A stunning edition of Part 1 of the Goffs Land Rover Sale came to a close on Wednesday evening with a record-breaking set of figures that made for impressive reading by any measure.

While it did emerge this morning that Tuesday’s €300,000 session topper had been bought back by the vendor, even the removal of the second highest priced horse in Land Rover Sale history from the results did nothing to detract from a spectacular two days, as demand for quality stores moved on to a new level.

At the close of Part 1 of the sale the aggregate for the two days came in just over €20.4 million, which represented a 25% progression on last year. The average of €51,792 was an improvement of 12% while the median jumped from €40,000 to €45,000. For good measure the clearance rate came in at 90%.

The second day of the sale was headed by a €195,000 daughter of Blue Bresil who was snapped up by American trainer Keri Brion. A £16,500 purchase as a yearling at the Goffs UK January Sale by noted pinhooker Johnny Collins, this filly has since enjoyed a series of notable pedigree updates. Her half-brother Gentlemansgame has twice been placed at the top level while her full-brother Madmansgame won a Navan bumper on his debut for Willie Mullins in February.

“That took a bit of getting but she’s a queen and she is the one we really wanted to go that bit extra for," said Brion. "She just floats over the ground, so she looks like she will suit America. Her owner Mr Moorhead is very committed to his mares and she will also make a lovely broodmare in time.

“This is a new venture and we will see how it works out but we are going back home with six very nice horses, five boys and a queen. They will go to James Doyle who will break them in and get them going and then they will come out to me around January time and we will get her ready for our spring season which starts around March,” she added.

Saint Margaret

A short while earlier a fine son of Saint Des Saints from Tally-Ho Stud who was bought by Margaret O’Toole for €170,000. A €60,000 yearling purchase in France, this gelding is an own-brother to a multiple Grade 3 winner in Saint Firmin and his sale vindicated the view that he was one of the finest three-year-olds on offer this week.

“He’s been bought to stay in Ireland. He’s just a lovely horse from a very good French family and he’s coming off a top farm. We were delighted to get him and hopefully he’ll be lucky,” reported the agent.

A couple of minutes previously leading point-to-point trainer Denis Murphy spent €140,000 on a son of Buveur D’Air’s sire Crillon. The Lakefield Farm offering is a half-brother to the Prix Wild Monarch winner Fiumicino.

Nicholls and Malone

For a significant part of the day the pace was set by Paul Nicholls and Tom Malone when they forked out €160,000 for a son of Kapgarde consigned by Ross Moorehead’s Glacken View. This gelding is a half-brother to a Grade 2 winner in France and comes from a quality French family.

“He’s a gorgeous horse. He was probably in the top three or four horses here today and we were delighted to get him. He’s a superb individual from a lovely pedigree and Paul has enjoyed great luck with the sire through the likes of Clan Des Obeaux,” reported Malone.

Nicholls and Malone struck again just a few minutes later when going to €120,000 for a gelding by Vision d’Etat consigned by Lakefield Farm.

“I loved him. He’s a lovely, athletic type and he reminded me quite a bit of Knappers Hill who is a very nice horse that we bought here three years ago. He’s been bought for an existing client,” declared Nicholls.

The €160,000 mark was also reached by a son of No Risk At All who was knocked down to Gerry Hogan to show a good return on the €60,000 he cost as a yearling at Arqana less than two years ago.

“I’ve bought him for an existing client. He’s just a particularly good individual and probably as handsome a horse as you’d find. He’s got a lot of class and he’s a great mover,” stated Hogan.

Harrington purchase

A family that Jessica Harrington knows better than any one else saw the trainer fork out €150,000 for a superb Milan filly from Peter and Sarah Molony’s Rathmore Stud. This €54,000 foal is out of the formerly high class Harrington-trained mare Burn And Turn and the trainer has actually trained the last four generations of this family which goes back to one of her early jumping stars in Space Trucker.

“It’s family I know very well. She’s a beautiful filly and I’ve bought her for Joe O’Flaherty who raced Burn And Turn and he’s decided to buy back into the family. I thought that there was a lot of Burn And Turn about her and hopefully she’s as good and hopefully she’ll be one for the Land Rover Bumper,” reported Mrs Harrington.

Anthony Bromley has a particularly affinity for the progeny of the now Turkish-based sire Authorized and the agent forked out €130,000 for a gelding from Sluggara Farm who numbers the listed-winning Angel’s Share amongst his siblings.

“It’s fairly well known that I’m a huge fan of the sire and this is just a very nice horse,” reportd Bromley. “He’s well conformed, has a great temperament and he looks a real athlete. He’ll carry the double green colours of Simon Muir and Issac Souede and he will go up to Northern Ireland to be broken in by Stuart Crawford.”

Much earlier in the day Peter Doyle splashed out €125,000 for a daughter of Envoi Allen’s sire Muhtathir.

“She’s a very, very nice filly. In fact she’s gorgeous. At one point I thought I might buy her for myself but that quickly went out the window. I’ve bought her for old clients and close family friends and she just has everything you would want in a filly,” remarked Doyle.

The sale concludes on Thursday with Part 2 of the sale.

FINAL FIGURES FOR PART 1

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE MEDIAN

2022 476 440 394 €20,406,000 €51,792 €45,000

2021 430 401 353 €16,337,500 €46,282 €40,000

2020 276 220 184 €7,956,500 €42,098 €36,000

2019 280 267 242 €11,709,500 €48,386 €45,000

2018 269 257 216 €10,452,000 €48,389 €38,000

2017 259 214 198 €8,592,000 €43,394 €38,000

2016 351 316 275 €9,410,500 €34,220 €28,000