THE Goffs UK Yorton Sale achieved a milestone last year when its turnover surpassed £1 million for the first time, and it narrowly beat that total on Thursday, by a single percentage point, and in the process set new marks for average and media.
From a select catalogue of 46 two-year-olds, four less than last year, 41 were put through the ring, with 36 of them - a clearance rate of 88% - selling to a large buying bench from Britain, Ireland and France. The strong demand saw both the average and median grow by 15%.
Topping the sale was the Blue Bresil filly out of a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Bitofapuzzle and the listed hurdle winner Golden Gael. She sold to the bid of Highflyer and Ben Pauling for £90,000. Highflyer and Pauling finished the day as the leading buyers by quite a margin, spending £271,000 on five lots.
In fact, they purchased half of the lots to bring £50,000 or more. They also bought a Protectionist gelding out of the Soldier Hollow mare Koffi Cherie, an unraced own-sister to a listed flat winner and a half-sister to a listed hurdle winner in Germany.
He sold for £55,000, a bid or two more than the £50,000 they gave for a gelding by The Grey Gatsby, a half-brother to a graded stakes-placed winner, and a grandson of Halfbridled, the champion juvenile filly in the USA in 2003.
Potter sales
Consigned by Yorton on behalf of James and Jean Potter Limited, three more progeny of Blue Bresil also finished among the top six.
A gelding out of Potters Den, an unraced Stowaway half-sister to the high-class hurdle mare Polly Peachum, sold to Abbeylands for £68,000, and his grandam is an own-sister by Presenting to Grade 1 winners Denman and Silverburn.
A daughter of Blue Bresil gelding out of the listed-placed hurdler Houston Du Berlais, already dam of two winners, was knocked down to Webb Hill Farm for £55,000. The dam is a half-sister to four blacktype winners over jumps, notably the multiple Grade 2 winning chaser, Madison Du Berlais.
Bloodstock agent Joey Logan signed for a Blue Bresil half-brother to Midnight Tour, a listed winner over hurdles who was runner-up in the Grade 1 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Their dam, an unraced daughter of Montjeu, is a half-sister to Grade 2 chase winner Locksmith. The gelding cost Logan £52,000.
‘Fantastic turnout’
Yorton Farm owner David Futter said at the sale’s conclusion: “Today has been a very good day for Yorton and we are delighted with the results achieved. The turnout has been fantastic, we welcomed a big crowd which created a great atmosphere, and it’s fantastic to sell horses to a wide variety of buyers from throughout Europe.
“The Yorton team has done a fantastic job once again to produce another very memorable year, and we have been rewarded with a record sale which makes all the hard work worth it. I would like to pass on a sincere thanks to our team, to everyone who has come here to support us, and also to the Goffs UK team.”
Tim Kent, Goffs UK’s managing director, added: “This has been another big year for this sale which continues to make positive strides. The quality of horse being offered took a step up once again this year, and for a sale that’s only offered four catalogues it has created a superb following and some outstanding results.
“On behalf of the Goffs team, I pass on our congratulations to David and the Yorton team; they are a pleasure to work with and we are delighted to be involved.”