Bolger snaps up top three at Goffs Orby

Jim Bolger's name is intrinsically linked with Goffs, having bought many of

his equine stars here, and the maestro of Coolcullen wrote a new chapter

Thursday when he took home the top three lots, all fillies.

The €100,000

session-topper emanates from the first crop of Hurricane Run (Ire) (Montjeu

[Ire]), consigned as Hip No. 550 by Ennistown Stud. Bolger currently trains her

half-brother, the two-year-old Puncher Clynch (Azamour [Ire]), and the

form of his recent Listowel nursery success was made to look all the better

after the runner-up Joshua Tree (Montjeu [Ire]) captured last Saturday's Royal Lodge S.

(Eng-G2).

The filly's dam, Dance Troupe (Rainbow Quest), is a half to the listed winner Self Defense (Warning

[GB]), who was later a high-class hurdler; and Epping (Charnwood Forest

[Ire]), who produced the 2006 St Leger (Eng-G1) runner-up The Last Drop (Ire) (Galileo

[Ire]).

Directly before that filly entered the ring, Bolger secured Cooneen Stud's

Indian Haven (Indian Ridge) half-sister to the stakes-winning

Dancing Master (Ire) (Nashwan). She hails from the Ballymacoll family of

top-class performers Stream of Gold (Ire) (Rainbow Quest), Petrushka (Ire) (Unfuwain)

and Conduit (Ire) (Dalakhani).

Bolger's  €95,000 purchase of that

April-foaled bay matched the sum he had earlier paid for another member of

the Ennistown draft by Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill), who had done so well

the previous day. Hip 447 is out of a sister to the group-placed Sadler's Wells

duo Unique Pose (Ire) and Easy Sunshine (Ire) from the family of Moyglare Stud's

top-class distaffers Easy to Copy (Affirmed), Trusted Partner (Affirmed) and

Dress to Thrill (Ire) (Danehill).

"I sent a few mares to Hurricane Run, and the

filly is a half-sister to a good two-year-old of mine in Puncher Clynch," Bolger

said. "The Indian Haven was just a gorgeous filly from a good pedigree, and Holy

Roman Emperor was the best horse not to win the Dewhurst S. (Eng-G1) in the last 25

years."

Management at Goffs was largely satisfied with the outcome of the Orby Sale

Thursday, with a near 4 percent rise in median defying some of the worst

expectations. Thursday's third day replaced the Sportsman's Sale, and there

were major increases in the session average and median to help justify that

move. The former figure of €15,217 was up by 27 percent, and the

€10,000 median

was a third more than the 2008 equivalent.

In his end-of-sale statement, the

company's Chief Executive Henry Beeby was notably upbeat.

"The Goffs Orby Sale is the showcase for the best-bred yearlings in

Ireland and Irish breeders certainly answered our call this year, rewarding us

with a catalog of depth,

diversity and quality," Beeby said. "In particular, Days 1 and 2 represented all

that is best about Irish-breds, and it was most gratifying to hear so many

favorable comments about the catalog.

"Given the current economic climate and

the results of other recent sales, we are perfectly satisfied with the last

three days. Kildare Paddocks have never been busier, with many vendors reporting

more shows than ever, which is surely the consequence of the truly excellent

racetrack results of recent Goffs graduates.

"Our decision to focus on the horse

this year, without setting specific targets in terms of numbers, seems to have

been vindicated, and was taken after consultation with a wide range of clients.

Our vendors worked with us to provide a group of yearlings that have been

universally praised and then took them to the sales ring with the primary target

of selling, resulting in an excellent clearance rate of 82 percent, which

illustrates a most pragmatic approach against such a challenging backdrop.

"The

declines endured by this sale last year were certainly painful, and there is no

doubt that it has not been plain sailing this week, but to have halted the slide

where others have not been able is certainly a relief, and we must thank the

Irish breeders who have supported Goffs so resolutely with such a fine

collection of wonderful yearlings.

"We are also indebted to our international

group of buyers who have traveled from all over the world, attracted in no

small part by the enthusiastic approach of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, to buy

the very best Irish yearlings on the market. We have welcomed buying groups from

19 different countries this year, with a particularly high number of UK trainers

and agents who recognize the value, quality and diversity at Goffs in Ireland.

"Cutting the numbers inevitably results in a turnover drop for us, but that

decision has allowed us to focus on real quality from start to finish, which has

led to an average that is within 8 percent of last year and a median that rose

by 11 percent on Days 1 and 2 and 4 percent overall -- not bad when

compared to others both within and without the bloodstock industry. Goffs exists

to serve the Irish breeder, and we do that best when supported with the kind of

quality we have offered over these three days, as our sales have always been

about exporting quality Irish bloodstock around the globe.

"On the evidence of the 2009 Orby Sale, both those goals have been achieved

in part, and we will continue to strive to meet them still further in 2010 and

beyond."