Photo by Sarah Farnsworth
Auctioneer Henry Beeby introduced her as a queen and so she proved to be, becoming the first and only yearling the eclipse the million euro mark at the 2023 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale.
The New Bay x Falling Petals filly, an own sister to the exceptional Saffron Beach, won hearts and minds from across the international buying bench before being claimed at €1,650,000 by agent Amanda Skiffington on behalf of Fiona Carmichael.
Immensely impressive from the day she was born at Ballylinch Stud, the gorgeous chestnut floated around the Goffs auction ring as bids were tossed in around her. Carmichael, who has raced the likes of Havana Gold, Hurricane Ivor, Intellogent, Ivawood and Toronado and who purchased the full-brother to this filly 12 months earlier, could not part without her.
Sale topper New Bay x Falling Petals filly
“I hoped I wouldn’t have to go that far to get her. We had to be brave, and we knew we were going to have to be,” Skiffington said of the China Horse Club homebred, having seen off Godolphin and then Abu Dhabi-based Al Shira’aa Farms.
The pedigree is fantastic and she’s just beautiful. We bought the brother last year, who looks like being very good, so that added to the appeal a bit. We thought she’s a collector’s item. She’s a special filly to breed from later on.”
“We thought she’s a collector’s item” – Amanda Skiffington
New Bay x Falling Petals Filly:
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Highest priced yearling by New Bay
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Sales-topper 2023 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale
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4th seven figure yearling sold by CHC in 2023
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10th seven figure yearling sold by CHC since 2020
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2nd million euro yearling CHC has sold at Goffs
The daughter of Falling Petals has set a new high watermark for New Bay’s yearlings, one of a sequence of achievements realized with the fall of the hammer.
She is also the fourth yearling to sold on behalf of China Horse Club’s international breeding operations to realize seven figures this calendar year and the second highest after a €2,200,000 Siyouni x Hourglass colt was secured by Coolmore at Arqana last month.
Her sales figure also triumphs an even €1,000,000 result realized in 2019 for a half-sister to world champion sprinter Harry Angel (Dark Angel x Beatrix Potter filly).
“This is the tenth seven figure yearling China Horse Club has sold since 2020 and the fourth in 2023, results that are a measure of both considerable effort from our regional teams and the appreciation of the market,” said Eden Harrington, Vice President of China Horse Club.
“We wish Fiona Carmichael and Amanda Skiffington every success with this filly and thank them once again for their support. Congratulations are also due to Ballylinch Stud and to our European division headed by Matt Houldsworth.”
Houldsworth, for his part, praised Goffs in exceeding expectations on the final price for the New Bay x Falling Petals filly, saying: “This is a fantastic sale and every time we sell with Goffs they deliver. She deserved to make a good price, we weren’t expecting quite that, but we thought she might make seven figures. She’s an outstanding individual by a stallion who’s very much on the up and with such a good pedigree.”
China Horse Club, in partnership with Qatar Racing and David Howden, were also active in buying over the two day sale. The group, who were buying together at Keeneland earlier this month, secured three colts in a Wootton Bassett colt out of G1 Marcel Boussac Stakes winner Albigna, a Sea The Stars half-brother to G1 winner Phoenix of Spain and a half-brother to current G1 star Fev Rover.
Wootton Bassett x Abigna colt
“This colt has been on our minds since we first saw him,” said Qatar Racing’s David Redvers of the Wootton Bassett colt.
“We are trying to buy horses for a partnership of Sheikh Fahad, the China Horse Club and David Howden with a view of hopefully, one day, turning them into a stallion. He’s by a phenomenal sire of high-class two-year-olds. He is a rockstar individual. Hopefully he will be a top-class two-year-old.”
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