Wondrous Story leads penultimate session of Goffs' November

Strong trade during the penultimate session of Goffs' November sale bucked

the trend of the previous six days as returns advanced over last year's

corresponding figures at the Kill venue on Saturday.

Swettenham Stud's winning mare WONDROUS STORY, offered as Hip No. 1599, led

the way and earned the top price when she was knocked down to Adrian Nicoll of

BBA Ireland for 165,000. The daughter of Royal Academy is a half-sister to

multiple Group 3 winner Musicale (The Minstrel) and hails from the family of

multiple champion

Committed (Hagley). The latter is also the granddam of probable turf champion

English Channel (Smart Strike).

"She's a lovely mare and it's family I know well," revealed Nicoll. "I bought her Danehill Dancer yearling here

(130,000 Goffs Challenge)

and she has gone into training with Brian Meehan who seems to like her. She's

from a good pedigree that has plenty going for it and it's not often that you

can buy mares like this. She has been bought for an English client."

Second

place on the podium went to Darley's SO SWEET (Cape Cross [Ire]), who went the way of Albert

and Lousie Conneally's Moorpark Stud for 125,000. Offered as Hip 1755, the

two-time winner is a full sister to dual stakes score Crosspeace.

"We're

trying to build up a strong broodmare band and this filly fit the bill,"

explained stud manager Sinead McGlynn. "She's a good-looking, good-walking sort

from a good pedigree."

BBA Ireland was the successful bidder for the day's third-highest priced lot

when snapping up Mount Armstrong Stud's Hip 1762,

ALEXANDER ICEQUEEN (Soviet Star), for 115,000. The five-year-old was placed in two

listed events as a juvenile and hit the board in the Ballyogan S. (Ire-G3) and Brownstown S.

(Ire-G3) during her sophomore campaign. She was covered by both Danehill

Dancer and Redback this year.

An improved clearance rate, by the

week's standards, of 75 percent helped the aggregate up almost 16 percent on

last year while the session average jumped almost a fifth to 22,719. Overall

returns still finished in arrears, but pleasing trade saw the average end up

just under 3 percent behind last year's two-day equivalent.

The final session commences Sunday. Full results can be viewed at www.goffs.com.