AT €200,000 the recent Largy point-to-point winner Getabird took centre stage at the Goffs Punchestown Sale which ended on Thursday evening with a set of figures that finished some way adrift of those from last year.

The vagaries of the horses in training market are such that the market can witness marked fluctuations from one year to another and that was the case this time around.

Twelve months ago the sale produced a top lot of €280,000 and half a dozen six figure transactions but on Thursday the number of lots making at least €100,000 halved.

At the conclusion of the sale the turnover dropped from just under €1.5m to €1.049m while the average fell from €98,867 to €74,928. In addition the median decreased from €80,000 to €63,500. Of the 16 lots offered 14 changed hands though and Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby expressed himself happy with how the latest edition of the boutique sale performed.

The top lot Getabird, who was trained by Colin Bowe for Walter Connors, was picked up by Harold Kirk to join Willie Mullins.

From the first crop of Getaway, he is from a family that has already enjoyed notable success over jumps with his relations including the high class Mullins-trained mare J’y Vole and the Gold Cup winner Long Run.

Kirk then weighed in with another six figure purchase when going to €100,000 for Donnchadh Doyle’s Vent D’Automne who finished second in a Fairyhouse point-to-pint last weekend. The four-year-old shares his sire, Denham Red, with current Mullins star Un De Sceaux. At Fairyhouse Vent D’Automne was beaten by Brianstorm who had earlier come to Rebecca Curtis for €40,000.

Several high profile English buyers made their presence felt and among these was Colin Tizzard, acting for owner John Romans, who forked out €150,000 for Elegant Escape. This son of Dubai Destination boasted an eye catching piece of form as his only start between the flags saw him chase home Samcro in a Monksgrange point-to-point at the start of the month. Samcro then fetched £335,000 at the inaugural Aintree sale when he was snapped up by Elegant Escape’s trainer Gordon Elliott.

Roger Brookhouse also featured among the buyers when spending €90,000 on Donnchadh Doyle’s My Story. This son of Court Cave, who is related to the Grade 2-winning hurdler Bywell Beau, made a winning debut in a Dromahane maiden last Sunday.

Easily the busiest purchaser in attendance was Gerry Hogan who signed for three lots. Hogan’s spending was headed by the €75,000 acquisition of Aidan Fitzgerald’s Castlegrace Paddy whose career began with a narrow defeat at Largy. This son of Flemensfirth was bought for an existing client and will remain in Ireland to go into training.

Paul Nolan will take charge of the King’s Theatre mare At Rainbow’s End after she came to Hogan for €65,000. This five-year-old was produced by Michael Winters to finish a most encouraging debut second to Coillte Lass at Dromahane last weekend. She is a half-sister to the Grade 1-winning novice chaser An Cathaoir Mor.

Elsewhere Hogan was acting for Emma Lavelle when spending €62,000 on Peter Fahey’s Flemcara who filled the runner-up spot on his recent debut at Loughrea.

At the conclusion of the sale Henry Beeby commented: “It was good trade. We secured every horse that was available to us in the lead up to the sale and between this sale and the one at Aintree Goffs have made a very significant impact in the point-to-point market and we are very content with the evening’s trade”.

Final Figures

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med

2016 22 16 14 1,049,000 74,928 63,500

2015 22 19 15 1,483,000 98,867 80,000