (lot 19) from Rathbarry Stud for €280,000 and a No Nay Never colt (lot 201) from Baroda Stud for €240,000. 
• At close of play on Tuesday, the aggregate, average and median had all dropped by 10% compared to the corresponding day's trade 12 months ago. However, many of the big-ticket lots are still to come on Wednesday, including the eagerly-anticipated Stauffenberg Bloodstock draft. Turnover stood at €24,287,500, while the average was €112,443 and the median €85,000.

Redvers Goes To 460k For “Rockstar” Wootton Bassett

David Redvers described the third most expensive horse to go through the ring on the day, a €460,000 Wootton Bassett (GB) colt out of the brilliant racemare Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), as “a rockstar individual” before revealing the lofty plans in store. 

The Camas Park Stud-drafted colt (lot 205) was bought on behalf of a new partnership between Sheikh Fahad, the China Horse Club and expanding British-based owner David Howden, best known for owning the high-class Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion).

The partnership are in search of colts who have the potential of becoming stallions and, in the Wootton Bassett colt out of Albigna, Redvers certainly fitted the brief on paper at least. 

Speaking shortly after signing the docket, Redvers said, “This colt has been on our minds since we first saw him. We are trying to buy horses for a partnership of Sheikh Fahad, the China Horse Club and David Howden with a view of hopefully, one day, turning them into a stallion. He's by a phenomenal sire of high-class two-year-olds. He is a rockstar individual. Hopefully he will be a top-class two-year-old.”

Albigna, of course, will form part of the exciting draft of high-class Niarchos-owned broodmares that will go under the hammer at Goffs in November. Expertly trained by Jessica Harrington, Albigna carried the colours of the Niarchos family to victory in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac in 2019. 

Redvers continued, “It's always nice knowing there is a genuine reason for a sale, especially with top-class bloodlines like this. If it had come up from another hotel, you might have thought, 'why are they selling it?' But there is a straightforward reason as to why he has turned up at the sales and we all have the opportunity to look at these mares in November. Genuine Group 1-winning mares producing horses like this, they are as rare as hen's teeth.”

Indeed, Goffs has been a happy hunting ground for Redvers and Sheikh Fahad in the past, and connections will be hoping for similar luck with their new acquisition.

“This place has been very kind to us,” Redvers added. “We've bought some lovely horses here in the past. Sheikh Fahad's first Group 1 winner, Lightning Pearl (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), came out of here, as did his first Classic winner in Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}). We hope to make a stallion out of this one.”