AS the first yearling auction of the year in Britain and Ireland and one which affords many within the industry a chance to get a gauge on how this year’s sales season might unfold, this week’s edition of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale was a keenly awaited one.

At its conclusion the sale didn’t offer any revelatory trends for the coming months but it provided no shortage of points worthy of discussion. Firstly, the input of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shadwell Stud at this auction cannot be underestimated.