A Galileo filly and a Teofilo colt each brought €300,000 ($404,034 in U.S. funds) to share the top-priced honors during the opening session of the Goffs Orby yearling sale Sept. 28 in Ireland.
Coolmore Stud agent Demi O’Byrne purchased the filly from Croom House Stud. The bay yearling is the second foal out of the winning Zafonic mare Winning Sequence, who is a half sister to Coquerelle (by Zamindar), winner of the 2007 Montjeu Coolmore Prix Staint-Alary (Fr-I) and third in the 2007 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (gr. IT).
Sir Robert Ogden bought the colt from Hawthorn Villa Stud. The dark bay or brown yearling is the second foal out of the winning Giant's Causeway mare Hundred Year Flood, who is a half sister to 2008 Endine Handicap (gr. III) and Beautiful Day Stakes winner Sweet Hope (by Lemon Drop Kid ). Sweet Hope also was second in the 2008 Test Stakes (gr. I).
The results for the first session included a gross of €9,657,500 ($13,030,800) for the 149 yearlings that sold. The average price was €64,815 ($87,292), and the median price was €50,000 ($67,339). The clearance rate for the 221 horses offered was 67.4%.