Two days of selling National Hunt stores grossing more than €25 million. Who could have predicted such an outcome last weekend when people and horses began gathering at Kildare Paddocks for the 2026 edition of the Goffs Arkle Sale?
Sales executives were certainly hopeful, believing they had assembled as fine a batch of young stock as was possible to do. Their marketing and inward buying teams were happy that they had every agent and trainer worth their salt coming to attend, and hopefully buy. Irish Thoroughbred Marketing had all of their ducks in order. It was time for fingers and toes to be crossed.
When the last of 386 lots was sold on Wednesday evening, two days of frenetic trade had resulted in a healthy return for all the work, and droves of happy vendors returning home after a sale that saw most records for metrics set new highs, and all without any overpriced top lots to skew the figures.
An added bonus was the presence of J.P. McManus in person on the sales complex, and he looked to be enjoying the spectacle. He made at least 14 purchases through Frank Berry, spending €1.75 million. His purchases, ranging in price between €25,000 and €205,000, were from 13 different vendors.
Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins bought seven lots for an average of nearly €195,000, Highflyer Bloodstock bought large numbers in their own name and adding the names of Nicky Henderson and Jet Bloodstock.
The Doyles’ Monbeg Stables took home 21 stores, and all the leading trainers and agents were splashing the cash.
There was one thing that they all agreed on - this was absolutely the best collection of store horses put together by Goffs in Kill, and vendors were duly rewarded.
”Massive numbers”
Henry Beeby chose one word to sum up his emotion after the record sale, and that word was gratitude. “Thank you to our vendors for the trust they have placed in the Arkle Sale, as we’ve always said we are nothing without the horses,” Beeby said. “All the clever marketing, incentives and persuasion to attract buyers are worth nothing if the horses are not here but, my goodness, they were here in massive numbers this year.
“As I said at the start of the week, this is the best bunch of National Hunt horses ever assembled at Goffs and happily the market agreed, with huge rises in all the metrics once again. No less than nine lots hit the €200,000 mark, up from three last year, along with 63 realising six figures compared to 29 in 2025. That’s some progress. The other big numbers are the turnover, average, and median, all of which are, by our reckoning, the highest of any store sale in history.”
He added: “Lot after lot prompted titanic bidding duels as owners, trainers and agents from the UK and Ireland. We also want to express our appreciation to Defender for their support over a 30-year period, and we are always indebted to the team at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing for their hard work and assistance.
“I find it hard to express the pride we feel in the progress this sale has made in recent years, which is principally down to our clients but also our passionate, driven and friendly team who always go that extra mile to deliver, and take pride in exceeding expectations. I’m proud to be part of that team.”
Walter and Harry Connors from Sluggara Farms with Lot 197, a Nirvana Du Berlais gelding who sold for €170,000 \ Patrick McCann/Goffs
NINE lots brought €200,000 or more over two days, three times the number that did so last June, and seven of these were born in France. There was one each born in Ireland and Britain.
The nine were sired by eight different stallions - No Risk At All had two - but the buyers were a lot more predictable, Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins buying five of them, Gordon Elliott signing for two, while Tom Lacey was the only non-Irish based purchaser. J.P. McManus and Frank Berry signed for the last one.
Bragging rights for getting the top-priced gelding and filly at the sale fell to Gordon Elliott. He had a long tussle with British champion trainer Dan Skelton for the son of Goliath Du Berlais, the first foal from a placed daughter of Muhtathir. She is a half-sister to the French Grade 3 hurdle winner Raffles Sainte. Purchased at Arqana as a yearling for €40,000, she was consigned by Youghal-based Micheál O’Brien who trades as Creighmore Stables.
Elliott’s top two
Elliott was thrilled to get what he said was “a gorgeous horse”. He added: “He was our pick of the day and we’re glad to get him. We were hoping to pay a bit less. When you’re taking on the likes of Dan Skelton, we knew he wasn’t going to be cheap. We’re delighted to have him though, thrilled.”
The vendor was delighted, and said: “It’s a serious result for my farm, it’s not a big place and to turn that sort of money is a big help. I don’t have any real background in the industry; I just grew up in a National Hunt stronghold and built it up slowly but surely. I still work part-time on another farm, and do my own horses in the evening.
“I’m a big believer in the sire. He was a lovely yearling in fairness; he didn’t have to change a whole lot to become a lovely three-year-old. It hasn’t really sunk in yet; it’s a lot of pressure looking after him for a long time. There’s a lot of relief. It’s a brilliant sale; it’s a brilliant sport; it’s been brilliant to me. What other sport could you do this in?” Tradewinds’ Alex Power, celebrating his birthday, had a share in the gelding.
Elliott purchased the overall sale-topper on Tuesday, and the following day took home the best of the day, the No Risk At All filly, named Noosa Sport. He paid €240,000 for her, and she was the best of the draft from Niall Bleahen’s Liss House. By a strange coincidence, and like the top-priced gelding, she too was a €40,000 yearling buy at Arqana.
When Bleahen bought the filly, her two winning siblings included the Grade 3 chase winner Geelong Sport, her full-sister. Last year and this, their half-brother Leader Sport has emerged as one of the best runners over jumps in France, and he is a Grade 1 chase winner. Dan Astbury offered an opening bid of €100,000, but that was swiftly countered, as was every bid he made afterwards.
Stars align
Bleahen said: “It’s great. Since the form came into the family, you knew all the stars were starting to align. When you go to buy, you’re always aiming to find something that’ll suit these people. They’re perfectionists when you put the horse in front of them, so you have to rear them properly and pick them well.
“It’s brilliant that Gordon and the O’Learys have put their faith in us again. They had great luck with Brighterdaysahead [also sold by Liss House], and hopefully this one can be somewhere near as good. We are grateful for the support of everyone who bids on our horses. It’s all about repeat custom and keeping people happy so they have trust in the business.”
Elliott added: “She’s a lovely filly and as soon as we saw her, we liked her. We always come looking for a filly that looks a bit like a gelding, and that’s her. She moves very well, she has everything. We’ve been lucky buying a filly off this vendor before, so hopefully we will be again. She’s got a great pedigree; we’re delighted to have her.”
IS there a formula for buying good horses? Apart from spending big on the choicer lots, Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins believe in the maxim that ‘success breeds success’. They not only follow stallions that have delivered for them over time, but they also go to familiar sources. This week, they bought two from Tony Costello’s Treannahow Stables, and a couple of others from Walter Connors. Both men’s nurseries have supplied them with Grade 1 winners.
The sale of the better of Tony Costello’s pair was emotional when he recalled his father Tom, who died this week 17 years ago. Tom was responsible for discovering many of National Hunt racing’s greats, and especially the triple Gold Cup winner Best Mate. Co Clare-based Costello sold the Doctor Dino gelding Courcemont to Kirk and Mullins for €265,000. This was seven times his €38,000 purchase price as a yearling in Arqana.
Tony Costello thanks Willie Mullins for buying Courcemont, the €265,000 Doctor Dino gelding, at the 2026 Goffs Arkle Sale Photo: Patrick McCann/Goffs 09.06.2026
Courcemont is full-brother to three winners, his only older siblings. Their Kapgarde dam Kapetienne was placed in a listed hurdle race, and she has two blacktype-winning siblings by Doctor Dino, the best being Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 runner-up L’Aubonniere. This is the immediate family of Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard.
”Worked our socks off”
“It’s not easy. I have travelled many miles all over France, Ireland and England sourcing these horses. I spent weeks in France to come up with just a handful for the top end of the market,” Costello said.
“When I was very young, my father used to say this game was about quality, not quantity. He said you can have the pedigree, but it’s the horse you race. Nowadays, you have to have the pedigree and the horse. We’ve worked our socks off to put 10 good stores together for this sale.
“I’ve had great support from Willie Mullins and all the buyers. It’s tremendous to think that the hard work is paying off. It doesn’t always. You don’t always get paid for it, but in this case we’ve been paid in spades. I’m honoured to be here.”
Costello topped the Goffs UK Spring Sale last month with Kaiser Ball, who sold to Tom Malone for £360,000, and he sold dual Grade 1 winner King Rasko Grey at the Arkle Sale.
Harold Kirk added: “I thought he was one of the best horses here over the two days. We’ve had eight individual Grade 1 winners by the sire. I couldn’t tell you why he’s been so lucky for us, but go to the sire reference in the catalogue and you’ll find them all. Sharjah was the first Doctor Dino I bought. This horse was a no-brainer for us. He’s the most beautiful individual.”
On day two, Kirk spoke again after paying €210,000 for Okekoko, again from Tony Costello, and he is a son of Cokoriko, one of whose best sons is a close relation. He said: “It was hard work, I didn’t think he’d make that. Cokoriko is another sire that’s been very lucky for us. We’ve had Kitzbuhel win two Gr.1s last season and we’ve had several others. This is the most gorgeous horse; a fantastic mover, a very good pedigree. I loved him, and Willie loved him, the first time we saw him.
“It’s the strongest sale I’ve ever been at. I didn’t expect it to be this strong, but Doncaster was strong and, when the first sale is strong, it usually carries on”.
Treannahow Stables’ 10-horse draft made in excess of €1 million.
A PRIZE for the best catalogue page of the week would have a number of likely contenders, and one of these would be the Golden Horn gelding from Juliet Minton’s Mill House Stud consignment. Tom Lacey bought him for €200,000, and surprised the press when suggesting that he was value!
The gelding is the first foal of nine-time winner Casablanca Mix, a daughter of Shirocco who won two listed chases. Her Network half-sister Fantastic Lady won a Grade 2 chase, and both mares were trained by Nicky Henderson.
Minton said: “It’s all there on the page, and luckily the individual matched up. He’s a beautiful horse who’s never put a foot wrong. It’s so nice for Joss and Nicky [Hanbury] and all the team at home.
“Joss and Nicky raced Casablanca Mix and Fantastic Lady. Casablanca Mix has another foal by Golden Horn this year and Fantastic Lady has produced her first foal by Golden Horn. The market has been fantastic; staggering, really. Hopefully it should all follow on for us breeders at the foal sales. Goffs look after all of us so well when we come over, I really want to stress that. They can’t do enough, so a massive thank you to them.”
Joss Hanbury added: “I’m absolutely delighted, it’s nice to hit the jackpot every so often. Anything over €100,000 would have been wonderful, so €200,000 is the stuff of dreams.”
The last word goes to Tom Lacey. “I have been here since eight o’clock on Sunday morning, and this is the nicest horse I have seen all week. He will be broken in, see how he goes, and we will try to win a bumper with him. He is for an owner in the yard. The market is incredible. I have been coming for 17 years, but I have never seen a sale like it. It is extraordinary.”
Walter and Harry Connors from Sluggara Farms with Lot 197, a Nirvana Du Berlais gelding who sold for €170,000 \ Patrick McCann/Goffs
WATERFORD veterinary surgeon Walter Connors has a reputation like few others in the business, and he sold all eight horses he brought to this year’s Goffs Arkle Sale. Half of the draft made six-figure sums, while David Phelan and Mags Mullins’ Canterbrook Stud got a couple of bargains for €12,000 and €13,000 respectively.
Three of the six-figure lots were bought by the Mullins/Kirk axis, a pair of them for €200,000 each, while Frank Berry saved J.P. McManus €5,000 when he refused to bid that amount for a son of Nirvana Du Berlais, instead showing five fingers and getting him for €195,000.
The pair of geldings that sold for €200,000 were sons of No Risk At All and Moises Has. Thirty minutes into day two, and Kirk struck for the No Risk At All half-brother to three winners. The dam is a winning half-sister to six winners, the best of which is the Joseph O’Brien-trained Solness, who has posted wins in three Grade 1 chases. Later in the day, it was groundhog day as the same principals were involved for the sale of the Moises Has out of a winning full-sister to a Grade 3 winner. On Tuesday, Kirk explained why he buys from Walter Connors after spending €170,000 on a Masked Marvel gelding. “Masked Marvel has been very good to me. He is a very, very, very good sire, but most importantly, he comes from Walter Connors. I have bought several Grade 1 horses from him. He is fantastic at producing horses, buys gorgeous horses, and he has been very lucky to Willie Mullins. I love buying from Walter.
“This year’s sale has more lovely horses than I have ever seen before at Goffs. It is a credit to the company that they have put together a fantastic bunch of horses.”
Connors offered some thoughts. “It’s always a great pleasure when you see leading owners and trainers fighting it out for one of ours. This is important to us, but the next stage is the really important bit, and we get as much enjoyment from watching someone else owning them. Trade has been excellent. There seems to be a resurgence among the British trainers and the cycle is maybe turning. The diversity of buyers is important for us. “