Part 1 of the Land Rover Sale continued apace today, with trade during the second session topped by Willie Mullins’ and Harold Kirk’s purchase of Liss House’s gelding by Walk In The Park (Lot 291), sire of Douvan and Min, for €165,000 which surpassed the top price at the 2015 Sale. Among the other six figure sales today was a Shantou own brother to Grade 2 winner Wounded Warrior and Grade 3 winner Sword Of Destiny (Lot 232) that was knocked down to Ian Ferguson for €110,000. The three year old gelding was consigned by White Horse Stud, the property of Stephen Lanigan O’Keeffe. Another to fetch the €110,000 mark was Glenvale Stud’s son of Flemensfirth out of a sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Albertas Run (Lot 282) that was purchased by Alan and Ann Potts. Full results and statistics for the Land Rover Sale Part 1 are available here. Commenting on trade so far at the Land Rover, Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby said: “The Land Rover Sale has been one of the real success stories for Goffs in recent years as it has really come of age and become a first choice sale for so many leading NH breeders. That recent success and the phenomenal racetrack performances of the sale’s graduates led to an unprecedented demand for places in 2016 with the result that our Day 1 was expanded into a two day Part 1 sale. Today’s top price of €165,000, the third highest in the sale’s history, was an obvious highlight and it was pleasing that the number of six figure transactions and €50,000 and above lots grew again, clearly demonstrating that the top of the NH market is as strong at Goffs as anywhere. However it would be wrong not to acknowledge that the market is becoming more selective as foal crops and catalogue sizes grow again as evidenced by the drop in average and median although that was nearly inevitable with bigger numbers whilst a clearance rate of 87% is very acceptable. In addition several outside factors certainly played their part in what is almost entirely a domestic (UK and Ireland) sale from a buyers’ point of view, not least the huge uncertainty caused by the row currently being played out regarding Britain’s membership of the EU. Uncertainty is truly the enemy of any marketplace, not just bloodstock, and the negativity being perpetuated by all sides of that particular argument certainly does not lend itself to confident horse trading. As ever I want to pay tribute to our NH vendors who are supporting Goffs, and the Land Rover Sale in particular, in increasing numbers and with increasing quality as we are nothing without their horses or, indeed, the buyers who have flocked to Goffs searching for their next Festival winner. For now we look forward to Part 2 tomorrow with huge enthusiasm, safe in the knowledge that the day will produce yet more NH stars of the future”
Goffs Land Rover Sale concluded with a flourish today with lively trade throughout Part 2 topped by a Presenting filly from Peter Nolan Bloodstock (Lot 469) that was purchased by Bobby O’Ryan for €57,000. A sister to four winners, she is out of a half-sister to a pair of Grade 2 winners in Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi.
The Ballincurrig House Stud draft provided the next highest price of the day with their son of Kayf Tara out of a sister to Welsh National winner Dream Alliance (Lot 588) that sold to Johnny Hurley for €48,000. Monbeg Stables secured the Busher Bloodstock-consigned Fuisse gelding Peterborough (Lot 471), a brother to a Grade 2 winner in France, for €37,000, while another stand out lot of the final session was a son of Sixties Icon from Ballyreddin Stud (Lot 524) that was knocked down at €36,000 to Margaret Mullins who bought Cheltenham Grade 1 winner Martello Tower at the same sale in 2011.
Reflecting on another strong renewal of the Goffs Land Rover Sale, Henry Beeby, Goffs Chief Executive said:
The Land Rover Sale has been one of the real success stories for Goffs in recent years as it has really come of age and become a first choice sale for so many leading NH breeders. That recent success and the phenomenal racetrack performances of the sale’s graduates led to an unprecedented demand for places in 2016 resulting in a three day sale for the first time, with Day 1 expanding into a two day Part 1 catalogue and Part 2 finishing the sale today.
Our top price of €165,000, the third highest in the sale’s history, was an obvious highlight and it was pleasing that the number of six figure transactions and €50,000 and above lots grew again, clearly demonstrating that the top of the NH market is as strong at Goffs as anywhere. In addition a lively trade continued to the end which goes some way to vindicating the larger catalogue.
However it would be wrong not to acknowledge that the market is becoming more selective as foal crops and catalogue sizes grow again as evidenced by the slight drop in average although that was nearly inevitable with bigger numbers whilst a clearance rate of 84% over the three days is very acceptable and it is pleasing that the median held steady.
In addition several outside factors certainly played their part in what is almost entirely a domestic (UK and Ireland) sale from a buyers’ point of view, not least the huge uncertainty caused by the row currently being played out regarding Britain’s membership of the EU. Uncertainty is truly the enemy of any marketplace, not just bloodstock, and the negativity being perpetuated by all sides of that particular argument certainly does not lend itself to confident horse trading. We believe that is the primary, if not only reason for slightly less UK buyers this year as they await the outcome of the 23rd June vote before committing to another horse in training.
As ever I want to pay tribute to our NH vendors who are supporting Goffs, and the Land Rover Sale in particular, in increasing numbers and with increasing quality as we are nothing without their horses or, indeed, the buyers who have flocked to Goffs searching for their next Festival winner.