REDUCING the Orby catalogue by about 40 horses and increasing the Sportsman’s Sale by a similar number will be seriously considered by the Goffs management team following this week’s three days of yearling sales.

The two-day Orby Sale saw four horses break the seven-figure barrier but the average price dipped slightly from last year. Thursday’s Sportsman’s Sale took a forward step with increases in all the key areas.

Reflecting on the week’s work yesterday, Goffs’ CEO Henry Beeby said: “The four millionaire horses demonstrates yet again that if you send us the best horses you will get the best prices to match anywhere in Europe.

“Buyers come to the Orby looking for the best and if you don’t hit that target then perhaps people are not going to engage and therefore we had a slight dip in the average price.

“The market was exceptional at the average and above, so it may be that we will tighten the selection process and drop the catalogue size from 480 to 440.

“Perhaps it was a bit softer at the lower end and maybe some of those horses would have sold better in the Sportsman’s. Several of the horses in that sale would have held their own in the Orby but the vendors realised it would be better for them to stand out in the Sportsman’s Sale and I totally agree with that ‘big fish in a little pond’ strategy.

“We have to be very pleased with a 90% clearance rate in the Sportsman’s. It was strong from start to finish, with the last lot selling for €80,000. There is a real hunger for these horses.

“Thanks largely to ITM’s work there was a strong English and Italian presence at the sale and those buyers dominated.

“I would be slightly reluctant to change a winning formula but one possibility would be to consider a second day for the Sportsman’s Sale.

“I think the sale should definitely remain in the same week as the Orby as a lot of buyers and vendors straddle the two and the Sportsman’s Sale benefits from that.”

Returning to the Orby, Beeby said he was particularly pleased that the four seven-figure horses were bought and sold by eight different players. “It was a slight frustration that a few very high-profile horses did not appear in the sales ring. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but a couple of Frankels and a nice Dubawi filly who missed their engagement would probably have pushed the averages higher.”

The yearling sales circus moves to Tattersalls in Newmarket next week where fireworks are expected. Book 1 of the October Sale starts on Tuesday and the 500-yearling catalogue includes 18 by Frankel and 23 by Galileo.

Last year’s sale saw trade explode with the aggregate of 79 million guineas setting a record for any European sale. The average price was a staggering 235,000gns.

This year Tattersalls is offering a £25,000 bonus to owners if their Book 1 purchase wins a Class 2, 3 or 4 maiden in the UK or an open maiden in Ireland.