GOKEN is one of three first-season stallions to sire a group winner, joining Cheveley Park Stud’s Twilight Son, and Ballyhane Stud’s Prince Of Lir. Goken was available at Haras de Colleville this year for €3,000, Prince Of Lir was a bargain €4,000, while Twilight Son was the most expensive at £7,000.

Goken has about 60 juveniles, 17 of which have run and almost half of them, eight to be precise, have won. They are headed by the unbeaten Livachope, owned and bred by Alain Chopard, who has now won all three of her starts. Second time out she won a listed race at Chantilly, while at the weekend she annexed the Group 3 Prix du Bois at ParisLongchamp, a race her sire captured six years ago.

Sire sensation

To ensure that everyone sat up and took further notice, Goken also sired the Prix du Bois runner-up Axdavali. There is no doubt that Goken, a son of Kendargent (Kendor) is proving to be something of a sire sensation and buyers will be looking more closely at his stock in upcoming sales. His yearlings last year averaged almost €19,000 and had a median of €15,000, all coming off a €5,000 initial fee.

Livachope is the first foal out of Laia Chope, a stakes-placed daughter of Soave (Dashing Blade). She is followed by a yearling filly named Lizzie Chope (Captain Chop) and a colt foal, already named Lewis Chop (Kheleyf).

Laia Chope originally raced for Bryan Lynam before being sold for only €6,000 to Alain Chopard. He was buying back into a family he already had, having raced and co-bred Livachope’s grandam Chopinette (Sin Kiang).

Chopinette is a half-sister to four winners and also to a twice-raced mare called First Chope (Indian Rocket). Amazingly, she is the dam of another winner of the Group 3 Prix du Bois, this being Cosachope (Soave).