FEARS that the National Hunt store market could become a casualty of global economic uncertainty were blown out of the water at Goffs on Tuesday when the clearance rate on day one of the Arkle Sale was an unbelievable 91%.
The 203 horses sold on the day generated €13 million in turnover, up an astonishing 27% on last year. This pushed the average price up 19% compared to the same day last year, and the median by 18%.
A total of 34 horses fetched six-figure prices on Tuesday, more than double the number from last year's opening session.
Leading the buying was J.P. McManus, who was there in person. His representative Frank Berry signed for eight lots, costing just over €1 million in total. Highflyer Bloodstock were involved in at least 17 purchases, while Willie Mullins and Harold Kirk spend €750,000 on just four new recruits. Paul and Ellmarie Holden and Monbeg Stables were other leading buyers on the day.
But it was Gordon Elliott who bought Tuesday's top lot when paying €275,000 for a French-bred Goliath Du Berlais gelding consigned by Micheál O’Brien’s Creighmore Stables near Youghal, in Co Cork. The gelding was a €40,000 yearling purchase at Arqana.
After seeing off Dan Skelton for the top lot, Elliott said: “He’s a gorgeous horse, he was our pick of the day, so we’re glad to get him. Listen, we were hoping to pay a bit less but he was the standout horse here today. When you’re taking on the likes of Dan Skelton, we knew he wasn’t going to be cheap when we saw him bidding. We’re delighted to have him though, thrilled. We’ve only bid on a couple; there’s a few nice horses tomorrow, but it’s definitely looked very strong today.”
The vendor commented: “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.
“Genuinely, when I went to see him at the sales I didn’t think I’d be able to afford him. I barely even followed him into the ring. He was bought back and I went down to the stables and managed to get a deal done. I was delighted to get him, as I didn’t have him in my mind the day before at all.
“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, and it’s really fired up in fairness to Goffs. Horses exist in a bubble of their own. It’s a brilliant sport; it’s been brilliant to me. What other sport could you do this in?”
Tradewinds’ Alex Power was also present, and said: “Micheál's a good friend of mine. I had a small bit of a leg in it, but he did the lion’s share of the work, from buying it to getting it here. It's my birthday [27] today, so I won’t forget this present."
Kirk and Mullins
Bloodstock agent Harold Kirk, who acts on behalf of the Willie Mullins yard, bought three of the top six lots on the day.
Their purchases included a Doctor Dino gelding for €265,000, a son of Galiway for €215,000, and a Masked Marvel gelding for €170,000.
Tony Costello of Treannahow Stables in Co Clare consigned the Doctor Dino three-year-old. Already named Courcemont, the gelding is an own brother to three winners in France. Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard also appears on the catalogue page. Costello - who sold King Rasko Grey to Kirk and Mullins for €250,000 at this sale three years ago - bought this Doctor Dino for €38,000 as a yearling at Arqana.
“It’s not easy," an emotional Costello said. "I have travelled so many miles all over France, Ireland and England sourcing these horses. I mean, I spent weeks in France to come up with just a bare handful for the top end of the market.
“When I was very young my father used to say this game was about quality, not quantity. It’s his anniversary this week. I’m sure he’s enjoying this. 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 to meet that market.
“I've had great help from the staff at home and my own family, and 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 also topped the Goffs UK Spring Sale last month with Kaiser Ball (Nom De D'La) who sold to Tom Malone for £360,000.
Referring to his latest Doctor Dino purchase, Kirk said: "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 Doctor Steinberg, Gold Dancer, Narciso Has, Jade De Grugy, State Man, Murcia, Dinoblue and Sharjah, who was the first Doctor Dino I bought.
“This horse was a no-brainer for us. It’s a fantastic French pedigree and Doctor Dino really works in this family. He’s the most beautiful individual. I thought €200,000 would buy him, but there were two still going from that point on. You have to buy the ones you want. We don’t buy many, but we really try to buy the ones we want. That’s always worked well for us.”
The €215,000 Galiway gelding bought by Kirk and Mullins on Tuesday came from Johnny Collins' Brown Island Stables. Bought for €45,000 by Collins as a yearling at Arqana, he is a half-brother to three French winners, including six-time winner Golden Tale.
Kirk said: "The sire has been very lucky for us. I think we’ve had five individual Cheltenham winners by the sire. Every one we have had by him has stood up and been counted. We had another good one win a bumper at Punchestown [Delamotte].
“This is a gorgeous horse, a very good mover. I don’t know [what makes Galiway so good]. We were the first people to start buying them. With him you are going to get mixed pedigrees - he didn't cover a lot of jumps mares. They are very good jumpers with good minds, and have a lot of class. He is out of a Pivotal mare, and he is such a good broodmare sire.
“I thought he would bring a good price, and make €150 to €200,000 anyway. Very few by Galiway will turn up in a jump sale now - the sire stands at 30 grand. We usually buy them on spec, take them home and sort out what happens then.”
Kirk and Mullins gave €170,000 for a Masked Marvel gelding from Walter Connors' Sluggara Farm. The dam was unraced and this is only her second foal, so she is yet to have a runner. The pedigree includes an Italian Grade 1 hurdle winner and useful 'summer' chaser Francky Du Berlais.
O'Neill team active
Stock by champion sire Walk In The Park remain hugely popular with buyers. Agent Matt Coleman, acting on behalf of Jonjo and A.J. O'Neill, gave €170,000 for a three-year-old gelding by the sire consigned by Wilson Dennison's Loughanmore Farms. This one has a fantastic pedigree, being a half-bother to last season's high-class juvenile hurdler Highland Crystal (by Crystal Ocean).
Coleman said: “We thought he was one of the picks of the sale. The sire needs no introduction and the sister has had a good year for Gordon Elliott.”
Noting that this was a rare example of Dennison selling a store rather than horses with proven point-to-point form, Coleman added: "We think he can make into a proper chaser in time, and we are buying quality over quantity. He ticks the boxes in terms of physique, pedigree, stallion and let’s hope he is a good one. The lads will bring him home and they have an owners’ day.”
A.J. O’Neill added: "He looks every inch the athlete. We're very excited to get to know him better. We had a great spring and we’re keen to continue in that vein, so we need to restock with some exciting horses to go to war with. That's why we've been putting a nice bunch of horses together in the past few weeks. He's another one for the shop window. There’s always shares available!”
The O'Neills later paid €155,000 for a son of Walk In the Park offered by Peter Nolan Bloodstock. A full-brother to Heron In The Park and a half-brother to Glory And Fortune, the gelding had been purchased as a foal by Gerry Aherne and Charles Shanahan for €80,000.
Nolan said: “We’ve thought the world of him ever since we bought him as a foal. We’ve never looked back since the day we got him. We raised him at home and he’s always been a fantastic model. We were fairly sure we’d get a good price for him and I’m so glad he’s gone to a great man in Jonjo."
Commenting on the trade, Nolan said: "Trade has been phenomenal so far. Goffs has done a great job, as there’s a great bunch of horses here and they deserve it. The number of British trainers buying horses today is unreal. I think Dan Skelton is after waking them all up across the water!”
The highest-priced purchase by J.P. McManus on day one was a gelding by Nirvana Du Berlais consigned by Walter Connors. The horse is already named Quart De Champagne.
Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farms sold a Walk In The Park gelding for €160,000 to McManus. Williamson bought the horse for €50,000 as a foal.
Mark Dwyer's Oaks Farm Stables sold a son of Goliath Du Berlais to Highflyer Bloodstock for €150,000.
Already named Norwich, the Goliath Du Berlais was bought by Dwyer for €100,000 last July at Arqana. He is the second foal from Fine Champagne (by Network) who placed twice over jumps in France from six outings. Her first produce has shown little to date.
After securing the prize, Anthony Bromley of Highflyer said: “He is bought for a partnership between Andy Bell and Fergus Lyons. I’ve only been buying for them recently, and bought a point-to-pointer at the [Goffs UK] Aintree Sale, and a French horse for them last year who was placed [fourth] in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham. The point-to-pointer [Holshot who cost £140,000] was bought to go to Ollie Greenall and this horse will go to Ollie as well. Jagwar is in the pedigree.”
Bromley is a huge fan of the sire, who has plenty of top performers in France, such as Delmegan and Altura. The agent commented: "The sire is an absolute revelation. I don’t remember a jumps stallion so impressive in his first few crops. French trainers say they have great heart.”
Part 1 of the sale continues on Wednesday.