A NEW name but still a great sale and one of the most exciting times of the year for everyone involved in the National Hunt racing and breeding world.

Goodbye Land Rover, hello Goffs Arkle Sale in partnership with Defender. This three-day store horse sale starts on Tuesday and by the end of the three days it will have seen nearly 700 three-year-olds pass through the ring.

Over €20 million was spent at Part 1 of the sale last year, generating a top price of €195,000 (twice) and an average price of almost €52,000. Part 2 was topped by a €50,000 sale and the average price was close to €18,000.

As always, many of the leading owners and trainers from Ireland and Britain will be on-site this week, restocking for the season ahead. Key bloodstock agents such as Highflyer’s David Minton and Anthony Bromley, Mags O’Toole, Tom Malone, Ryan Mahon, Henrietta Knight, Matt Coleman, Aiden Murphy, Kevin Ross, Gerry Hogan, Ian Ferguson, Bobby O’Ryan, Jerry McGrath, Peter and Ross Doyle and Harold Kirk are sure to have long ‘wanted’ lists but they will all have to compete with the point-to-point handlers.

Buoyant trade at the recent point-to-point sales has put the likes of Donnchadh Doyle, Colin Bowe, Denis Murphy and Sam Curling in strong positions to stock up next week. And the next generation are getting braver too – step forward Rob James, Harley Dunne, Derek O’Connor, Tom Dreaper and Gerald Quinn.

Add in a few dark horses like US trainer Keri Brion, the pinhooking team of Michael Shefflin and Ellmarie Holden, and trainer Lucinda Russell, and you can easily imagine some very strong trade over the three days.

No doubt there will also be some surprises, a new owner who has been bitten by the bug and wants more success.

All of these potential buyers will find plenty to interest them in the catalogue. The experienced Goffs selection team led by Gerry Hogan, Neil Walsh, Peter Molony and Kevin Ross have worked with vendors to handpick outstanding individuals with the pedigrees to match resulting in a catalogue of end-to-end quality.

The leading National Hunt sires feature prominently and include Authorized, Blue Bresil, Buck’s Boum, Coastal Path, Doctor Dino, Flemensfirth, Kapgarde, Kayf Tara, Masked Marvel, Muhtathir, No Risk At All, Saint Des Saints, Walk In The Park, Yeats and Zarak, amongst others.

A Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 double, courtesy of Stage Star and The Real Whacker, headlined another superb season for Arkle Sale graduates while Grade 1 success followed at the Punchestown Festival for Feronily.

This Grade 1 theme is carried throughout the catalogue with siblings to a host of top tier winners on offer including Appreciate It, Ahoy Senor, Champ Kiely, Fury Road, Lalor, My Drogo, Put The Kettle On, Special Tiara, Tornado Flyer and Three Stripe Life.

All horses offered in Parts 1 and 2 are eligible for the €100,000 Goffs Defender Bumper at the 2024 Punchestown Festival where the winning vendor will become the outright owner of a Defender Hard Top. The race was won this year by Gigginstown House Stud’s Predators Gold who was sold by Treannahow Stables to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins at Goffs last year and whose half-brother is catalogued as Lot 63 in this year’s Arkle Sale.

Goffs CEO Henry Beeby said: “Buyers can expect something very special. Our expansion of Part 1 to two days in 2021 took this sale to a whole new level as we can now accommodate the increasing demand from the leading NH vendors choosing to send their best to Goffs.

“We offered the majority share of the select store horse market in 2022 resulting in an unforgettable week at Kildare Paddocks and we are grateful to our vendors who have supported the Arkle Sale with even more quality this year resulting in a catalogue that makes us very proud.”

The sale will commence at 10am each day.

Catalogue highlights

Lot 54: Jukebox Jury half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Appreciate It.

Lot 82: Walk In The Park half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Special Tiara.

Lot 152: Yorgunnabelucky half-brother to Grade 1 bumper winner The Liquidator.

Lot 259: Court Cave half-brother to Grade 1 winner Champ Kiely.

Lot 266: Westerner half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Ahoy Senor.

Lot 268: Doyen own-brother to multiple Grade 2 winner Andy Dufresne.

Lot 278: Walk In The Park filly out of three-time winner Dream Function, own-sister to Captain Chris.

Lot 286: Walk In The Park own-sister to Grade 2 hurdles winner Nick Rockett.

Lot 315: Getaway own-sister to listed bumper winner Queens Gamble.

Lot 335: Doyen half-brother to Grade 1 winner Three Stripe Life and own-brother to Grade 2 winner Ballyshannon Rose.

Lot 388: Shantou own-brother to Grade 1 placed Minella Crooner.

Lot 390: Doctor Dino half-brother to Grade 1 winner Lalor.

Lot 438: Kayf Tara own-sister to four-time winner Fancy Foundations.

Lot 443: Flemensfirth half-brother to Grade 1 winner Fury Road.

Lot 446: Court Cave own-brother to Grade 2 winner Call Me Lyreen.

Lot 449: Flemensfirth own-brother to King George VI Chase winner Tornado Flyer.

Lot 452: Walk In The Park half-brother to Grade 1 winner My Drogo.

Lot 454: Diamond Boy half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Put The Kettle On.

Lot 463: Affinisea own-brother to Grade 1-placed hurdler Affordale Fury.

Lot 467: Well Chosen own-brother to Cheltenham winner Chosen Mate.

Lot 691: Valirann own-sister to Grade B handicap hurdle winner Ballybawn Belter.

SALE INFO

Sale: Goffs Arkle Sale in partnership with Defender

Time/date: Part 1 on Tuesday & Wednesday, June 13th & 14th, Part 2 on Thursday, June 15th (starts 10am each day)

Lots: 708

Tel: 045-886600

Email: winners@goffs.ie

Web: goffs.com