Goffs Arkle Sale

The BHA has confirmed a case of equine influenza in a vaccinated thoroughbred in a yard adjacent to Welsh Grand National-winning trainer Mel Rowley in Shropshire, England. The horse came from the Goffs Arkle Sale in Ireland and arrived in the yard on June 12. It was reported to have been transported along with eight other thoroughbreds who were also purchased at the sale that took place between June 9 and 11.  It is understood that the BHA has contacted those responsible for the horses who came into contact with...

A gelded son of Way To Paris led the way during Part 2 of the Goffs Arkle Sale on Thursday. County Galway point-to-point trainer John Staunton struck the winning bid of €65,000 for the top lot, Ballymarkham Stud's Way To Paris three-parts brother to high-class handicap chaser Downmexicoway (Champs Elysees) out of a half-sister to top hurdler Get Me Out Of Here (Accordion) (lot 573). "I've bought him for Basil Holian, who owns Downmexicoway," reported Staunton. "I trained him and he bought him off me. Basil saw this gelding was...

A total of six lots made €200,000 or more during the second day of the Goffs Arkle Sale Part 1, and top of the heap was Noosa Sport (No Risk At All). The three-year-old filly sold to Gordon Elliott Racing for €240,000. Consigned by Liss House, lot 320 is a full-sister to G3 Prix Romati Chase heroine Geelong Sport (No Risk At All) and a half-sister to G1 Prix Maurice Gillois Chase victor Leader Sport (Nirvana Du Berlais). The day's highest priced gelding was Okekoko (Cokoriko) (lot 350) who went...

Mícheál O'Brien of Creighmore Stables was in a daze after topping Tuesday's opening session of the Goffs Arkle Sale with a Goliath Du Berlais gelding out of a Muhtathir half-sister to the Grade 3-winning hurdler Raffles Sainte (Saint Des Saints). Offered as lot 201, he was knocked down to Gordon Elliott for €275,000. "It's a serious result for my farm in east Cork. It's not a big place and to turn that sort of money is a big help," said the consignor, who had pinhooked the top lot for €40,000....

The catalogue for the Goffs Arkle Sale is now online. Set for June 9-10 for Part I and June 11 for Part II, the sale features 732 stores. A total of 10 Arkle graduates have won Grade 1 races this past season, four at Cheltenham, four at Punchestown, and one each at Aintree and Fairyhouse. Lot 249, a Harzand half-brother to Grade 1 winner and Grand National hero Tiger Roll (Authorized), stars at the sale. Other lots of note include the half- or full-siblings to Grade 1 winners: lot 57,...

A son of Crystal Ocean (lot 703) took pride of place during Part 2 of the Goffs Arkle Sale on Thursday. The gelding, from the Woodhouse Stud draft, caught the eye of Gerry Hogan Bloodstock and Paul Nolan Racing and was secured for €70,000. Out of a full-sister to Grade 3 hurdle winner Cup Final (Presenting), the 3-year-old store is a grandson of multiple Grade 1-winning hurdler Asian Maz (Anshan). Of the 229 horses offered, 176 (77%) sold for an aggregate of €3,192,500 (+42%). The average rose 20% to €18,140...

A 2-year-old store by Walk In The Park made €230,000 on the bid of Gerry Aherne to top the Goffs Arkle Sale on Wednesday. Sold as lot 457 from the Glenwood Stud draft, the colt is out of G2 Warfield Mares Hurdle heroine Sparky May (Midnight Legend), who ran third in the G1 Sefton Novices' Hurdle. Her best produce is Grade 1-winning hurdler and chaser Stage Star (Fame And Glory). He sold for €110,000 to Richard Frisby during the 2023 Goffs December National Hunt Sale. Leading the 3-year-old stores was...

Coolmeen Farms shelled out €190,000 for lot 133, a son of No Risk At All, who topped the first day of the Goffs Arkle Sale on Tuesday. Consigned by Sluggara Farms, the 3-year-old gelding is out of a full-sister to stakes winner Bonne Gargotte (Poliglote) and a half-sister to Trait De Genie (Diamond Prospect). Trainer Ellmarie Holden bought the half-brother to Flat listed winner Syrita (Siyouni) with her father Paul under the Coolmeen banner. They previously pinhooked two-mile chaser Jonbon and sold him to JP McManus for £570,000 at the...

Geldings by Joshua Tree (Ire) (lot 463) and Poet's Word (Ire) (lot 535) shared topper honours when selling for €45,000 to lead the way during Part 2 of the Goffs Arkle Sale on Thursday. Consigned by Liss House, lot 463 was purchased by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins. His dam, Tropical Lilly (Ire) (Saddler's Hall {Ire}) is responsible for Grade 3 chase winner Embittered (Ire) (Fame And Glory {GB}), who was also placed in the G1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle. He was a €5,000 Goffs December National Hunt Sale graduate...

A pair of geldings by No Risk At All (Fr) and Doctor Dino (Fr) were joint toppers at €160,000 during Tuesday's Goffs Arkle Sale Part 1. The former (lot 138), consigned by Liss House, was purchased by Ian Ferguson and is from the family of Grade 2 winner Violin Davis (Fr) (Turgeon). Lot 222, part of the Sluggara Farm draft, went to Gordon Elliott Racing and is a half-brother to listed winner Syrita (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Four other stores made €150,000 or higher, with lot 91, a gelding by Tunis...

A 701-lot catalogue for the Goffs Arkle Sale, held in partnership with Defender, was released by the sales company on Wednesday. Set for June 11-13 beginning at 10 a.m. each day, the sale encompasses a two-day Part 1, featuring 452 elite stores, and another 249 quality prospects are set for Part 2 on June 13. All horses catalogued in Parts 1 and 2 are eligible for the €100,000 Goffs Defender Bumper at the 2025 Punchestown Festival. Sires represented include Authorized (Ire), Blue Bresil (Fr), Crystal Ocean (GB), Doctor Dino (Fr),...

Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby has said that Part 2 of the Goffs Arkle Sale lived up to its billing after turnover climbed 7% on last year to €3,333,500. The average also climbed 10% to €19,725 with the median up 6% to €17,000 while the clearance rate dropped 3% to 79% with 169 of the 215 lots offered finding new homes.  Beeby said, "Our record-breaking Part 1 of the Arkle Sale could have been a hard act to follow but today's Part 2 has very much kept up the momentum...