A Dubawi full-brother to world champion Ghaiyyath who sold for €700,000 was one of 36 six-figure lots in a strong session of trade for premier-league offerings at the Goffs November Foal Sale today.

Just short of €12.5 million was turned over on the 173 lots, for an average of €71,951 and median of €52,000. The clearance rate stood at an excellent 85%.

Not for the first time, the premier session of a major Goffs sale was lit up by the progeny of the Weld family’s Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Nightime (Lot 767), a homebred who hailed from the first crop of wonder sire Galileo.

Lucky Vega gave €700,000 for the great mare’s 13th foal, an attractive chestnut colt by Dubawi sent up by the Welds' Springbank Way Stud. Zhang Yuesheng was identified as the buyer, the owner of Yulong. 

That follows €1.2 million given for the dual winner Al Nafir in 2019 and €1.2m paid for world champion Ghaiyyath four years earlier. Both were also by Dubawi.

In total, the dam has produced seven winners, also including Man O’War Stakes heroine Zhukova and Listed-placed Sleeping Beauty. She is the granddam of four further black-type horses, while Ghaiyyath is considered one of the most exciting first-crop yearling sires in Europe.

“He was a cracking foal, a lovely individual and a great walker,” said Dermot Weld. “I’m so proud of everyone on the farm, including my son Mark and our stud groom Mark Murphy, who put a lot into it.

“Nightime is in foal to Wootton Bassett, she’s in great form and very healthy. Her own dam Caumshinaun is also at home on the farm at the age of 26, retired, naturally, but being well looked after and treated as a matron.

“It’s a wonderful family, and growing all the time. I bought Caumshinaun from the Irish National Stud at the Goffs Orby Sale a quarter of a decade ago. She was a very good filly, and then she gave us a Classic winner in Nightime, so it’s been very special.”

Asked whether he had any Ghaiyyath yearlings to train next year, he said with a glint in his eye: “I have a couple of very nice colts by him to race, and a couple of very nice filly foals.” 

Goffs