WITH the first major store sale of the year over, the Goffs UK Spring Sale, and the two major sales in Ireland in the offing, an analysis of the entries shows a big increase in the numbers of French-bred stock being offered.

Two years ago the three main sales catalogued 85 French-breds, but this has more than doubled to 205 lots. With the Derby Sale now extended to three days compared to 2014 and the Land Rover Sale also growing in numbers, a breakdown shows that the percentage of French-breds has risen from 8% two years ago to 14% this year.

Another upward trend is the number of National Hunt fillies being included in the sales, though they still represent less than one in five of all lots. The improved racing programme for fillies, together with an increase in demand at the sales, has contributed to this growth.

The most notable increase in the numbers of French-breds catalogued are in the Goffs Land Rover Sale and the Goffs UK Spring Sale. Together these sales have seen the figures increase in two years from 49 to 140. Strikingly, four of the top 10 lots at the recent Spring Sale were French-breds, including one of the two lots to realise £105,000. Four were Irish-breds and these included the other joint sale-topper, while the best of the British-breds sold for £75,000 and a German-bred realised £65,000.

The Derby Sale also sees a growth in the numbers of French and British-bred lots, and combined they have gone to 131 lots from 74 two years previously.

Both of the Irish sales companies have increased the percentage of fillies in their sales and the Derby Sale is the only one to have more than one in five of the lots catalogued being fillies. The ITBA CEO Shane O’Dwyer welcomed the improvement, but still thinks there is room for more. “The ITBA National Hunt Fillies’ Bonus Scheme offers an opportunity for owners to earn up to €15,000 in bonuses, while the enhanced programme for fillies and mares in Ireland and Britain should also mean a keen demand for them at the upcoming sales.”

An analysis of the current crop of three-year-olds, carried out by Weatherbys at the time of registration, showed that the intended careers of 3,362 of the crop in Ireland was for jump or dual-purpose racing, compared to just 1,080 in Britain.

The Goffs UK Spring Sale recorded substantial increases in all the main figures, with the average improving by 20% and the median increasing by an impressive 35% over last year.

The Goffs Land Rover Sale runs for three days from Tuesday, June 7th and the Derby Sale is also staged over three days, starting on Wednesday, June 22nd.

Graduates of both the Goffs Land Rover Sale and the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale are respectively eligible for bumpers worth €100,000 each to be run at Punchestown and Fairyhouse.