THOSE consigning at this year’s store sales will have been pleased to see the first of the year, the Goffs UK Spring Store Sale, post improved figures, though trade may have been buoyed by the sale’s terrific season as much as a healthy market.
The very first lot into the ring, a Great Pretender gelding, set a positive note, bringing £52,000 from Rob James – a nice mark-up on his foal price of €19,000.
French imports remained popular through the day, commanding three of the top five prices, but rather unusually in recent years, British breeders and stallion masters also enjoyed a profitable day.
Golden Horn, who joined Overbury Stud after being purchased by Jayne McGivern, was responsible for the top lot, while a filly by fellow Overbury resident Frontiersman brought £74,000 – an impressive return on his 2022 fee of £1,000 (he currently stands for £2,000).
The first crop by Shade Oak Stud’s recruit Logician were well-received, buyers encouraged by the success of his unbeaten listed winner In Between Days in France. The grey son of Frankel began his career at £4,000, which he also now commands, and breeders were rewarded with an average price of £28,400.
Logician topped the sires table by aggregate, followed by Golden Horn, Nathaniel, Blue Bresil, Poet’s Word and Passing Glance, in that order.
It was a case of quality over quantity for Santiago and Success Days, whose sole offerings brought £68,000 and £60,000 respectively. Other results of note included a Nathaniel filly bringing £80,000, a Crystal Ocean gelding going for £82,000 and a Vadamos gelding fetching £75,000.
Sales race hope
The £140,000 top lot was bred in Britain and will remain there, sold by Mill House Stud on behalf of breeder Paul Sandy of Pump and Plant Services, to the father-daughter team of Paul and Megan Nicholls.
On the Golden Horn brother to Grade 1 hurdler Luccia, Megan Nicholls commented: “We loved him, he was our pick of the sale. Dad thought we needed to come here and try to find as similar a type as we could to Regent’s Stroll, who obviously won the sales race.
“They’re not easy to find, but this horse showed well every time we saw him. He’s athletic and forward-going, just really nice, and he’s from a top family and by a proven sire, so there’s plenty of positives in the pedigree.”
Hopes had been high for the bay following a busy period of showing, Mill House Stud’s Juliet Minton reported: “He’s been very, very busy over the last two days, he had so many lookers.
“He’s shown himself really well and he hasn’t put a foot wrong. He deserved to make that sort of money as he’s a cracking individual and ticked every box.
The Nicholls team later gave £62,000 for Peter Nolan Bloodstock’s Passing Glance gelding that had been picked up by Katy Nolan as a foal for €8,500.
THE £140,000 top lot was one of two six-figure stores, compared to one last year, helping to push the average to £28,152. It marked a year-on-year increase of 7%, while the median rose by 5% to £21,000.
The clearance rate improved by two points to 79%, with 148 horses selling for a total of £4,082,000 – a 16% increase on last year’s turnover.
A French-bred filly topped last year’s sale at £120,000 – the same price bid by Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley for Liss House’s Kapgarde filly this week. The highest-priced filly of the day will join rookie trainer Dan Horsford on behalf of owners Rupert and Jenny Martin.
“The filly was our pick of the sale,” said Horsford, who spent 15 years as assistant trainer to Alan King before setting up near Marlborough.
“She has a great temperament, she’s a great mover and she has a great mind. I just hope she’s lucky for Rupert. He’s been a great supporter of mine - without him I wouldn’t be doing this.”
Rupert Martin, who is also Horsford’s landlord, commented: “He’s really impressed me, he’s a young man who wants to go places and if I can help him advance on his career path, I will.
“He’s already improved some of the horses we had. We had four winners out of five runners in January and February, so he knows what he’s doing.”
On spec
Olly and Aiden Murphy bought the 2025 top lot from John Bleahen’s Lakefield Farm, and the buyers and consignor renewed their association with a No Risk At All gelding that brought £86,000.
“I loved him, I thought he was one of the standouts of the sale,” the trainer said. “He’s a real good physical and is obviously by a fantastic sire in No Risk At All. He looks like he’s got loads of quality and is one to crack on with.
“He’s been bought on spec, as the majority of our stores are, so we’ll find a nice owner for him. You’ve got to keep restocking. You’ve no chance of finding the next good horse unless you keep buying them.
“We’ve been buying plenty of form horses, but we’ll be busy during the sales season and keep the whole thing going. We’re looking forward to a busy six weeks.”
HIGHFLYER Bloodstock were clear leaders in terms of spend, their eight purchases totalling £514,000 - more than double their nearest rivals, the Nicholls duo.
Late in the session, the agency’s Tessa Greatrex gave £85,000 for a Crystal Ocean gelding from Tom Costello’s Rathfolan Farm. It marked a significant upturn in popularity for the gelding, who cost €20,000 as a foal.
The profitable pinhook will join Ben Pauling, with whom Costello has some history, the consignor revealed.
“My family has been dealing horses for a good number of years now - we sold Best Mate to Henrietta Knight - and I sold Ben his Cheltenham Festival winner Le Breuil,” he said.
“This was a beautiful horse - one of the nicest I’ve had in a long time. I think he’s going to do well. I’m delighted he’s going to Ben, as he’s a top-class trainer.
“I bought him as a foal. He’s always been a lovely horse and he’s by Crystal Ocean, who looks like being a very decent sire and has been getting a lot of good winners recently. Everybody seems to be very positive about him. Fingers crossed this one does very well too.”
Selective
Commenting on trade, Costello said: “The nice horses are selling well but the market is selective. However, when you do have something special you get well rewarded.
“I’ve got some more lots for Goffs Arkle in a few weeks, but I make sure to bring something nice to Doncaster every year. We’re always very well looked after here.”
Costello’s brother John also celebrated a successful outcome with his Fenloe House consignment, selling a Karaktar gelding to Highflyer’s Anthony Bromley for £82,000.
“I bought him on a farm in France when he was about two months old out in the field beside his mother,” John Costello explained.
“He was a gorgeous foal with a lovely pedigree. He was always such a beautiful athlete. Karaktar is an up-and-coming sire; he already has Il Est Francais.
“I’m delighted to come here with a nice horse, delighted with the team who bought him and I’m very happy with the price.”