GOLF: The Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary reaped the €770,000 benefit of a three-way battle for the top lot at yesterday's Goffs Orby Sale.
O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud submitted a Danehill colt from the family of the French Guineas winner Green Tune which became the centre of a seller's dream scenario. The colt entered the ring at 3.30 p.m. and in just three minutes had hit the half million euro mark.
The British-based trainer Brian Meehan and agent Anthony Stroud were fighting it out until the €700,000 mark when agent Adrian Nicoll, acting for John Magnier, joined in. The Coolmore boss is rarely beaten once in the race but he gave best this time to Stroud who admitted afterwards he was close to his final bid. "He's for a group of people from different countries and they will re-group and make a decision about where he will be trained," said Stroud.
Magnier made no mistake for the Grand Lodge colt from the family of the Prix de l'Opera runner-up Irresistible Jewel which he secured for €480,000. It was a good piece of business for Redpender Stud who bought the horse last November as a foal for just 22,273 guineas.
Another horse re-visiting the Goffs ring was the Danehill Dancer colt who made €210,000 and will be trained by Peter Harris in Britain.
It was a fine piece of "pinhooking" by Co Meath-based Paddy Moloney who paid £32,000 for the horse as a foal last November.
However, the colt had been in the sales ring before that when he had been sold, along with his dam, at just 10 days old for £11,000.
The second day average was down overall on last year but the Goffs managing director, Matt Mitchell, pointed to the sale of a £2.1 million horse 12 months ago.
"We're getting back a very positive story. A nice horse is hard to buy," he said. "The euro hasn't much of an effect here but it will probably come more into play with the Challenge Sale tomorrow when more Italians and French are buying."
The top French trainer Andre Fabre will take charge of the Woodman filly from Glidawn Stud that made €400,000 to the bid of Charlie Gordon Watson.
Local breeder Seamus Burns was busy at the start of the day. An Orpen colt he sent up went to John Magnier for €310,000.
However, Burns didn't waste any time reinvesting the money. Less than an hour later he forked out €350,000 for a Desert Prince filly that is a half-sister to Godolphin's English 2,000 Guineas winner Island Sands.
Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Estates paid €400,000 for a Sadler's Wells colt out of Copper Creek. The latter's daughter, Copper Play, produced the next lot, a Swan filly, which went to Shadwell also for €240,000.
Cheveley Park's managing director Chris Richardson went to €380,000 to secure a Danehill filly out of Demure.
