Goffs Orby yearling sale shows strong gains

The two-day Goffs Orby yearling sale ended Thursday in Ireland with large increases across the board as Galileo relations took center stage at the market’s top.

The 2012 auction was one day shorter than 2011’s edition and sold fewer horses, but its gross receipts for 301 yearlings (versus 487 last year) was up 21 percent to about $35,346,350. Average and median prices also made hefty gains. Both figures nearly doubled, with the average price rising 95 percent to about $117,429, and the median climbing 93 percent to about $75,400.

The sale-topper was a bay Galileo colt who is a half-brother to 2009 E. P. Taylor Stakes winner Lahaleeb. Form Bloodstock went to 800,000 euros, or about $1,040,000, for the colt, a son of Flames, by Blushing Flame. The May 23 colt also is a half-brother to group-placed stakes-winner Precocious Star. Tally-Ho Stud was the consignor.

The two-day auction’s highest price for a filly was 775,000 guineas, or about $1 million, for a full sister to recent Group 1 winner Dawn Approach. Peter and Ross Doyle, as agents, bought the May 1 filly, who is by Galileo’s son New Approach and out of the Phone Trick mare Hymn of the Dawn. Redmondstown Stud sold the bay filly.