Orby Sale of yearlings at Goffs off to a flying start

The annual Orby Sale of yearlings at Goffs got off to a flying start this year with Irish hotelier Noel O’Callaghan’s Mountarmstrong Stud in Co Tipperary achieving €1.7 million for the sale of a yearling filly by champion racehorse Frankel and a daughter of five-time Group 1 winning mare Alexander Goldrun.

The purchaser was Teo Ah Khing, a Malaysian-born entrepreneur who is chairman of the Hong Kong-based company Desert Star Holdings Ltd.

He is also a member of the advisory council of the China Horse Club, which describes itself as “Asia’s premier racing, business and lifestyle club”.

Irish man John Magnier, who owns the famous Coolmore stud, is also a member of the advisory council.

The yearling was one of five from Frankel’s first crop to go under the hammer at the two-day Goffs sale.

The deal represents one of the top five results ever achieved at the annual Orby auction.

Turnover on the first dale of the sale was in the region of €18 million, which was on a par with the opening day of last year.

The sale continues at the Co Kildare venue today at 10am.