Goffs

KILDARE, Ireland--The final instalment of the rescheduled Goffs November Sale was devoted to breeding stock and again some high end withdrawals robbed the sale of some potential headline makers. Despite this, trade for mares that were deemed commercially desirable was strong with no shortage of suitors for the right types and it was the proven producer Zain Art (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}) who held sway when selling for €390,000 to Timmy Hyde's Camas Park Stud. One feature from Monday's sale was the healthy 87% clearance rate and this coupled with...

KILDARE, Ireland--It was a case of saving the best until last as the Goffs November Foal Sale finished with a flourish on Sunday evening. Despite a few high-profile withdrawals, there were still plenty of highly sought after lots on offer and it was three foals by Frankel (GB) who shared the honour of co-top lots with each commanding €440,000. While there may not have been the depth of trade evident in previous editions, the session was underpinned by a solid clearance rate of 82%, with 135 foals sold for a...

KILDARE, Ireland--Different day, different trade. As expected, business at Goffs on Saturday proved a good bit more lively as pin-hookers and end users alike did battle for some quality foals. Although last year's corresponding top price of €135,000 was exceeded by a €155,000 Sea The Stars (Ire) filly foal, other sale indicators suggest the market continues to struggle in the face of uncontrollable circumstances. The clearance rate of 79%, while considerably improved from Friday was still a little shy of last year's 86%. Similarly, the aggregate of €4,855,900, average of...

KILDARE, Ireland--The opening day of the rescheduled Goffs November Sale got off to a lukewarm start on Friday, with present circumstances understandably impacting trade. Last year's opening day was highlighted by a €100,000 session topper with seven foals selling for €50,000 or more, while 69.5% of the offered foals changed hands at an average of €17,957 and a median of €13,750. It was a slightly different story on Friday when only four foals reached or surpassed the €50,000 mark headed by a €75,000 session-topping Mehmas (Ire) colt. In total, 159...

Martin Cooney arrived at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale in 2018 with a modest budget and a simple plan: "buy a mare that was in foal, and that could be a quick way to turn our money around with a bit of luck," the Fethard-based horseman said. On Cooney's shortlist the first day of the sale was the 8-year-old Hard Spun mare Plying, in foal to Starspangledbanner (Aus). A $200,000 yearling, Plying had won three times for Sheikh Mohammed and trainer Henri-Alex Pantall before being culled for €12,000 at...

KILDARE, Ireland--Those among us who leave their Christmas shopping until the last minute have the perfect opportunity to give the gift of a foal or a mare this festive period given the timing of this year's rescheduled Goffs November Foal and Breeding Stock Sale. With current events requiring the sale to be pushed back almost four weeks from its original calendar slot, the action now commences on Friday and consists of three days of foals and a single day of mare trade. Unfortunately for those with very deep pockets, the...

The Kavanagh family of Kildaragh Stud have been esteemed breeders and vendors for many years, so when an offshoot of the Kildaragh brand begins a new venture one should definitely sit up and take notice. Step forward AK Thoroughbreds, the fledgling consigning business launched by Alice Kavanagh, daughter of the farm's owners Peter and Antoinette. AK Thoroughbred makes its consigning debut at the re-scheduled Goffs November Foal Sale at next week with an 11-strong draft of foals, and the young consignor is keen to get things underway. "I'm very excited...

The Goffs December National Hunt Sale started its two-day run on Wednesday with the first session of foals led by a colt by Walk In The Park (Ire) at €82,000. Consigned by Yellowford Farm, the youngster (lot 70) is out of a dual-winning half-sister to the prolific Champion Hurdler Hurricane Fly (Ire), who is himself by Walk In The Park's sire Montjeu (Ire). His dam Blixt (Ire) is a dual winner by Yeats (Ire), meaning the colt is inbred 3x3 to Sadler's Wells. He was one of two colts by...

The winning Ebendi (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), offered through the first ever timed Goffs online platform, brought €165,000 from trainer Joseph O'Brien on Tuesday. A 3-year-old gelding out of Ebalista (Ire) (Selkirk), Ebendi is out of a winning daughter of G1 Irish Oaks heroine Ebadiyla (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and is a half-brother to Group 2 winner Ebiyza (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), among others. Originally catalogued for the Goffs Autumn Horses in Training Sale, the Dermot Weld trainee was withdrawn after being cast in his box. "Following the success of...

The Aga Khan's homebred Ebendi (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) will be auctioned on Tuesday, Nov. 24 in a single-horse online sale conducted by Goffs The 3-year-old was forced to miss his recent slot in the Goffs Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale after getting cast in his stable. The winner of a Killarney maiden over a mile and three furlongs in July, he subsequently finished runner-up to Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) at the Curragh in September before the latter's victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland. A half-brother to...

The two-day virtual online Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale came to a close on Wednesday, with global participation pushing the average and median above last year's figures. A heavily scratched down catalogue due to the many challenges of 2020 meant that 273 of the 475 catalogued yearlings went up for sale, with 170 (62.6%) finding new homes for an aggregate of €1,094, 200. Last year 288 were sold (74%) for €1,691,600. This year's average and median were each up 10% (€6,436 and €4,400). Taking top billing on Wednesday was a Zoffany...

In March and April, the bloodstock sales world stood on the precipice, or so it seemed, as the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale--the first major international auction to confront the social upheaval of COVID-19--was put under severe pressure. In the event, team Inglis rose to the challenge and showed a potential way forward for other sales houses with its innovative virtual sale. It didn't, however, escape completely unscathed, and trepidation remained high for those with horses to sell all over the Northern Hemisphere. Six months on, we can now report that...