Goffs

Katharina Irmer has been appointed the new Goffs German representative, replacing Mathias Seeber, who was recently named the new Managing Director of Hanover Racecourse. A German native, Irmer was an amateur and apprentice jockey in Germany before working for Simon Crisford in Newmarket for two years. After graduating from the Irish National Stud Course in 2017, she spent time at Arrowfield Stud in Australia. More recently, she has worked sales seasons for Chasemore Farm, Grove Stud, Castlebridge, and was a sales assistant to Anthony Stroud, as well as Richard Brown...

Goffs' flagship National Hunt Sale, formerly known as the Goffs Land Rover Sale, will now be known as the Goffs Arkle Sale in honour of history's greatest chaser, Arkle, who was sold at Goffs. Goffs Arkle Sale this year will be held in partnership with Land Rover Defender, and the vendor of the horse that wins the renamed €100,000 Goffs Defender Bumper at the Punchestown Festival will also win an all-new Defender Hard Top. "So many household names in National Hunt racing have gone under the hammer at Goffs during...

First job in the Thoroughbred industry? We were lucky to have horses on the farm growing up, but my first paid job was spending summers riding out for Con Collins on the Curragh (and going too fast for his liking on a near daily basis!)   Biggest influence on your career? Like many others, my parents have been a big influence. I've also worked for, and with, a lot of people who've shared great advice and been big influences on my career. My few seasons working in Ballyhane Stud probably...

The catalogue for the 487-strong Goffs February sale, which includes the dam and half-brother of juvenile Group 1 winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), is now online. Slated for Feb. 8-9, the sale includes Flat and National Hunt weanlings, breeding stock, 2-year-olds and horses-in-training, and will begin at 10 a.m. each day. One of the highlights of the catalogue is Galileo (Ire) mare Love On My Mind (Ire) (lot 479). In foal to Galileo Chrome (Ire), the 11-year-old sells as part of the Clonbonny Stud draft, as does lot...

Sean Doyle pulls Monbeg Park (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}) out of his stable and says proudly, "That's the type of horse the likes of Willie Mullins and Eddie O'Leary want to buy."  It begs the question, why is Monbeg Park lining out for Doyle and not any of the powerhouse stables in Sunday's G1 Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle? After all, Doyle has earned a reputation for selling future stars rather than racing them and can count a Cheltenham Festival-winning graduate to his roll of honour almost every...

Jim Bolger says that his Classic-winning stallion prospect Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) will appeal to just about any stud in the world when he is offered for sale online by Goffs on January 20 but expressed a wish for Irish 2000 Guineas winner to stay in Ireland. The reason being, according to Bolger, is that he'd like to support Mac Swiney with a dozen mares in his debut season at stud. Bolger also revealed that, despite the fact the horse who led home stablemate Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn...

A large part of the fun that comes with following racing and the bloodstock game is predicting the future. Who will win the Derby? Who might top the Orby Sale? What freshman sires are here to stay and which ones will drift into the abyss? Well, we've looked deep into the TDN Europe crystal ball for 2023 to see if we can come up with the answers to the burning questions for the year ahead. Enjoy! January If you think he had a good Christmas, wait until you see how...

Goffs has announced that George Stanners has re-joined the company in a client liaison and auctioning role in Ireland and the UK. Stanners spent 17 years working with Goffs UK before taking up the position as bloodstock manager at Yorton Farm last year.  He remains a consultant to the leading breeding operation but Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby has described his delight at seeing Stanners return to the company he joined straight out of school.  Beeby said, "We are delighted George is back with us as he was always a...

Former amateur rider-turned-television pundit, Jane Mangan is next up in the Starfield Stud-sponsored Conversations series. From her family's approach to breeding to her time working in Ballydoyle and at Primus, Mangan makes for an engaging subject in this week's Q&A with Brian Sheerin. Brian Sheerin: This year will be remembered for the remarkably strong trade at the sales. Your family's Conna Stud was a beneficiary of the excellent trade when selling a Churchill (Ire) filly for €230,000 at the Orby Sale in September. How did the year go as a...

It is commonly known as the junior wing of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association, aimed at educating students and aspiring breeders, and its chairperson Orla Donworth is predicting big things for the ITBA Next Generation in 2023.  Donworth is a digital marketing executive at Goffs who has been employed in the industry for 10 years and outlined plans for the ITBA Next Generation to become the go-to place for the future leaders of the industry to gain education and support. Fellow Goffs employee Conor Wixted holds the position as the...

   Peter Molony is best known for being the man who bought the reigning Champion Hurdler Honeysuckle (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}) on behalf of his client Kenny Alexander. He also works for Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing operation, is an agent for Goffs and has had a multitude of top horses through his hands at Rathmore Stud. That may be why the Limerick native signs off on his Twitter bio with the word 'busy'!    Son of the legendary Martin Molony, widely regarded as the best dual-purpose jockey of all time, Peter...

One of the most respected racing and bloodstock journalists in Britain and Ireland for over 20 years, Ryan McElligott bid adieu to the press room at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale as he embarked on his new role as Chief Executive of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association. Admitting there was some emotion surrounding the move, McElligott looks back on over 20 years reporting on the sport he loves and looks ahead to the challenges he faces in his new position as the IRTA chief.  The 41-year-old wears many hats....