THREE days of Royal Ascot under my belt and the weary signs are beginning to show. The five days are not just about racing, as this is also a unique networking opportunity, with the widest possible international audience in town. The week starts with the now annual Goffs London Sale, held at The Orangery in Kensington Palace. In its short few years it has cemented a reputation for excellence, evolving each year in response to the demands of vendors and buyers. This year one feels that it has bedded down into what it will remain as, namely a sale of Ascot contenders and some choice other lots.

Billed as a sale in association with QIPCO, the organisers have also enlisted a number of international brands to partner with, all of whom have an opportunity to promote to a high net worth group of individuals. Selfridges, Chateau Leoube, Rolls Royce and Claridges need no introduction, while Jetsmarter and the Select Mobile Network are also partners. Great British Racing International is another associated with the event.

With 22 lots catalogued, 19 offered and a dozen sold, the catalogue was highly select and a number of Irish consigned lots featured strongly.

The sale is reported in detail elsewhere in this week’s paper, but it is worth highlighting that Irish-consigned lots sold very well. They were Whitefountainfairy (Jessica Harrington - £300,000), Night Of Glory (Michael O’Callaghan – £340,000 – see The Owner A15), Twin Star (Sheila Lavery - £260,000), Born To Play (Joe Murphy - £500,000) and Yulong Warrior (Michael Halford - £360,000).