ALMOST 90% of the horses offered at Thursday’s Goffs UK Breeze Up Sale were sold and the median price of £34,000 was over 30% up on the corresponding figure from 2019.

Comparisons with last year’s sale are inappropriate as the 2020 sale was a joint venture with Arqana and it was held in July. However, this year's average and median prices were hailed as new sale records.

Curragh trainer Michael O’Callaghan memorably found his Molecomb Stakes winner Steel Bull at this sale last year and he bought the joint top-priced lot this year when paying £210,000 for a Twilight Son colt consigned by Roger O’Callaghan (no relation) of Tally-Ho Stud in Mullingar.

The dam, My Lucky Liz, won twice at two and has bred two three-year-old winners from five foals.

Tally-Ho also sold the other joint top-priced lot in the shape of a colt by their own stallion Galileo Gold who was knocked down to Ling Bloodstock for £210,000. This horse is a half-brother to the very speedy Acklam Express, winner of a listed race at York last year and runner-up in a Meydan Group 2 sprint this year.

Willie Browne’s Mocklershill Stables sold a No Nay Never colt for £200,000 to Tom Goff’s Blandford Bloodstock.

Blandford was the top purchaser on the day, spending £767,000 on eight horses. John Dance’s new training venture, Manor House Stud, added six purchases (£690,000) to the eight it acquired at the Craven Breeze Up last week. Michael O’Callaghan spent just over £500,000 on six horses, and later added a seventh in a £20,000 private sale.

SALE STATISTICS

Offered: 144

Sold:128 *(88.9%)

Aggregate: £6,219,500

Average: £48,590

Median: £34,000

READ LEO POWELL’S REPORT IN THE IRISH FIELD THIS WEEKEND