Part 2 of the Goffs Arkle Sale on Thursday had a tough act to follow and trade altered in accordance with the level of stock on offer.
Business was still brisk, however, for those lots who stood out a bit and such was the strength of trade earlier in the week that consequently there were plenty of people who still had orders to fill.
At the close of business of Part 2 a total of €3,333,500 (+7%) was spent on 169 horses giving an average of €19,725 and a median of €17,000, representing an increase of 10% and 6% on each respective metric.
The day's top price of €55,000 came early in the session when agent Kevin Ross bought a son of Diamond Boy offered by The Glebe Farm. The half-brother to two winners is out of a half-sister to 15-time winner Ballycassidy.
Ross said: "I saw him when inspecting the lots for the sale on behalf of Goffs a while back and he’s a lovely horse. I’ve bought him for Harry Fry and he has a nice pedigree as well.”
Australia gelding
Peter Nolan was the leading consignor in Part 1, selling 25 horses for just over €1 million and he continued his good work when offering a son of Australia who was bought by Bobby O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott for €50,000.
The horse has a high-end flat staying pedigree with some classy performers such as Curtain Call and Hernando featuring on his page and it would be no surprise to see him feature prominently in a bumper next spring.
Another vendor fresh from a massively successful Part 1 was John Bleahen of Lakefield Farm and his son of Storm The Stars caught the eye of noted judge Ian Ferguson with the hammer eventually falling in Ferguson’s favour at €45,000.
“I thought he was one of the better horses here and he could well have been in Part 1 if his pedigree had been a bit stronger. He is a great mover and he goes to Caroline McCaldin to go point-to-pointing,” Ferguson said afterwards.
Telescope filly
John Murray of Cloughmoyle Stud went to €50,000 to acquire a filly by Telescope offered by Ballincurrig Stud. The daughter of the smart five-time winner Centasia will go to Liam Cusack to be broken in before hopefully embarking on a track career.
Soon afterwards the same price was achieved by a son of dual Derby winner Harzand consigned by Hugh Bleahan’s Clifton Farm. The gelding was bought by Sam Curling and hails from the family of high-class French chaser Knock Down and the progressive John McConnell trained staying chaser Mahler Mission.
Lot 561 got a recent pedigree update when his half-brother The Wallpark won a bumper for Gordon Elliott and that no doubt encouraged Michael Shefflin to go to €46,000 to take home the son of Walk In The Park offered by Clonmult Farm.
As proceedings neared the end former jockey David Mullins made his presence felt when spending €47,000 on a Westerner half-brother to the Anthony Honeyball-trained winning hurdler Doyen For Money.
PART 2 FINAL FIGURES
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGGREGATE AVEREAGE MEDIAN
2023 239 215 169 €3,333,500 €19,725 €17,000
2022 239 213 174 €3,109,500 €17,871 €16,000