Bloodstock Sales: Those old enough to remember the Cold War got a distinct "Checkpoint Charlie" like vibe at Goffs, Kill Co Kildare, yesterday in what may yet turn out to be a momentous edition of Ireland's most valuable bloodstock sale.
Usually battles turn hot at Goffs over the four-legged embryonic champions that prance around the middle of the arena to the accompaniment of an auctioneer's humming drone in the background.
This time, however, all eyes zeroed in on the two giant battleships that usually cruise racing's seas blasting mere billionaires and middle-ranking tycoons out of the water.
Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai and John Magnier of Coolmore were both in attendance, blending obtrusively among the tweedy set who tried desperately to pretend they had better things to do than stare at them.
But it was no use. Both men stood at opposite ends of the ring, surrounded by the usual gaggle of advisers, and did more than passable displays of ignoring the hell out of the other.
The Sheikh hasn't been to Goffs in years, preferring instead to leave matters to his brother Hamdan. But last week's headlines about Dubai's ruling family boycotting any produce by Coolmore stallions changed all that.
The Sheikh turned up, with his wife, Princess Haya, and those who dismissed the stories as media sensationalism only had to wait a couple of hours for their answer.
Lot 56 was a colt by Sheikh Hamdan's stallion Alhaarth and a short bidding tussle resulted in Hamdan, standing next to his brother, paying out the day's top price of €550,000. Across the ring, a Stetson-toting Magnier was nowhere to be seen. Nothing unusual in that. Alhaarth's aren't the Coolmore supremo's thing. But then came concrete evidence that feelings at racing's rarest level have turned rather hot indeed.
"I thought he was one of the good looking horses at the sale," Sheikh Hamdan told reporters before being asked would he buy other horses at the sale.
"I will buy any good horses," he responded.
"By Coolmore stallions?"
"No," he said.
Sheikh Mohammed stood watching the next lot, by Coolmore's new superstar stallion Montjeu, and kept his hands resolutely down as the colt made €250,000. The question that hung over the ring was how much the colt might have made if the Sheikh had bid.
It's a question that could hang over the entire bloodstock business for some time to come.
Speculation as to the reason for the Maktoum boycott has varied from indignation at having their own breeding operation not supported by Coolmore to bruised feelings at a Dubai World Cup no-show by the Coolmore outfit last March. But Sheikh Mohammed's demeanour yesterday suggested he is prepared for a haul of any length.
"It's a private matter," was his resolute response to questions.
"We don't comment on other people's business," emerged later from a Coolmore spokesman.
No doubt there were similarly heart-warming sentiments at Jutland when the battle wagons were on the verge of slugging it out.
John Warren filled the role of plucky neutral yesterday and the Queen's racing manager went to €525,000 to secure a Danehill colt from the family of the Classic-placed Colonel Collins.
"He's a very special horse and obviously is a stallion prospect," said Warren. "As nice as you could wish to see." He will also be a prospect for the new Goffs Million race, the brain-child of the company chairperson Eimear Mulhern, which will be run on Ryder Cup week at the Curragh next year.
No doubt the idea of a million euro pot to the winner in almost 12 months time helped keep business ticking along yesterday at an impressively brisk rate. So much so that one prominent bloodstock agent dismissed the relevance of the Coolmore-Maktoum dispute as "b----cks!"
Some more reserved types pointed to a generally strong sale but one that lacks the sort of headline grabbing "spectacular" prospect that sends prices into the millions.
Rock Of Gibraltar grabbed more than his share of headlines through a career that included seven consecutive Group Ones and yesterday one of his sons was bought for €410,000 by the English trainer Michael Jarvis.
"I thought he was one of the top two in the sale today and I hope he will be a second half of the season two-year-old," Jarvis said.
A daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar out of the Group Two winner Cassandra Go was bought by Magnier himself for €400,000 Magnier was busy throughout and through his agent Demi O'Byrne paid out €280,000 for a Montjeu filly.
"She's a lovely type and it's quite extraordinary what her sire has done," said O'Byrne.
Lot 56: From Lodge Park Stud, colt by Alhaarth-Alluring Park, buyer Shadwell Estates €550,000
Lot 118: Grangecon Stud, c Danehill-Brigitta, J Warren € 525,000
Lot 105: Marlhill House Stud, c by Rock Of Gibraltar-Biraya, MA Jarvis €410,000
Lot 131: Ballyhimikin Stud, filly by Rock Of Gibraltar-Cassandra Go, J Magnier €400,000
Lot 164: Meadowlands Stud, c by Montjeu-Dafariyna, JH Johnson €360,000
Lot 204: Eadling Farm, by Kingmambo-Ebaraya, Shadwell Estates €360,000
Lot 75: Grangemore Studs, f by Galileo-Ardmelody, Pegasus Farms €330,000
Lot 69: Ballybin Stud, f by Kings Best-Angelic Sounds, Shadwell Estates€320,000
Lot 126: Gerrardstown Stud, c by Marju-Cappella, Darley Stud €310,000
Lot 32: Thomastown Castle Stud, f by Montjeu-Zing Ping, D O'Byrne €280,000
Lot 138: Knockatrina House, f by Titus Livius-Chapka, BBA Ireland €270,000
Lot 38: Forenaghts Stud, c by Sadler's Wells-Above Water, DK Weld €260,000
Lot 4: Loughbrown Stud, f by Theatrical-Veil Of Avalon, Paca Paca Farm €260,000
Lot 99: Lynn Lodge Stud, c by Xaar-Belsay, Darley Stud €260,000
Lot 57: Ashtown Stud, c by Montjeu-Almari, C Gordon-Watson €250,000
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