Yulong’s Lucky Vega makes a splash at Goffs
Vegas magic was on display over the weekend as the F1 circus performed under the neon glare of the Strip, but it was the razzmatazz of Vega magic that dazzled at Goffs on Monday when the first crop of Yulong’s Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) winner Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega) starred on the opening day of the November Foal Sale.
Zhang Yuesheng’s son of Lope De Vega (Shamardal), who stands the northern hemisphere at the Irish National Stud, faces the sales ring critics for the first time this week and the reviews were positive for the Classic-placed miler, who sired two of the nine lots to hit at least €50,000 (approx. AU$83,300) at Kildare Paddocks during the first session.
With an average price of €36,000 (approx. AU$60,000) and an 80 per cent clearance rate for the sire’s stock, which were bred from an advertised fee of €15,000 (approx. AU$25,000), Cathal Beale, CEO of the Irish National Stud, was very pleased with the reception afforded the sire’s first foals.
“We’ve two Lucky Vegas in the top ten, which is great,” he said. “They’ve sold great and the talk from all of the buyers is very positive. The clearance rate is very good for vendors, which is great, and something we are very conscious about.
“None of the horses sold have fallen below the stud fee and the top-priced Lucky Vega made €65,000, bought by the Lucky Vega syndicate, and it was great to see that support from within.”
Lucky Vega was the leading sire on aggregate and narrowly second to Earthlight (Shamardal) to be leading sire on average.
Top billing went to a half-brother of Secret Time (Camacho), who was second in the Prix d’Aumale (Gr 3, 1600m). Consigned by Irene Scheldt, he was bought by the Lucky Vega team that is here in numbers and offering strong support to their sire.
Their first purchase is a half-brother to a pair of winners and out of Song Of Time (Kheleyf), a winning sister Caprella, who was placed in the Brownstown Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) and the Sweet Mimosa Stakes (Listed, 6f) for Paul Deegan.
Scheldt consigns just two foals this week and both are by Lucky Vega and offered on behalf of the same breeder and client; Gestut Kussaburg. The proprietor, Dr Karlheinz Wurtenberger, was so impressed by Lucky Vega while viewing stallions on the ITM Stallion Trail that he booked in two mares to visit him.
Jamie Railton purchased two daughters of Lucky Vega during the session, with his most expensive coming from the Irish National Stud’s draft. The €55,000 (approx. AU$91,600) filly is a half-sister to Viadelamore, a winning daughter of Invincible Spirit (Green Desert), and out of Love Street, a Kitten’s Joy (El Prado) half-sister to Group 3 winner Bold Union (Dixie Union).
Railton’s other Lucky Vega purchase was from Skara Stud, who consigned a half-sister to four winners headed by Taamol (Helmet), whose black-type wins included the King Charles II Stakes (Listed, 7f) and he parted with €45,000 (approx. AU$74,900).
Shamardal sire power
The Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) sireline was a hot commodity during the day, with the second crop of foals by dual Group 1-winning shuttler Earthlight producing two of the top ten including the day’s joint highest-priced foal, and recording the best average, at €36,143 (approx. AU$60,200), which was a nose ahead of Lucky Vega.
Ridge Manor Stud offered the colt, who is the third foal out of Gilded Flyer, an unraced Danehill Dancer (Danehill) half-sister to stakes-placed Emperor Hadrian, by Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill). His second dam, Gilded Edge (Cadeaux Genereux), is a half-sister to Halland Park Lass (Spectrum), who is the dam of Dutch Art (Medicean) and Up (Galileo).
John Banahan was very satisfied with the €80,000 (approx. AU$133,300) sale of the March-born chestnut to the renowned nursery of Ballyphilip Stud.
He said: “We sold him for a client and we are very pleased he sold so well. He is a lovely, straightforward foal and was busy from when we started showing. Earthlight is a very popular sire and it is great to get the week off to such a good start.”
Paul McCartan, who was multi-tasking by bidding online while busy viewing foals for later in the week, was very impressed with the colt.
“He is a lovely horse with plenty of size, scope and strength about him and he is a very good mover,” he said. “He is a very correct foal with an attractive head and he reminded me of the good Earthlights sold at the yearling sales.”
Con Marnane, for one, is a huge supporter of Darley’s young shuttle star Blue Point (Shamardal) and gave €56,000 (approx. AU$93,300) for Oaklawn Stud’s son of Freezy (Dalakhani).
He remarked: “We are big fans of the sire and pound for pound he is one of the best young stallions in Europe. We have a couple to breeze next year and have a mare in foal to him as well. We tried to get another mare into him but he was fully booked.
“This is a very good colt and he comes from a great nursery. This was a lovely colt by him, and he’s been bought for resale as a yearling. We’ll look after him until next autumn and if we don’t manage to sell him then, we’ll breeze him instead.”
The colt is out of mare Freezy, which means he is bred on similar lines to Shamardal’s champion two-year-old son Pinatubo, who has his first runners in 2024.
Freezy was fourth at Listed level and is a half-sister to Group 1 winners and ill-fated Novara Park Stud-based Jakkalberry (Storming Home) and Crackerjack King (Shamardal).
Monday’s opening session of the November Foal Sale got the ball rolling on six days of trading at Goffs in a steady fashion. From the 212 foals offered, 158 were sold, which gives a clearance rate of 75 per cent. That generated trade of €3,157,000 (approx. AU$5,259,200), with an average price of €19,982 (approx. AU$33,300) and the median at €16,000 (approx. AU$26,600).