TODAY'S final session of the 2017 Goffs UK Spring Horses-in-Training/Point-to-Point Sale brought a highly successful three days to a close for the UK’s largest and most successful National Hunt Sale which welcomed the who’s who of the National Hunt world to Doncaster.

The two-day Spring HIT/P2P Sale, which attracted a much larger catalogue of horses this year, showed significant growth at the top end of the market as a quality catalogue, contested by the leading National Hunt owners and trainers, increased the number of six-figure lots sold to nine, up on six in 2016. The number of horses selling in excess of £50,000 grew from 18 to 29.

Demand wasn’t limited to the upper echelons with a huge buying bench creating a real depth of market across all levels which saw the clearance rate finish at 86%.

Thursday's session saw two horses sell for six-figure sums: Nicky Tinkler’s pointer Indian Hawk (Lot 704), who sold to Highflyer Bloodstock for £110,000, and Paul Webber’s bumper horse The Bottom Bar (Lot 692), also purchased by Highflyer Bloodstock, for £100,000.

It was at Wednesday's session, that Monbeg Stables’ debut-winning Pointer Invincible Cave made £210,000 and that remained the sale’s top price.

Other highlights over the two days included Sam Curling’s bumper winner Summerville Boy, who was purchased by Roger Brookhouse for £130,000, and Philip Rowley’s debut point-to-point winner Article Fifty, who sold to Highflyer Bloodstock and Warren Greatrex for £115,000.

Goffs UK’s Managing Director Tony Williams commented on the two-day Spring HIT/P2P Sale: “It’s wonderful to see the Spring Sale continue to grow and develop and the last three days have seen the Spring Store Sale and Spring HIT/P2P Sale take huge steps forward.

"The Spring HIT/P2P Sale is the world’s largest NH end of season dispersal sale and its enduring appeal meant it welcomed the who’s who of the National Hunt world to Doncaster.

“We have been very well supported by the leading NH owners and trainers as well as the leading point-to-point consignors and, as a result, we have seen real growth at every level of the market, a great result for the sale and for those who entrusted their horses to us.

"These results, in conjunction with our Horses-in-Training Sales enjoying four Cheltenham Festival winners in March, have made the first half of 2017 a highly successful one and we look forward to our next Store and Horses-in-Training Sale on 8-9 August.”

Spring HIT/P2P Sale Statistics

Offered: 381

Sold: 327 (86%)

Aggregate: £6,233,200 (+32%)

Average: £19,062

Median: £10,000

Whole Sale (Spring Store & HIT/P2P Sale) Statistics

Offered: 616

Sold: 536 (87%)

Aggregate: £12,184,700 (+35%)

Average: £22,733 (+9%)

Median: £16,000 (+14%)