The bloodstock market can often prove immune to economic troubles and, thankfully for vendors, proved so at Thursday’s Goffs Aintree Sale, which saw eight horses sell for £200,000 or more, with a total of 16 fetching six-figure sums.

Startling demand produced record highs across the board, with turnover totalling £3,873,000, returning record average and median prices of £148,962 and £127,500 respectively.

Paul Nicholls signalled his intent to return to previous highs as he combined with Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley to buy three lots totalling £590,000, earning them the title of leading buyers. Jerry McGrath and Nicky Henderson spent £400,000 on two lots, while Gerry Hogan’s pair of purchases came to £325,000- marginally more than Aiden and Olly Murphy’s outlay.

Nicholls and Bromley came away with the top lot, stretching to £320,000 for Sean Doyle’s Monksgrange maiden winner Wordfromhome. The four-year-old son of popular young stallion Poet’s Word had recorded the fastest time of the day when scoring on debut last month.

It marked a fine return on the €65,000 that Monbeg Stables paid for the bay as a store, and bodes well for his yearling full-brother, who sold to Richard Frisby for €11,500 in November.

So taken were Nicholls and Bromley with Wordfromhome’s debut performance that they later gave £200,000 for the horse that chased him home. Mark Scallan’s Jet Away gelding Road To Destiny was headed close home, eventually beaten a length and finished 25 lengths clear of the third.

It marked an impressive return on the €22,000 paid for the Ivy Wafer-bred bay at Part 2 of the Goffs Arkle Sale last summer.

Bowe in clover

Ten years on from topping this sale with Samcro, Colin sold another Monksgrange maiden winner for £290,000. The four-year-old Getaway mare Royal Response is set to continue her career with Nicky Henderson, who combined with Jerry McGrath on Thursday evening.

Bowe partnered with Monksgrange Stud to buy the filly €29,000 at the Goffs Arkle Sale and she rewarded connections with a debut second before drawing clear last month.

Bowe’s only other offering of the night, Jurys Verdict, earlier brought £260,000 from Gerry Hogan Bloodstock. Bought at the Arkle Sale for €50,000, the Jukebox Jury gelding made a perfect start to his career at Ballynoe last month.

Rob James was another to capitalise with a four-year-old by the late Jukebox Jury, as the similarly-named Final Verdict was knocked down to Ed Bailey and Harry Derham for £240,000.

James paid €30,000 for the grey at Part 2 of the Goffs Arkle Sale and enjoyed a blacktype update when her full-brother Scorpio Rising won a Grade 3 handicap hurdle. He is entered in Saturday’s Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, but in the meantime, Final Verdict herself finished second on debut at Monksgrange.

The winner on the day, Gary Murphy’s Kew Gardens mare Kells Bay, sold to Noel Fehily and David Crosse for £120,000 earlier that evening.

High Potential

Brian Lawless evidently held Max Potential in high regard, as the Maxios four-year-old was sent off favourite on debut at Castlelands, and had a length-and-a-half advantage when falling at the final fence.

All was not lost, though, as the promise he displayed encouraged Tom Malone to part with £280,000 for the bay, who is out of a half-sister to Cue Card.

Stromy Wind was another to breach £200,000 despite not winning, with Mags O’Toole convinced by his debut second to stretch to £235,000. A slow jump at the final fence at Ballyknock went against Denis Murphy’s four-year-old, who was only beaten a neck by the favourite on the line.

The €40,000 store is by progressive young stallion Choeur Du Nord, sire of Ryanair Chase winner Heart Wood, who O’Toole buys for.

Everything went according to plan for Lou Prince on debut at Kirkistown last month, as Ger Quinn’s Doctor Dino gelding scored by three lengths, having raced prominently throughout. Has a smart pedigree to boot, being by Doctor Dino out of a listed-winning Martaline mare, from the family of Politologue. The exciting prospect was sourced by Sean Tiernan as a yearling at Arqana, where he cost €80,000.

Strong bunch

Following Thursday’s sale, Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent commented: “What a way to finish a fantastic day's racing at Aintree. A strong selection of horses generated a vibrant parade ring atmosphere and returned records across the board for turnover, average and median.

“We felt coming into the sale that we had a strong bunch of horses, and we were hopeful of decent returns, but today has exceeded our expectations. We were inundated with inspections yesterday and this continued earlier today which was a positive sign and to see that translate into the trade received tonight is very pleasing.

“We would like to extend our thanks to the vendors who supported this sale and we are delighted to have delivered world-class prices for their horses – we can’t do it without them. To our buyers, we extend the very best of luck and we hope to see you in the winners’ enclosure here at Aintree in the coming years. As ever, we would also like to extend our gratitude to the Aintree Executive who are so supportive of this fantastic event.”