Fourpenny Lane, a 4-year-old stakes-winning daughter of Efisio, brought the top price of 100,000 euros ($148,700 in U.S. funds) as the Goffs November breeding stock sale ended its two-day run in Ireland Nov. 22. She was the most expensive horse sold during the entire auction.
A Giant's Causeway filly, the second foal out of 2005 Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) winner Saoire, was the star of Goffs Orby yearling sale's opening session in Ireland Sept. 29. She commanded the highest price of 475,000 euros ($695,124 in U.S funds) from bloodstock agent Hugo Merry, who was acting on behalf of Dr. Jim Hay.
The 74 horses sold at the May 1 Tattersalls Guineas breeze up sale May 1 in England grossed 2,819,200 guineas and averaged 38,097 guineas. The median price was 25,000 guineas.
Sky Gate, a 3-year-old son of Arch, brought 47,000 guineas to top the Tattersalls February mixed sale in England. Bloodstock agent Hugo Merry, acting on behalf of American trainer Marty Wolfson, purchased the bay colt.
It's crunch time for North America's Thoroughbred yearling market, which faces its biggest test when the Keeneland September sale gets under way. There are more horses cataloged than ever before, 5,555, and they will be offered over 15 sessions beginning Sept. 8 in Lexington.
Veteran bloodstock agent Richard Galpin of Newmarket International is on life support at Aventura Hospital and Medical Center in South Florida after becoming ill while in the Miami area for Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton select sale of 2-year-olds in training at Calder Race Course.
Declines, but not big ones, are expected at the Keeneland September yearling sale, which begins Monday.
Newmarket trainer John Gosden topped Tuesday's pipe-opener to part two of Tattersalls' October yearling sale in England when paying 250,000 guineas for a first-crop Oasis Dream colt out of Top Flight Queen (by Mark Of Esteem), consigned from Salah Fustok's Deerfield Farm.
Keeneland's September yearling sale, which opens Monday in Lexington, became the highest-grossing Thoroughbred auction in history last year. That's an achievement that's hard to top, but at least one buyer thinks the auction will build on its record.
A buoyant day one of Tattersalls' mixed July Sale was topped by 3-year-old Mermaid Island -- a half sister to group I Irish One Thousand Guineas winner Nightime -- who made 290,000 guineas when sold to Irish agent Hugo Merry, acting for Dean Fleming's Tyreel Stud in Australia.
Heat Lightning lit up the bid board at Keeneland Thursday, selling for $1.1 million at the November breeding stock auction in Lexington less than two weeks after her son, Stevie Wonderboy, captured the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I).
The Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale record price of 525,000gns was equaled Thursday on the final day of the 2004 auction when progressive handicapper Kehaar (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) was bought by John Ferguson on behalf of Godolphin.
Kentucky-based Irishman Niall O'Callaghan will take charge of 2-year-old Embossed (Ire) (Mark Of Esteem{Ire}) after the colt sold for 250,000gns at Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale in Newmarket Wednesday.
Hugo Merry Bloodstock paid a top price of $220,000 for a 6-year-old broodmare by Irish River during Friday's session of Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale.
