Twenty-six six-figure lots changed hands during a decidedly solid renewal of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, and the last of those provided a late twist at the conclusion of the Aug. 28 session. Day 2's headline act was the penultimate yearling in the ring, and was knocked down at £150,000 (US$202,500, £1=US$1.35) after an online bid from agent Jason Kelly.
The colt in question is by Mehmas and out of Tuileries Garden. This pedigree makes the in-demand youngster a half brother to this year's Queen Mary Stakes (G2) runner-up Flowerhead, who was last seen finishing a close-up third in the St Hugh's Stakes. Flowerhead's trainer Charlie Clover stood beside Alex Elliott as the agent finished among the also-rans.
"He'll be in the Bond Thoroughbred colors with Geoff Oldroyd," said Kelly, speaking by phone from the airport. "Geoff's had a fantastic season and Charlie (Bond) was looking to find a nice sharp 2-year-old for him for next year.
"Geoff and PJ McDonald have been on the ground this week and both saw the horse and were keen. It was a long wait for him but he was the one they wanted. PJ has been a big part of the team this year. He's been in Geoff's yard riding plenty of work and has been a big part of the success this season. It's a team operation and PJ has been a big part of it."
The session-topping colt was sold by the sale's leading vendor, Tally-Ho Stud. The O'Callaghan family's operation traded 24 yearlings for receipts totaling £1,743,000 at an average price of £72,625.
Expanding on the colt's appeal, Kelly said: "He's a May foal but he's a very strong, powerful horse. Obviously the sister has looked sharp and precocious this year when she's run to a very high level, so hopefully he'll be able to do something similar. This mare looks like she's producing strong 2-year-old types."
Kelly, whose haul included the Day 1 purchase of a £180,000 daughter of Havana Grey also for Bond Thoroughbreds, added: "I've bought four in total for different connections. It's been a strong sale and buying has been tough throughout. Every horse was pushed to the top end of their valuation, which is a great sign for the market."
Although trade took a little while to warm up during both sessions, the two-day sale still produced a healthy set of figures.
The clearance rate was 86% as 331 yearlings found a buyer from 383 offered. This meant that 77 fewer lots were offered than 12 months ago. However, despite the reduction in offered lots, turnover was down just 5% at £14,297,000 (US$19,300,950).
Arguably the most impressive metric was the median price, which improved 17% from £30,000 last year to £35,000 (US$47,250) this time around. The average also climbed by 9% to £43,195 (US$58,313).
