THE European yearling sales season starts at Doncaster next Tuesday when the two-day Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale gets underway.
Over 400 yearlings are catalogued, many of them from Irish farms, for a sale which has steadily seen its reputation grow to the point where it not unusual to see graduates win at the best meetings, including Royal Ascot, and at the very top level.
Just last Saturday the £20,000 Goffs UK purchase Fev Rover won the Group 2 Prix du Calvados in Deauville for owner Nick Bradley Racing and trainer Richard Fahey. The daughter of Gutaifan was bred and sold by the Barry family’s Manister House Stud in Croom, Co Limerick.
She is the fourth Group 2 winner to emerge from last year’s sale, joining the Prix Robert Papin winner Ventura Tormenta, Royal Ascot Norfolk Stakes victor The Lir Jet and Richmond Stakes winner Supremacy who is among the very highest rated two-year-old colts seen out so far this year.
The Doncaster Premier Sale has produced 68 two-year-old winners already this season. They include Group 3 Prix de Cabourg winner Cairn Gorm, unbeaten listed winner Method and other listed winners Gussy Mac, Sardinia Sunset and Zoetic.
Another high class sort to have come from last year’s sale is Happy Romance, winner of valuable sales races at Newbury and Doncaster, while this year’s Group 1 Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde was a £65,000 purchase at the 2018 sale.
Going a bit further back, this sale has produced multiple Group 1 winners Harry Angel, Laurens and Barney Roy, as well as Advertise.
The dam of Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Morny winner Campanelle, named Janina, was sold at Doncaster for 110,000gns, as was the dam of the Morny third, Rhythm Master. Both were sold by Trickledown Stud.
This year’s catalogue boasts a sire line-up that looks well placed to continue the sale’s two-year-old success. Among the sires represented in next week’s catalogue are Acclamation, Caravaggio, Dark Angel, Exceed And Excel, Invincible Spirit, Kodiac, Le Havre, Lope De Vega, Mehmas, Night Of Thunder, No Nay Never, Profitable, Ribchester, Showcasing, Siyouni and Wootton Bassett.
The last-named stallion, very much in the news this month, was a Goffs UK graduate himself, as were father and son Acclamation and Dark Angel.
Anyone wishing to attend the sale must preregister via the Goffs UK website. Those who cannot be there in person can still bid by telephone or through the live platform at goffsonline.com.
Catalogue highlights
Lot 31, an Almanzor colt out of the listed-placed Exceed And Excel mare Vadsariya and from the Aga Khan family of Group 1 winner Valyra.
Lot 48, a Showcasing half-sister to the listed winner and Group 3-placed Scarlet Dragon and from the family of Honolulu, Moonstone and US Army Ranger.
Lot 166, a Caravaggio colt out of the Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Danehill mare Danehurst and a half-brother to the listed winner Birch Grove.
Lot 170, a No Nay Never filly out of the Group 3 winner Dingle View.
Lot 173, an Invincible Spirit colt out of the Group 3 winner Distinctive.
Lot 195, a Kodiac filly out of a half-sister to the Group 1 winner and sire Equiano and stakes winners Encore D’Or and Evita Peron.
Lot 206, an Invincible Spirit filly out of the Group 1 winner Favourable Terms.
Lot 313, a Starspangledbanner half-brother to this season’s Group 2 Darley Prix Robert Papin winning two-year-old Ventura Tormenta.
Lot 322, a Cotai Glory half-sister to the four-time Group 2 winner and top sprinter A’Ali.
Lot 338, a Wootton Bassett colt out of a half-sister to the listed winner Shy Lady, the dam of five stakes winners including Group 1 winner Zafeen and Group 3 winner Ya Hajar.
Lot 361, a Siyouni filly out of an Oasis Dream half-sister to the Group 1 winner Queen’s Trust.
Lot 380, a Lope De Vega colt out of the Group 3-placed mare Royal Empress and from the family of group winners Archarcharch, Arch Swing and Craftsman.
Lot 423, a Dark Angel own-brother to the Group 3 winner and Group 2-placed Yafta and out of the listed-winning Oasis Dream mare Swiss Dream, a daughter of Swiss Lake.
Information
Sale: Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale
Date: Tuesday and Wednesday, September 1st & 2nd
Lots: 423
Web: goffsuk.com
Online bids: goffsonline.com
Tel: 00 44 1450 372 222
Email: winners@goffsuk.com