Goffs

DONCASTER, UK—The weather brightened for the final session of the Goffs Orby Sale but it has to be said that the vibe did not. True, the clearance rate remained at a respectable level, with those vendors who decided to sell continuing to be realistic in their reserves. But there was a high number of withdrawals across the two days, with an extra bunch coming on Thursday morning as Wednesday's results were digested. This, together with a dearth of international participation compared to normal, and minimal activity from the regular major...

Great British Racing International (GBRI) launched a quarterly e-magazine titled 'The British Briefing.' Produced in association with the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, National Trainers Federation, Tattersalls, Tattersalls Ascot, Goffs UK and the Federation of Bloodstock Agents, the online publication encapsulates headlines focusing on Britain's racing and bloodstock industries. To view the Autumn 2020 issue, click here. "In publishing The British Bulletin, we do not wish to naively imply that the British racing and bloodstock industry has an easy road ahead; we all know that with the UK government's announcement regarding continued...

The inaugural November P2P Sale, scheduled for Nov. 6, was announced by Goffs on Monday. The sale will offer Irish and UK pointers, as well as bumper horses and young horses with form at either Kildare Paddocks in Ireland or the Doncaster Sales Complex in the UK, depending on COVID-19 restrictions. "With the latter part of 2019-20 point-to-point season cancelled, as well as our highly successful Aintree and Punchestown Sales, we have been working to find a solution to get our P2P sales back up and running," said Goffs Group...

DONCASTER, UK—Against a backdrop that would have been neither envisaged nor desired, the 2020 Flat may have had a hesitant start with a drastically reduced number of participants, but the wheels have at least kept turning, which in turn has allowed some sort of momentum to be continued in the sales ring. We've had Royal Ascot at York, so why not the Orby Sale at Doncaster? While the transfer from Ireland to Britain of the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale, and the Goffs Sportsman's and Orby Sales will have cost Irish...

A different venue is not the only deviation from the norm as the Goffs Orby Sale takes centre stage in the European yearling sales calendar at Doncaster this week. On the last three occasions she has been represented in this sale Galileo (Ire) has been the sire of the star offering out of stellar producer Green Room (Theatrical), but on this occasion it will be Gilltown Stud's Sea The Stars (Ire) who has the honour of aiming to continue the mare's spectacular sales results. As usual consigned by Ballylinch Stud...

Like last year's G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. winner Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) beaten in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S. at Salisbury Sept. 3, Jeff Smith's Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) made a similar step forward to prove fastest where it mattered in Saturday's fillies' feature at Newmarket. Quickly able to head the fast-breaking G2 Lowther S. winner Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), the heavily-supported 7-2 second favourite was there to be shot at on the front end throughout but was able to ward off threats on...

There was just one offering by Night Of Thunder (Ire) in this year's Goffs Sportsman's Sale, and the Castlebridge-consigned filly duly topped the two-day auction with bid of £72,000 from Peter and Ross Doyle. Lot 730 is the fourth foal out of the placed Manduro (Ger) mare Muzhil (Ire), whose 3-year-old Monzoon (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) has become the mare's first winner since the catalogue was published. Muzhil is a half-sister to Godolphin's triple group winner Beautiful Romance (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). The filly proved a profitable pinhook, having cost...

Paul and Clare Rooney's Isabella Giles (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) registered a pair of six-furlong wins--at Leicester in June and at Newbury in July--but lost her unbeaten tag when fourth in Ascot's July 26 G3 Princess Margaret S. before bouncing back to claim a first black-type score for her freshman sire (by Lope de Vega {Ire}) in Goodwood's Aug. 29 G3 Prestige S. when upped to seven furlongs last time. Aided by a strong tailwind over the same distance in Friday's G2 Shadwell Rockfel S. at Newmarket, the 11-5 chance continued...

The Goffs Sportsman's Yearling Sale got underway in its temporary new guise in Doncaster on Thursday, with a colt by Footstepsinthesand (GB) (lot 647) from Rockfield Farm topping trade with a bid of £50,000 from Kevin Ryan. He is the second foal out of the winning Danehill Dancer (Ire) mare Harpist (Ire) and his year-older full-brother Star Of Orion (Ire) won on debut at Newmarket in June for Ralph Beckett. As was the case with the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale earlier this week and as will be the case...

Goffs's two-day Sportsman's Sale kicks off on Thursday at its temporary new home at the Goffs UK headquarters in Doncaster. With a significant number of vendors choosing to hold their yearlings back in Ireland and offer them instead at the later Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale in Kildare, Thursday's start time has been pushed back one hour to 11 a.m. to allow buyers more time to inspect yearlings. Friday's start time remains 10 a.m. The Sportsman's Sale is a consistent source of quality commercial yearlings with no better example than River...

There may have been relative silence at The Curragh in July when the Ger Lyons-trained Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) won the G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks, but in the Boland household at Piercetown Stud in Meath the decibels were likely to have hit the high notes. Eight months previously the stud's owner Ronnie Boland and his son Aaron had bought a Footstepsinthesand (GB) half-sister to Even So as a foal at Goffs November for €22,000 and the now yearling filly will return to the sales ring with a massive update...

Bouncing back from a last-place finish in the G2 Gimcrack S. at York Aug. 21, the July 16 Listed National S. winner Ubettabelieveit (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) edged out Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in a thriller to capture Friday's G2 Bombardier Flying Childers S. at Doncaster. Drawn widest, the bay who was sent off at an inflated 40-1 raced in rear of the group racing up the centre early before moving to the fore approaching the furlong pole. Gaining a narrow advantage over that 11-10 favourite with 150 yards...