THANKS to the Trull House Stud dispersal, the 2018 sale season at Goffs UK got off to a flying start, posting an impressive set of figures. The two-day event was also dominated by Irish point-to-pointers, two of which sold for more than £200,000 at the opening session.

It was an ebullient Tony Williams, the Goffs UK managing director, who commented after the sale: “It was always going to be a big task to follow the record sale of 2017, but the last two days have completely eclipsed those figures and returned significant rises across the board.

“The Trull House dispersal was always going to be a highlight of the catalogue and it didn’t disappoint. With eight of the top 10 prices on day two coming from this dispersal, we would like to thank Mr and Mrs Kelvin-Hughes for entrusting us with their wonderful mares and foals, many of whom where household names to racing fans. We look forward to following these mares and fillies with their new connections and will cherish the buzz that they helped to create in Doncaster today.

“But the success of the day was by no means restricted to one vendor and the days other highlights would have given cause for celebration without the addition of Trull House. The £90,000 for a NH mare and £52,000 for the TBA NH foal show winner are results to be celebrated in any other year, and we are indebted to all vendors and purchasers who have helped us to start 2018 in spectacular fashion.

“Today’s sale and yesterday’s point-to-point/form horse session proved, once again, that Doncaster is the measure of any venue for National Hunt sales at the top of the market, with horses selling for £270,000 and £210,000.“

TUESDAY

Five supplementary entries, all Irish point-to-pointers, provided the main talking points at the opening session of the 2018 Goffs UK Doncaster January Sale. Timmy Hyde, the Camas House Stud master, secured the top pair and paid a total of £480,000 to do so.

Donnchadh Doyle’s impressive recent Killeagh winner Phoenix Way topped the trade when he sold for £270,000. The five-year-old son of Stowaway also attracted the interest of Tessa Greatrex of Highflyer Bloodstock, but she had to settle for the runner-up spot on this occasion. Ryan Mahon had purchased Phoenix Way for £15,000 at the Goffs UK Spring Sale two years ago.

Minutes before he signed for Phoenix Way, Hyde paid £210,000 for the Gold Well five-year-old Dickie Diver, a 20-length winner on his debut on New Year’s Eve at Templenacarriga for Michael Goff. Bought for €12,000 by Derek Tobin at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in 2016, Dickie Diver is from the family of dual Punchestown Chase winner Merry Gale. While Hyde did not reveal the name of his client, it is understood to be JP McManus. Tom Malone was the disappointed under bidder on Dickie Diver.

Goff later sold Megaboost for £40,000 to Kevin Ross and trainer Ben Case. The five-year-old daughter of Court Cave was second on her debut in early January at Aghabullogue.

Derryluskin Stud’s Eamonn Phelan paid £90,000 for another offspring of Gold Well, the five-year-old mare Lorvon Pearl. Placed on her debut at Boulta, she was another to win at Templenacarriga on December 31st when she was successful in a mares’ maiden. She is from an outstanding female line, her dam being a half-sister to The Wicketkeeper and La Zingarella, the latter also producing L’Ami Serge and last year’s Punchestown Festival winner Sizing Codelco. Colin Bowe consigned the mare and last year he also sold Minella Encore at the same sale to Phelan. He has since won both his bumpers for owner David Bobbett.

Michael Hyde gave £68,000 for the Oscar five-year-old Dontbitedabait, beaten half a length on his recent debut at Tinahely, and this was another successful transaction for Donnchadh Doyle. The vendor gave €18,000 for him at the 2016 Land Rover Sale.

WEDNESDAY

Michael Hyde made quite a splash on the second day of the Goffs UK Doncaster January Sale. Also prominent among the leading buyers 24 hours earlier, he swooped on this occasion to secure a pair of leading lots, most notably the session topper.

The best of the Trull House Stud dispersal was a three-year-old Fame And Glory half-sister to the listed hurdle winner Thomas Campbell. Their dam Hora is a half-sister to Craigsteel. The filly cost Hyde £130,000 and just two lots later he was again successful when his bid of £62,000 secured a three-year-old High Chaparral half-sister to Dusky Legend, runner-up in the Grade 2 Trull House Dawn Run Mares Novice Hurdle.

A dozen lots sold on Wednesday for £50,000 or more and all but two of them were part of the Trull House draft which was offered through Juliet Minton’s Mill House Stud and Robert and Jackie Chugg’s Little Lodge Stud.

The dam of the session topper, Hora, is due in early March to Kayf Tara and her first four foals are now winners. She cost Anthony Bromley £95,000 on behalf of James Potter of Yorton Stud and she will likely be covered by one of the six stallions standing at the farm. Also understood to be joining the broodmare band at the farm will be the triple Grade 2 winning hurdler Chomba Womba, sold in foal to Milan for £80,000, and the Grade 2 winning chaser My Petra who cost £60,000.

Another significant purchase from the draft by Bromley was a three-year-old Presenting filly out of the bumper and hurdle winner Glorious Twelfth. The dam is a daughter of Old Vic and the leading hurdler Bilboa who was placed in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. She cost the agent £60,000.

George Mullins was the name on the purchase dockets for three of the £50,000 plus lots. The most expensive was not from the Trull House draft, but rather Carl Hinchy’s Aurore D’Estruval. The daughter of Nickname won a pair of listed hurdle races and was runner-up in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle. She is carrying her first foal, due about now, to Kayf Tara and she will now join Bobby McCarthy’s broodmare band at The Beeches Stud where she will be covered after foaling by Ocovango.

The other Mullins purchases were both from Trull House. The Kayf Tara mare Anguilla, from the family of Denman, is in foal for the first time to Flemensfirth and she cost £50,000. This was £2,000 less than the sale price of a two-year-old Robin Des Champs filly out of the Grade 2 winning chaser My Petra.

Another daughter of Hora to attract attention was her yearling by Authorized and Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock bought her to ultimately race for £74,000. The best priced yearling colt on the day was Goldford Stud’s son of Kayf Tara and the six-time winner and Grade 2-placed hurdler Lifestyle. He was supreme champion at the Goffs UK Bangor-On-Dee Foal Show last year and this was not lost on Michael Haggas who paid £52,000 for him.

Stephen Kemble’s £65,000 bid was good enough to secure Trull House’s three-year-old daughter of Malinas and the listed hurdle winner Line Freedom. The filly will be trained by Alan King.