Maybe it's the hypnotic quality of the procession around the ring, or maybe it's the auctioneer's constant "ba-de-de-ba" recital. But whatever it is, there is nothing quite like a horse sale to desensitise a person to the value of money.
Just before 4.0 yesterday, the much-awaited Lot 343 strode into the Goffs arena as if born to it. Which in a way he was, seeing as life up to now had been on Pat O'Kelly's Meath stud, home to previous Goffs headliners like Salsabil and Marju, both prominent names in his pedigree.
Two minutes later, the son of Kingmambo pranced out again, leaving a deflated crowd behind and carrying a price tag of just £150,00. As Sheikh Hamdan's chequebook fluttered, a local worthy postured close by and whispered to a pal: "For nothing!"
The Sheikh's spokesman, Hubie de Burgh, didn't seem overwhelmed by the price either for a yearling that could end up having all the running ability of Mama Cass. "Very good value," he summed up, and everyone nodded sagely.
Which just shows how mind-numbing the process can be, because yearling sales are about nothing else except money. It's just of the sort that is never going to be pulled out of a back pocket.
The point was proved emphatically a couple of hours later. Pat O'Kelly submitted a Danehill colt that provoked a sellers heavyweight dream: an all-out battle between John Magnier, the Sheikh and the Thoroughbred Corporation.
The Goffs money board spun through figures at a dizzying speed until it hit £2 million and the Sheikh walked out the door. The corporation's Dick Mulhall then hung up the phone to his boss, Prince Ahmed, and yet again it was Magnier's agent Demi O'Byrne who secured the sale topper for £2.1 million.
The colt, a half brother to Second Empire, was the second most expensive horse ever to go though the Goffs ring after the 3.1 million guineas Authaal in 1984.
The stallion of the sale, however, was definitely the Coolmore sire, Danehill. In addition to the £2.1 million lot, a full brother to the Grand Criterium winner Rock of Gibralter was bought by O'Byrne for £550,000, while another Danehill colt was bought for £520,000 by agent Peter Doyle.
Then there was the top filly who was fetched £450,000 to the bid of Luke Lillingston and will go into training with Henry Cecil in Newmarket.
It all helped to produce a sale average yesterday of £85,782 and the average for the two days of the Orby sale ended at £83,343.
Lot 397 colt by Danehill - Welsh Love, Demi O'Byrne, £2.1 million.
Lot 248 c by Danehill - Offshore Boom, Demi O'Byrne, £550,000.
Lot 350 c by Danehill - Stylish, Peter Doyle, £520,000.
Lot 384 filly by Danehill - Twine, K Lillingston, £450,000.
Lot 446 c by Kingmambo - Grapevine, McKeever-St Lawrence, £420,000.
Lot 305 c by Unfuwain - Sabria, Shadwell Estates, £380,000.
Lot 369 c by Danehill - That'll Be The Day, Demi O'Byrne, £360,000.
Lot 268 c by Desert Prince - Ploy, Thoroughbred Corporation, £300,000.
Lot 387 c by Peintre Celebre - Valley Of Hope, Shadwell Estates, £260,000.
Lot 404 f by Grand Lodge - Zanella, France Pur Sang, £210,000.
Lot 347 c by Desert King - Stellar Empress, Thoroughbred Corporation, £200,000.
