Sottsass Colt Tops Goffs Weanling Trade At €115,000

A first crop son of Sottsass topped weanling trade at the Goffs February Sale when knocked down to leading operation Tally-Ho Stud for €115,000.

Ross Doyle and Coolmore representatives were among the underbidders for Wednesday’s top lot, which was offered by Baroda Stud on behalf of breeder China Horse Club. After successfully securing the February-born bay, Tally Ho’s Tony O’Callaghan commented, “He’s a good colt, but we’re leaving all options open for him. He could come back to a yearling sale later in the year, or he could be one for one of the breeze-up sales next year.”

“The Sottsass was a good, straightforward colt who had good X-rays and a good scope,” Baroda’s David Cox said after the sale. “He'd plenty of fans–he had six or seven vets, and there was plenty of action on him.”

Baroda Stud enjoyed a fruitful two days at Goffs, where they also consigned the sale’s top-priced mare Red Azalea (Galileo), who sold for €340,000, while other notable results included a second crop daughter of Magna Grecia, who brought €58,000 from MAB Agency.

“The Magna Grecia filly was lovely,” Cox commented. “She's a homebred by the Niarchos family and the half-sister is doing well in France.”

The first foals by World Champion Three-Year-Old Sottsass made an impressive sales ring debut at the same venue in November, when Michael Fitzpatrick and Barry Mahon’s JC Bloodstock stretched to €180,000 for a colt offered by Grenane House Stud. The same sale saw Mags O’Toole give €105,000 for a Sottsass filly and the top pinhooker secured a colt by the sire for 80,000gns at Tattersalls.

In his sire’s native France, a Sottsass colt brought €105,000 from Trotting Bloodstock and Jamie Railton. Other notable purchasers of the Arc hero’s stock included Glenvale Stud, Larry Stratton and Oliver St Lawrence.