Teo’s Sister became the most expensive horse ever sold at the Goffs February mixed sale when she brought €500,000 ($656,290 in U.S. funds) during the second and final session of the auction.
Franck Bennillouche of Haras De Bernesq purchased the 4-year-old filly from trainer Jim Bolger’s Glebe House Stables Feb. 16 in Ireland.
A daughter of Galileo, Teo’s Sister has won one of her three career races. She is a full sister to Teofilo, who was Europe’s champion 2-year-old male in 2006 when he captured such races as the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (Eng-I) and Laing O’Rourke National Stakes (Ire-I). Their dam, Speirbhean (by Danehill) won the 2001 Derrinstown Stud One Thousand Guineas Trial Stakes in Ireland.
The final results for the auction included a gross of €3,706,500 for the 277 horses sold. The average price was €13,381 ($17,564) and the median price was €5,500 ($7,219).
Compared with a year ago, the number sold and gross rose 30.7% and 100.9%, respectively. The average and median increased 53.8% and 10%, respectively.
The clearance rate was 62.1% compared with 61.8% in 2011.
“There has never been any doubt in our minds that the Goffs February sale is a class above in terms of auctions at this time of year, and trade over the last two days has clearly illustrated that this is Europe’s premier mid-winter sale,” Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby said. “The sale of Teo’s Sister for €500,000 set a new record price for the February sale and, as with Banimpire here in November, Jim Bolger has proven the point yet again that when you bring the best to Goffs, you get the best prices.
"We hope that this theme will encourage more notable Irish breeders to follow Jim’s example as Goffs will not let them down. There has been real depth to the trade, with exceptional competition for the better yearlings on offer (Feb. 15) that saw last year’s highest-priced yearling eclipsed by some way on no less than six occasions, headed by the top price of €200,000 ($263,146) and huge increases in turnover, average, and median.
"The strength of the catalog drew what I believe is the largest and most international collection of buyers to this sale for many years, with a real buzz around the complex from start to finish.”
