Numbers Decline at Opening Book 2 Session of Goffs Orby

The Acclamation (GB) sire line was to the fore at the upper echelons of trade at the Goffs Orby Sale Oct. 3, where the first of two Book 2 sessions returned a clearance rate of just 70%. On the opening day of Book 2 in 2023 two horses sold for six figures, but Thursday not a solitary yearling got within sight of that mark, with the top price this time around coming in at €80,000 (US$88,268, €1=US$1.10). The median fell by almost a quarter year-on-year with Thursday's figure of €15,500 (US$17,102) a decline of 23% on the €20,000 returned last year. The decline in the average was not as a sharp as that evidenced in the median with the final tally of €21,697 (US$23,939) representing a drop of 9.6% on last year. Overall receipts were down by 15% to €3,753,500 (US$4,141,424) from €4,366,500 in 2023. It was a difficult day for many vendors, although buyers reported stiff competition for the handful of lots that caught the attention of those with orders to fill. Rathbarry Stud's stalwart sire provided one of the two most expensive lots on a sticky day with Johnny Murtagh buying Scarlett Mullion's colt from Boherguy Stud for €80,000 (US$88,268) while his grandson Supremacy (IRE) supplied the other yearling to reach that level, with America's Legion Bloodstock purchasing Yeomanstown Stud's homebred filly on behalf of United States owner Graham Grace Stables. Acclamation's name appeared up close in the pedigrees of six of the day's seven most expensive yearlings. 2020 Middle Park Stakes (G1) winner Supremacy is from the first crop of Mehmas (IRE) and retired to Yeomanstown Stud at a fee €12,500 for the 2022 season. The 2020 Richmond Stakes (G2) winner whose race profile is quite similar to that of his sire had seven of his 10 lots offered Oct. 3 sell for an average of €31,000. His most expensive, the filly bought to race in America, possesses a pedigree with very obvious appeal to her buyers. She is the third foal out of Dreamadreamforme who won at 4 for Sierra Farm and was purchased by Yeomanstown at age 5 at the 2019 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale for $95,000. She is a More Than Ready half sister to Daddy Long Legs (Scat Daddy), who won the 2011 Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) and 2012 U.A.E. Derby (G2) for Ballydoyle and Coolmore. Legion's Travis Durr, who will handle her early training for Graham Grace, could see plenty of her broodmare sire about the bay. "I'm not very familiar with Supremacy but there is a lot of More Than Ready in this filly which I really like. She will go to my training center in South Carolina to be started," remarked Durr. In addition to Daddy Long Legs, Dreamadreamforme is a half sister to the 2007 Esplanade Stakes winner Tres Dream (Chester House). Legion also purchased a Mohaather (GB) colt from Baroda Stud for €38,000 and a son of Advertise (GB), offered by Kildaragh Stud, for €26,000. The final of four days' trading in yearlings at Kildare Paddocks concludes Oct. 4.