Top lots of €1.6m and €1.2m and a set of figures that kept pace with those from 12 months ago made for a satisfactory edition of last week’s Goffs Orby Sale.

As it looked to continue a good autumn for the European yearling market, the Orby was again characterised by strong demand at the head of the market and 120 of the yearlings that came under the hammer last week made at least €100,000.

This was an identical figure to last year and helped the sale to a set of results that compared well with those from 2016.

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A turnover of just under €41m was a 2% progression on last year, the average of €109,122 was less than a percent down on 2016 while the median did drop from €67,000 to €65,000.

At times trade did look a little selective and patchy, but the overall clearance rate for the two days came in at 86% which was a two point progression on last year.

Once again, the Orby demonstrated that quality stock sells as well at this sale as it would anywhere else and the country’s highest grossing auction again benefited from a wide range of international buyers.

Elsewhere, there was a feeling that trade was more difficult for those that fell below the six-figure price range and that it was a buyers market in the €40,000-€80,000 range. Nonetheless, this was still a solid edition of one of Europe’s flagship auctions.

The top lot was a €1.6m son of Frankel offered from Eddie Irwin’s Marlhill House Stud who came to American agent Justin Casse. The latter was acting for the Zayat family (owners of the American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah) and he reported that the colt would go into training with Aidan O’Brien.

Godolphin policy change

For many, an even more significant purchase came the previous afternoon when the Godolphin team of John Gosden, Anthony Stroud and David Loder bought a Galileo filly for €1.2m. It was in the autumn of 2005 that it came to light that the Maktoum family were boycotting the progeny of yearlings by Coolmore sire at public auction.

This policy remained in place for almost 12 years but a major shift was witnessed at Keeneland last month when Godolphin signed for six Coolmore-sired yearlings.

Last week’s purchase of the Galileo filly was a further affirmation of a sea change in buying policy which can only be a positive development for the industry.

Sportsman's Sale

The week concluded with the one-day Sportsman’s Sale which posted improved figures.

This part of the market was beset by oversupply last autumn but this year’s decision by sales companies to slim down their catalogues in this sector has paid dividends.

The Sportsman produced an aggregate of just short of €4.9m which was up 5% on last year. The average of €20,838 and the €16,000 median both improved by seven points while the clearance rate improved to 85%.

Centre stage here went to a €130,000 son of Lope De Vega who became the sale’s highest priced lot for a decade.

Pinhooking success for Murray-Hayden

Former Irish international event rider Edie Murray-Hayden was one of the biggest stories of the week from the Goffs Orby Sale, landing a €500,000 pinhooking dream at the world class sale.

At last November’s Goffs Foal Sale, she spotted a Dabirsim colt and jotted him down as her number one choice of the sale.

Managing to buy him for €56,000, the event rider, who owns and runs Gormanstown Stud in Kilcullen, was thrilled when the hammer finally fell on Wednesday at €500,000 after a bidding war erupted in Goffs for the fabulous colt, yielding a return of almost 10 times his foal price.

The colt was bought by Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, owner and chairman of Leicester City Football Club, who spent over £2 million at Goffs London Sale in June.

Murray-Hayden, who has an extensive background in both sport horse and thoroughbred horses, breaks yearlings, pre-trains and also produces event horses up to two-star level before selling them on.

Gosden’s fantastic filly

On the racing front all eyes were on Paris on Sunday for the Arc de Triomphe where John Gosden’s Enable confirmed herself as one of the all time great fillies with a stunning success.

Aidan O’Brien’s five strong challenge for the race came up short but it was still another momentous weekend for the Balydoyle trainer as he notched up two Group 1 wins at Newmarket on Saturday followed by another brace of top level successes in France on Sunday. O’Brien now has 22 Group 1 victories to his name this year and it is surely odds on that he will better Bobby Frankel’s record of 25 Group 1 victories in a calendar year over the coming weeks.