“Trade has been amazing considering that, 48 hours before the sale, people thought the place was going to implode. But it took off on Tuesday morning and the clearance rate is great, even though the point-to-point boys are not buying as many, which is a good thing for the industry. There is very little not making its price at all levels.

“The pedigrees are lovely. It’s not that my clients are specifically looking for French horses. What is happening is that French horses are doing well and Irish pinhookers are cherrypicking the best young stock from France and that’s what’s here.” - Tom Malone, bloodstock agent

“It’s very strong, with a broad base of buyers. There are some really nice horses here and I think the Irish horses are just as nice as the French ones, if not nicer. The French don’t seem to be the models the Irish are, in my view. Give me an Irish horse any day. We bought an Irish-bred Blue Bresil and he was much more expensive than we thought but if you want a nice one you have to get in there.” - John Murphy, trainer

“When you try to but a nice horse there are plenty of buyers for them. We bought a few and are happy with what we got but I thought we were going to get better value this week. It’s a good catalogue. The French horses look precocious. You’d like to think they might come to hand sooner.” - Gavin Crowwell, trainer

“We all thought they would be cheaper but obviously the market has held up. There are nice horses here alright, there’s no problem that way. I have bought a few to race, not to trade. I know the Irish pedigrees better than the French, and I didn’t think a whole lot of the French horses I have had. I’m told the French keep their best horses at home but the fact is that French horses dominate the list of top-rated jumpers in Ireland and Britain. – Terence O’Brien, trainer

“It is a lot stronger than a lot of people thought. Sean Mulyan bought two yesterday and one today. One is a full brother to City Island and one is related to Fastorslow. The French horses are getting the better results at the bigger meetings and owners can see those statistics, so it is no surprise they are in demand. I’d like to compliment Goffs on the improvements they have made to the sales complex in the past few months. They have spent a lot of money on it and it’s world-class now. You wouldn’t find a complex better than it anywhere.” – Martin Brassil, trainer

“I’m a bit shocked by the trade. There was bad word around the place on Monday and even on Tuesday morning the vendors had their heads down. But it is unbelievably solid without the madness that was in it before. I got two today – one by No Risk At All and one by Triple Threat.” – Robert Tyner, trainer

“There’s always somebody for a nice horse. I don’t buy into this idea that British jump racing is dead in the water. Remember there is racing in Britian most days and if you have a trainer’s licence you have to get horses from somewhere. I bought two today and two yesterday. I have had some luck with French horses but I am probably a bit old-fashioned when it comes to buying stores. My wife and I cover all the sales and there is always quality horses here. We don’t buy at the top end but we don’t get hooked up on prices either. The price is the market value on the day. You just put the work in and try to get the right horse at the right price.” - Evan Williams. trainer

“It’s much stronger than I expected, with one or two soft spots in the market. The point-to-point men are a little quieter but then there are reasons for that. They have had a shocking year. Considering everything, this sale has gone well. The French horses are dominating the top of the market but the pinhookers gave good money for them as youngsters. I wouldn’t say our clients prefer French horses but some of these sires like Goliath Des Berlais and Karaktar are getting good results.” - David Minton, bloodstock agent

“It’s held up quite well really, for the times we’re in. It’s gone back to realistic levels, to probably what it should be. There was a lot of negativity going into the sale, but I’d say vendors were pleasantly surprised. Footfall may not have been as good as it was previously, but having said that, there were a lot of genuine people looking. There were no real ‘tyre kickers’. If you brought a nice horse into the ring, there were three or four buyers there to buy them. If you speak to buyers, they’re finding it very hard to buy a horse. Nice horses haven’t been missed. I’d say the point-to-point lads were a bit surprised, I think they thought it would be easier to buy than it has been the past two days. They’ve been a bit more selective too, which is fair enough. The English have been strong; I suppose they target this sale as it’s been lucky for a lot of people.” - Paul Cashman of Rathbarry Stud

“It’s been a pleasant surprise. The footfall was fine and when we compared our lists to last year’s, it was actually quite similar. There were some people missing, but there were some new names too. We felt we had a similar amount of looks, especially for the popular horses. Trade was very strong the first day, reasonably strong the second day, and the clearance rate has been quite good, and I suppose that’s what’s most important. (On the subject of point-to-point handlers buying less) If you fall off the conveyor belt, it’s difficult to get back on. You have to keep trading if you want to make a living out of it. If they have a good year, they’ll keep going, if they have a quiet year, they still need stock. Bernard Condren said it on the rostrum, ‘Empty stables don’t win races.’

There is a stronger market for fillies. The ITBA and the powers that be, and in England, have created these bonus schemes which have definitely made a difference the last few years. There were people down to our consignment who just wanted fillies. That’s a positive, but that’s not new news.” - Luke Barry of Manister House Stud

“We’ve had a great week and are very happy. Before the sale, a lot of vendors probably thought there wasn’t enough footfall, but once the sale started, a lot of people turned up. As ever, Goffs did a fantastic job getting people here. There was a slight case of needing a better horse, but all in all, I think it was very solid trade and the middle market was fantastic. As has been said the last couple of years, there’s probably been a lack of trainers buying. Having said that, a lot of agents seem to be doing the work. Goffs UK felt very quiet, so it was nice to see this fare much better.” - Norman Williamson of Oak Tree Farm

“I found trade was good at all levels, there was someone there for every horse. Footfall improved as the days went on. (On his expectations for the Diamond Boy gelding that sold for €150,000) I thought he was a very nice horse, but when you have a very nice horse, you keep it to yourself and hope the horse helps himself along the way, which he did. The point-to-point lads seemed to be a bit more cautious about what they’re buying, especially on pedigrees. In general, they’re buying away, but just being a bit more conservative. (On how trade will effect reinvestment later this year) I’ll tell you after the Derby Sale! - Tom Howley of Brook Lodge Farm