BLOODSTOCK SALES GOFFS ORBY SALE TOP 20 LOTS:ONE OF the advertisements at Goffs this year features a picture of Kingsfort, the unbeaten National Stakes winner purchased privately this week by Godolphin, with the caption underneath: "A typical Goffs yearling."
Except of course he isn't typical. The very reason his picture is so prominent is because he is very much not typical. In fact, he is singular enough to have got Sheikh Mohammed scribbling a figure in his cheque book that rumour suggests was in the region of three million quid.
Kingsfort is the dream for so many small horse owners who play and pay on a much less financially exalted stage than the sheikh or the princes of Coolmore. Last year he was bought for "just" €36,000. Now he is the medium of a kind of orb-watering inflation to make even the most flint-eyed accountant reach for some hankies.
His sale could hardly have been better timed for Goffs ahead of this week's Orby sale, the most high-profile yearling auction in this country, and one which has been anticipated by the usual eagerness in some and dread in a lot of others.
Almost every yearling sale this year in Europe and America has had the chord-trouser wearing worthies of the bloodstock game shaking their heads and muttering doom-laden predictions of financial combustion. Except for the French sale at Deauville, of course, but the French paddle in their own stream, and usually up-current.
So the great and the good gathered near Kill yesterday and things, well, weren't too bad. Amazingly, a couple of hundred one-year-old horses were led into the famous ring, auctioneers did their babble bit and those same horses walked out again, quite often having been bought by someone they didn't know.
Outside the usual suspects from Britain, the Continent and further afield mooched about squinting meaningfully at those same pre-adolescent horses and occasionally prodding them in ways that in most other walks of life would result in the appearance of a policeman.
"Trade is fine. The demand is there for nice horses," said leading bloodstock agent Bobby O'Ryan. "I've just bid €225,000 for a horse and it wasn't enough to buy him - what recession?"
Others may not have been that upbeat, but, contrary to the worst fears, there were no sightings of vendors taking a dive from the top of the famous old architectural monstrosity next to the M8.
Instead, the more usual refrain was "at least they're selling", which in the current economic climate is being seen as something of a result.
"It's the same as always. Good horses make a price. Things are just a little more realistic now," said trainer Michael Halford.
Nothing, though, got close to the €1 million that John Magnier forked out for Famous at last year's sale, never mind the €2.4 million Coolmore's boss paid for the 2007 sales-topper. She was named Jane Eyre and her sole start to date yielded a ninth placing at glamorous Dundalk.
Magnier was in action as usual yesterday, paying €420,000 for a son of the Coolmore stallion Montjeu and the veteran mare Welsh Love, who has proved such a money-spinner for Pat O'Kelly's Kilcarn Stud.
Agent Tom Goff was the underbidder, and Magnier's buyer, Demi O'Byrne, said: "We know the family well already and this one was a bit of a standout."
O'Byrne had to give best, however, for the top lot, a Giant's Causeway filly out of the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Saoire. Instead, English trainer Tom Tate and agent Hugo Merry won out.
"She's an absolute queen and Tom is going to be training her," Merry said.
Kingsfort, however, will only remind everyone that price is no guarantee of success where it matters, away from the ring and out on the track.
Top 20 Lots
LOT SELLER SIRE DAM BUYER
L 31 Castlemorris Stables, filly Giant's Causeway-Saoire, Tom Tate €475,000.
L113, Kilcarn Stud, Montjeu-Welsh Love, John Magnier €420,000
L128 Staffordstown, f Sadler's Wells-Alba Stella, R Frisby €300,000
L87 Yeomanstown Stud, c Medicean-Tiriana, Shadwell Estate €270,000.
L56 Triermore Stud, c Oasis Dream-Speech Room, John Ferguson €260,000.
L103 Croom House Stud, c Medicean-Varenka, Shadwell Estates €240,000.
L12 Ashtown House Stud, f Danehill Dancer-River Flow, BBA Ireland €235,000
L96 Tinnakill House, c Motivator-Ultra Finesse, Tom Tate €230,000.
L4 Camas Park Stud, f Danehill Dancer-Rain Flower, Norris/Huntingdon €200,000.
L41 Barronstown Stud, f Galileo-Sharamana, Norris/Huntingdon €200,000.
L190 Moyglare Stud, c Sadler's Wells-Cool Clarity, Bobby O'Ryan €200,000.
L63 Oaks Farm Stable, f Danehill Dancer-Strawberry Roan, Form Bloodstock €190,000.
L110 Churchtown House Stud, c Danehill Dancer-Wannabe, John Magnier €180,000.
L116 Lynn Lodge Stud, f Exceed And Excel-Wolf Cleugh, John Ferguson €180,000.
L100 Irish National Stud, f Invincible Spirit-Vadorga, La Louviere €170,000.
L62 Triermore Stud, f Montjeu-State Crystal, BBA Ireland €165,000.
L89 Clare Castle, f Galileo-Tree Tops, Winning Bloodstock €160,000.
L126 Corduff Stud, c Azamour-Al Euro, Shadwell Estates €160,000.
L209 Lodge Park Stud, Hawk Wing-Dazzling Park €155,000.
L201 Marhill House Stud, Holy Roman Emperor-Dance To The Top €150,000.
