Goffs

Star Bloodstock, the consignment that unearthed talents like Malavath (Ire), A'Ali (Ire) and more, is set to wind down its breeze-up operation and concentrate entirely on producing future top-notchers on the racetrack instead.  The shift in focus has reaped immediate rewards with the aptly-named Make Haste (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), a leading Royal Ascot contender after posting a stunning debut success at Naas for trainer and breeze-up consignor Diego Dias, being snapped up by Gainesway and LNJ Foxwoods.  Bought by Byron Rogers, Star Bloodstock and Dias at the Tattersalls Book...

A store by Jukebox Jury (Ire) (lot 161), related to a trio of NH stakes winners, brought a session-topping £135,000 fro Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls during the Goffs UK Doncaster Spring Store Sale on Tuesday. From the family of Grade 1 winner Master Minded (Fr) (Nikos {GB}), the bay is out of Fairy Tale (Fr) (Spanish Moon), who already has a winning point-to-pointer to her name. He was consigned by Worthen Hall Stables. Four other lots breached the six-figure mark, with Brown Island Stables' lot 50, already named Beau...

Do you want to feel old? It's over a decade since a baby-faced Connor King burst onto the scene in Ireland and landed Champion Flat Apprentice titles in 2013 and 2015.  King rode winners for some of the biggest names in the sport but his career on the Flat was cruelly cut short when he started to fill into his massive frame. In short, nature took its course.  After a spell riding under National Hunt rules, King is now concentrating fully on training winners rather than riding them, and sent...

Starfield Stud resident Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Jessica Harrington-trained son Rock N Roll Rocket (Ire) made a winning debut over five furlongs in Friday's €25,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden at Cork. 1st-Cork, €25,000, Mdn, 5-10, 2yo, 5fT, 1:00.41, gd. ROCK N ROLL ROCKET (IRE) (c, 2, Far Above {Ire}--California Tee {GB}, by Kheleyf) was positioned in mid division after an alert getaway in this debut. Inching forward from halfway, the 16-1 chance came under pressure with a...

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),...

The Gowran Park Breeze-Up Sale is set to make its return in 2025 with powerhouse consignors Willie Browne, Con Marnane and Roger O'Callaghan pledging to support what was formerly known as the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale.  The Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale was relocated to Fairyhouse and run by Tattersalls Ireland back in 2019. However, this year marks the first time that Tattersalls Ireland will run the sale away from the banner of Goresbridge.  After a four-year hiatus, Goresbridge Horse Sales returned to the point-to-point and horses-in-training market last month under the leadership...

The Ballyboy Stables-consigned Swing Davis (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) (lot 5) took top billing at Thursday's Goffs Punchestown Sale when selling to Mags O'Toole on behalf of Robcour for €320,000. The four-year-old was successful on the second of her two starts in points-to-points, having failed to complete on her first attempt, running out a commanding winner at Loughanmore last week. From the family of the top-class chaser Klairon Davis (Fr) (Rose Laurel {Ire}), Swing Davis is set to go into training with Gordon Elliott. That proved to be...

Henry Beeby has opened the door to Goffs embracing the publication of official times and other data at its newly slated breeze-up sale at Naas racecourse next year but admitted that such a move was unlikely to be met with universal approval from the breeze-up fraternity.  No consignor would be more staunchly against the re-introduction of official times at the breeze-up sales in Europe than Brendan Holland. The Grove Stud operator says official times would create an increased reliance on the clock and would ultimately drive down clearance rates at...

Kenny Alexander, the owner of Honeysuckle (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}), has donated a specific set of racing colours which will be offered as part of the Goffs Punchestown Sale next week, the sales company announced on Friday. Signed by Rachael Blackmore, Henry De Bromhead and Alexander, the silks were worn by Blackmore in all of Honeysuckle's major races, including her four Cheltenham Festival victories. The silks are offered to support the ChildVision indoor equine therapeutic centre named in memory of Jack De Bromhead, which will be built this year. The catalogue...

DONCASTER, UK--Royal Ascot dreams abound for the connections of Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who not only have that unbeaten star to look forward to, but a host of high-class two-year-old prospects as well after Anthony Stroud snapped up speedy fillies by Havana Grey (GB) and Sioux Nation (lot 119) to the tune of £720,000 on behalf of the ownership group at the Goffs Breeze-Up Sale. But Doncaster was dominated by the Derryconnor Stud-drafted diamond by Havana Grey, who led the way at £420,000 to provide top consignor Katie McGivern...

DONCASTER, UK--What a difference a year can make. It was at this sale 12 months ago when Gary de Souza left us poor scribes befuddled. Consigning under the imaginatively-named Gary Bloodstock [!], his Sioux Nation filly, who would later go on to be the Group-placed Gunzburg (Ire), rocked the clock before being knocked down to trainer Paddy Twomey and bloodstock agent Mark McStay for £160,000.  But where was de Souza when it came to getting a quote on Gunzburg, who could conceivably be described as a life-changing filly in the...

Keeneland has become a sponsor of the International Thoroughbred Breeders' Federation, an organization which serves the members of Thoroughbred breeding associations in 26 countries that produce some 80,000 foals annually. "We are enormously grateful to Keeneland for their support and welcome them as an ITBF sponsor," said Sarah Carmichael,  CEO of ITBF. "As a not-for-profit organization, ITBF has to look to the industry for ongoing financial assistance to facilitate the essential service that we provide to the international breeding industry. Our role is a continually expanding one, and without our...