Gross up, average and median fall at Goffs Orby sale

The Goffs Orby sale in Ireland saw gains in gross at its first two sessions, but the average and median fell in a tepid performance.

The sale-leader after selling Tuesday and Wednesday was a 350,000-euro New Approach filly that Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum’s Shadwell Estate Company bought from The Castlebridge Consignment. The price was equivalent to about $476,000. The chestnut filly is out of the Indian Ridge mare Posterity and is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Future Generation.

Shadwell also bought the second highest-priced horse so far, a 340,000-euro filly by Arch out of the Kris winner Princess Kris. Airlie Stud sold the U.S.-bred filly, a full sister to Grade 1 winner Prince Arch and a half-sister Group 1 winner Kingsfort. Her price was about $462,400 in American terms.

After Wednesday’s second of three sessions, the Orby sale had grossed about $27,871,840, resulting in an average of about $83,699 for the 333 horses sold. The median was about $57,120. Compared year to year in the auction currency of euros, gross was up 3 percent, but average and median dipped by 5 percent and 7 percent, respectively. Buybacks remained close to level with last year, falling just 1 percentage point, from 19 percent to 20 percent.