GOFFS UK started three days of selling with a day of store horses on Tuesday, and the set of figures they produced indicated that a healthy trade exists for quality lots. The aggregate, average and median all returned double digit increases and left managing director Henry Beeby in a happy mood.

Heading the market at £105,000 each were sons of Great Pretender and Robin Des Champs. First to the mark was Demi D’Ouverture, a three-year-old by the sire of Mr Mole and out of a Sagamix half-sister to Tocca Ferro, winner of the Gerry Feilden Hurdle for Emma Lavelle. Bloodstock agent Tom Malone secured him for an owner with Paul Nicholls and the vendor was Peter Vaughan’s Moanmore Stables.

Within an hour the figure was matched by Kirriemuir Stud’s three-year-old Robin Des Champs half-brother to recent bumper winner Blood Crazed Tiger.

That horse’s owners Gigginstown House Stud made a serious attempt to buy his sibling but they had to give best to Gerry Hogan, acting for Emma Lavelle. The gelding was bred and sold by Sheila O’Ryan, wife of agent Bobby and mother of Aidan and Kevin.

The Bleahen’s Lakefield Farm enjoyed a great touch when selling their three-year-old French-bred Peur De Rien, a son of Kapgarde and the half-brother to the listed-placed Summer Tango. Aiden Murphy paid £85,000 for him and this was one of eight purchases on the day by the agent who was the leading buyer with a total spend of £333,000. The Kapgarde gelding was a €16,000 yearling purchase by Kevin Ross Bloodstock in 2014.

Colin Tizzard made three purchases and the most expensive of these was Cottage Field Stables’ three-year-old son of Stowaway, out of a full-sister to the Gold Cup winner Kicking King. He cost Cue Card’s trainer £80,000 and was purchased for Brocade Racing. The vendor Tom Lacey bought the youngster for €40,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland February Sale in 2014.

Mark Dwyer’s Oaks Farm Stables had a good day, their three lots selling for an average of £54,000. Best of these was the £72,000 sale of the three-year-old Shirocco half-brother to Grade 1 winner Barizan and Grade 2 winner Baradari. Dwyer was selling on behalf of the breeder Blythe Park Farm and Dan Skelton bought the gelding. .

Oaks Farm Stables was also the consignor of the German-bred Kamil, a three-year-old son of Sholokov. Gordon Elliott, who trains the sire’s son Don Cossack, signed for him at £65,000 and this was a nice reward for the €14,000 investment made in him at Arqana two year ago. Mags O’Toole bought him then and she also bid for him this time on Elliott’s behalf.

Willie Browne’s Mocklershill Stables consigned a three-year-old French-bred son of Zambezi Sun out of a mare whose grandam bred a trio of smart chasers in France. Bobby O’Ryan secured the lot, named Desir Du Large, and his sale price of £68,000 was a handsome return on the €15,000 he cost at Arqana last July. On that occasion George Mullins signed the docket.

Another significant purchase by Aiden Murphy was a son of Robin Des Champs from the draft of the leading vendors on the day, Michael Moore’s Ballincurrig House Stud. This three-year-old half-brother to the Grade 1 placed Killer Crow realised £58,000. Another from the draft to break through the £50,000 barrier was a Flemensfirth half-brother to this season’s Grade 3 hurdle winner Barney Dwan, and he cost Kevin Ross Bloodstock £52,000.

Two fillies sold for £56,000 each. Fran and Niamh Woods’ Abbeylands Farm’s three-year-old daughter of Presenting, out of a half-sister to Yanworth. Michael Hyde bought her, while later in the day Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock gave the same amount for a Balko three-year-old half-sister to the smart Analifet offered from Trickledown Stud.

Wednesday

Last year’s Spring Sale of horses in training at DBS was headed by Call The Cops who sold for £220,000. This year the renamed company sold three lots for that amount or more during the opening session of the latest renewal of the sale on Wednesday.

Frank Berry, acting for J.P. McManus, stole the show when he purchased consecutive lots from the annual Million In Mind dispersal.

He was forced to £290,000 to secure the five-year-old Le Prezien, winner of three of his six starts over hurdles from Paul Nicholls’ yard and which included a Grade 2 success at Kelso. He was runner-up in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices Hurdle at Aintree on his latest start to Yorkhill.

That price eclipsed the £260,000 paid for the previous lot in the ring, the five-year-old mare The Organist. This daughter of Alkaadhem is a listed winner over hurdles. She was trained by Oliver Sherwood to win three of her five outings over hurdles.

The Million In Mind dispersal also included the dual hurdle winner Pemba, the four-year-old cost Fergal O’Brien £56,000. The five lots comprising the Million In Mind draft realised a total of £636,000.

The day’s selling also featured a selection of point-to-pointers and young horses with form. Heading these was Espoir De Teillee, a faller at the last in Athlacca when appearing to have the four-year-old maiden won on his debut. The son of Martaline was sent up from Michael Goff’s Moate Stables and sold to Roger Brookhouse for £220,000. Goff bought him at the Land Rover Sale last year for €28,000.

Minella Warrior a runner-up at Athlacca, was snapped up by Jill Lamb Bloodstock for £180,000 and this son of King’s Theatre, out of a half-sister to one of that stallion’s best sons Menorah, was sold from Colin Bowe’s yard on behalf of John Nallen.

A number of lots from Monbeg Stables featured prominently among the top lots. Donnchadh Doyle sent the Broughshane four-year-old maiden winner Calino D’Airy up and this son of Anzillero was the sole purchase on the day by Harold Kirk to join Willie Mullins’ stable. He cost £150,000, having been bought last year for €20,000. Doyle also sold the Lisronagh winner Spiritofthegames, a four-year-old son of Darsi, and he joins Dan Skelton following his sale for £50,000.

Also coming up from Monbeg Stables were a pair of pointers offered by Sean Doyle. The best of these was the four-year-old Instant Replay and this son of Fruits Of Love cost Brian Ellison £90,000, well ahead of his €10,000 price last June at Goffs. Meanwhile Gearoid Costelloe spent £80,000 to acquire Going Gold, a winner at Bartlemy, and this son of Gold Well is from the family of Many Clouds.

Stuart Crawford sent Ravenhill Road out to win by 15 lengths on his debut at Broughshane and the five-year-old son of Exit To Nowhere was initially led out unsold at £75,000. A private sale was completed at £100,000 and the gelding sold to Phil Martin.

Lieutenant Gruber won a Carlisle bumper by 10 lengths and the five-year-old son of Scorpion caught the eye of Kevin Ross Bloodstock for £75,000. Highflyer Bloodstock paid £54,000 for Tree Of Liberty and this Denis Murphy-trained son of Stowaway was runner-up on both his starts in point-to-points this year.

THURSDAY

Trade on the second day of the Horses In Training Sale was all about clear outs from some of the leading stables. As the final hammer fell the sale was able to report significant increases in aggregate, average and median. The aggregate was almost £1 million ahead of last year.

Ned Stark, winner of the Grade 2 novices’ chase when trained by Alan King, proved to be the best price of the second day and he will now move to Ireland and be trained by Gordon Elliott. He cost £70,000 and he is an eight-year-old son of the Sadler’s Wells stallion Wolfe Tone. He won over hurdles before going on to win three times over fences.

Godolphin had a large consignment and among them was the Cape Cross five-year-old gelding Waterlord, a three-time winner in bumpers for John Ferguson last year. He was purchased by Donald McCain for £58,000. Another in their draft to sell well was the four-year-old Soldier Hollow gelding Keep In Line. He has won on the flat in 2015 cost Kevin Ross Bloodstock £50,000.

Former Nicky Henderson Grade 2 hurdle winner Days Of Heaven who won on his debut over fences recently realised £50,000 to Highflyer Bloodstock. He was preceded into the ring by another six-year-old, the Presenting gelding Newsworthy. This hurdle and bumper winner sold for £40,000.

Another significant purchase by Kevin Ross Bloodstock was Vicangelome, winner of five races and runner-up back in March in the Grade 2 Nas Na Riogh Chase at Naas. He was sold for £50,000 from Robert Tyner’s yard on behalf of the One In A Million Syndicate and will now join Ben Case.

Solar Impulse won the Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham back in March, carrying the Wylie colours, when trained by Paul Nicholls and the six-year-old son of Westerner traded for £50,000 to Chris Kellett, some way behind the £130,000 he has earned to date in his career.

Barry Connell sold his Navan bumper and Naas hurdle winner Champagne James for £47,000 to Tom Malone who was acting for Jamie Snowden. The same vendor’s Pistol Park who was placed on his first two starts over fences went to Brian Ellison for £46,000. The Jeremy gelding Prussian Eagle will now join the Welsh stable of Evan Williams after his sale for £46,000.