OVER 80% of the National Hunt stores offered for sale on Monday at the Goffs UK Spring Sale found buyers and the market was strong.

The £31,960 average price was up 21% on 2019’s figure and up 12% on 2017’s record average of £28,476. Monday's £28,000 median also set a new record, up 17% on the £24,000 record set in 2018.

The store section of the sale has been extended to two days this year and topping Monday's session was a son of Kayf Tara, whose price of £165,000 is the second highest ever achieved at this sale.

The sale-topper came from George and Libby Snell’s Lulham Bloodstock and is a half-brother to the Grade 2 winner Silver Hallmark. He was bought by Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls.

His price has only been bettered once at this sale and that was in 2002 when a half-brother to Best Mate fetched 185,000gns.

Malone and Nicholls also secured the sale’s second highest lot when going to £150,000 to secure John Collins’ Brown Island Stables’ Mount Nelson half-brother to the Grade 2 winner Charbel.

Other lots to feature prominently included Ballincurrig House Stud’s Presenting filly out of a half-sister to Master Minded, which sold to Highflyer for £88,000, and Goldford Stud’s Walk In The Park filly out of a half-sister to J'Y Vole, which was purchased by Ross Doyle and Colin and Joe Tizzard for £80,000.

Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said: "Today has been a great start to the annual Spring Sale and we have achieved some vibrant results at all levels of the market. We look forward to more of the same tomorrow when we continue with the second session of NH stores before two days of horses in training and pointers on Wednesday and Thursday.”

The store sale resumes at 11am on Tuesday. It will be followed by the Spring Horses in Training/Point-to-Point Sale on Wednesday and Thursday.

DAY ONE STATISTICS

Offered: 138

Sold: 112 (81%)

Aggregate: £3,579,500

Average: £31,960 (+21% on 2019 sale)

Median: £28,000 (+33% on 2019 sale)

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