Highest Honor Filly Leads Goffs Challenge Sale

Following the two-day Orby sale, there was a lively trade at the one-day Goffs Challenge Sale at Kill, Co Kildare, Ireland, Thursday with a 180,000 euros ($178,173) daughter of French stallion Highest Honor heading the way.

Consigned and bred by the Rogers family's Airlie Stud, the grey is out of Present Imperfect, a maiden half-sister to group II winning sprinter and sire College Chapel. Present Imperfect was bought carrying the filly for 115,000 guineas at the 2000 Tattersalls December Sale at Newmarket, England.

London agent Charlie Gordon-Watson purchased the yearling with Gill Richardson of Bloodhorse International the underbidder.

Next into the ring was a Cadeaux Genereux filly offered by her breeder, Ennistown Stud, for whom another British agent James Delahooke went to 170,000 euros ($168,274) to see off Castlemartin Stud and Skymarc Farm owner Chryss O'Reilly.

This filly, a granddaughter of E.P. Taylor Stakes winner Braiswick, was another bought in utero at the 2000 December Sale -- for 70,000 guineas inside the Nureyev mare Prickwillow, a cast-off from Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation.

The filly's 2-year-old half-brother, Wilful, is held in high regard by trainer Mark Johnston and has won a Doncaster maiden and finished a close third in the group II Futurity Stakes at the Curragh this season.

John Fretwell, an owner with British trainer Bryan McMahon, paid 125,000 euros ($123,731) through agent Jimmy Byrne for a Green Desert grandson of the group I Yorkshire Oaks winner Roseate Tern sent up from Eimear Mulhern's Abbeville and Meadow Court Studs.

Bred by Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Estate Co., the colt is the first foal of the unraced Mr Prospector mare Za Aamah.

Europe's yearling sales season moves to Newmarket on Tuesday for the five-day Tattersalls October Sale, traditionally one of the fairest indicators of the bloodstock market.

The day's action at Goffs resulted in 228 yearlings being sold for 5,948,500 euros ($5,888,123), an average of 26,089 euros ($25,824).