Date posted September 29, 2009 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Premium Updates,
Racing and Breeding,
Shamardal The Richard Hannon trained Lucky General maintained his trainer’s remarkable record in sales races when scooping the first Goffs Million prize at the Curragh on Sunday.
Just for good measure the runner up, Full Mandate is also trained by Hannon with King Ledley running a blinder in third.
As with most of the Hannon juveniles, Lucky General (ex Dress Code by Barathea) was purchased by Peter & Ross Doyle. Their record of buying precocious racehorses without spending a fortune is really quite amazing. Last year they won both Goffs Million races with Soul City and Minor Vamp and this year they have been represented by the likes of Dick Turpin, Monsieur Chevalier and Canford Cliffs.
None of these horses cost over £50,000 and they all have won multiples of their cost in prize-money, not to mention the excitement they have provided their connections so far.
Lucky General is by Hawk Wing and was bred by Kevin Molloy his half-sister (Lot 563) by Oratorio (by Danehill) is being offered for sale in Goffs on Thursday by Ballybin Stud and is sure to be of interest to prospective purchasers following the impressive performance by Lucky General.
The other Goffs Million prize went to another British raider in Shakespearean (ex Paimpolaise by Priolo). Adopting front running tactics so often used by Mark Johnston runners, Shakespearean showed great guts, fending off challengers from all sides to claim the rich purse. Marfach ran a big race to snatch second for Jim Bolger’s team and Richard Hannon got another slice of the spoils with third place Nurture.
The winner was bought by John Ferguson at last years Goffs Million Sale for €80,000 from Caherass Stud and he races in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum.
Caherass Stud will offer two fillies by Clodovil and Barathea at Goffs this week. Shakespearean was bred by Mrs H Owen and his victory has propelled his sire Shamardal to the top of the first season sires list by earnings. The Kildangan Stud sire is represented by eight lots in Goffs this week.
