KINSALE trainer Robert Tyner hopes he can have a challenger for next year’s Goffs Defender Bumper with his latest purchase, one of two lots in Part 2 of the Goffs Arkle Sale to sell for €45,000. He won the Goffs Land Rover Bumper with Coeur De Lion in 2016 and Vision Des Flos the following year.

One of his likely challengers for the big race at Punchestown will be with a son of Poet’s Word, sold by William and John Flood’s Boardsmill Stud. The gelding is a half-brother to the Grade 1-placed chaser No Comment, and to Burn The Evidence who was second in a listed hurdle race in the USA. Their dam is a half-sister to Aran Concerto.

That Noel Meade-trained son of Zaffaran won six times, three of these at Grade 1 level. He was successful in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown, the Navan Novice Hurdle, and the Power Gold Cup at Fairyhouse. Tyner’s purchase has the Fowler family’s Credit Card as his third dam. She won 12 races, and later bred two outstanding runners in Run For Free and Bankers Benefit.

The geldings won 15 races each on the track, Run For Free outdoing his half-brother by adding two point-to-point victories to his record. Bankers Benefit finished second in the Irish Grand National, while Run For Free collected both the Scottish and Welsh versions.

A stand-out for Tyner

Tyner said: “This is a nice horse. I was underbidder on another horse yesterday and I am delighted I didn’t get him. This is a much nicer horse, and he should have been in the sale yesterday. The vendor was telling me that when he was inspected, he was just not big enough, and he thought he would stand out today. He’s after growing a pile since then, and he was the standout horse today for me.

“He looks to be a bit of value. We will break him and get him going, then give him a break for a while. He might be a horse for the bumper.”

Mullins to train

Liss House’s Joshua Tree gelding was an early highlight on the day when he sold for €45,000 to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins. This was a great return on the €4,000 it cost to purchase the half-brother to three winners as a foal from Kilbarry Lodge. Niall Bleahen’s Liss House sold two of the top three lots in Part 1.

Kirk was happy with his purchase. “I just particularly like that sire, and there aren’t a lot of them around. He stood in Ireland for a while before going back to France, and they like him there. He’s the sire of Gordon’s good horse Irish Point. He’s got the Montjeu factor and there was a lot of Montjeu about this horse, in my opinion.

“This is a lovely horse, racy and strong, and an especially good mover, from vendors who sell a lot of good winners. He might be one the Goffs Defender Bumper. I showed him to Willie yesterday and he loved him as well.”

Bloodstock agent and Goffs team member Gerry Hogan spent €42,000 on Galbertstown Stables’ Tahar, a three-year-old gelding is by the exciting young French National Hunt sire Beaumec De Houelle. Tahar is the first foal out of a Poliglote full-sister to Maghero who won a listed race over hurdles at Auteuil. Hogan said: “He’s a good forward-looking horse. I have bought him to be trained by Paul Nolan for a new client in the yard.”

Goffs Group CEO Henry Beeby addressed the difficulties faced by vendors on Thursday, after Part 1 which he said was “deemed a success relative to the expectation coming into the week”. He added: “The clearance rate is of particular concern, as a figure of 69% is well short of what we all set out to achieve. It compares unfavourably with Part 1’s 80%, and demonstrates the challenges the market is facing away from the headline horses, and continues recent trends. A tightening of trade impacts everyone, and we will look to reverse the decline by working hard with all the entities.”