THE team at Goffs has every reason to be happy with the events of the week just gone by. Some spectacular trade at the two-day Orby Sale was followed by a feeling of genuine relief at the outcome of the Sportsman’s Sale on Thursday, even if some vendors found making money a stiff task.

The post-sale reaction of the company’s chief executive Henry Beeby was telling in both its honesty and its difference in tone. The exuberance felt in the aftermath of two blockbusters days at the Orby was in contrast to the realistic assessment of the third day’s business.