FOLLOWING a decade-long break, Goffs returned to Newbury to stage the Coral Gold Cup Sale last year, and produced a very successful edition after racing.
The most recent sale last Saturday was a slightly smaller catalogue, and resulted in a set of results that did not match those of a year earlier. Selectivity among the buyers resulted in 14 lots being sold, down from 18 last time, but the sales company could boast of a top price which bettered that which was achieved in 2023.
Mystery surrounds who will own and race the four-year-old Kindly Prince after the gavel fell in favour of David Mullins at £320,000. All that Mullins revealed after the sale was that he would return to Ireland. A French-bred son of Great Pretender, Kindly Prince made his debut just six days before the sale, at Lingstown, and in spite of facing some runners with form, he ran out a convincing 16-length winner for handler Jonathan Fogarty and in the colours of Gaynestown Stud Partnership.
Kindly Prince had been purchased in France as a two-year-old for €100,000 and he is a full-brother to Grade 3 Grand Prix de Pau Chase winner and Grade 1-placed In Love. Their Nickname dam Belle Princesse was a winner over jumps and is a half-sister to the dam of the Grade 1 chase winner Juntos Ganamos.
Skelton strikes
A couple of lots on and the Sam Curling-trained Real Quartz entered the ring. He was a debut winner a week before the sale at Boulta, in a race that had some quality runners, and Derek O’Connor got the four-year-old son of Soldier Of Fortune home by four and a half lengths.
Ryan Mahon teamed up with Dan Skelton to secure this €45,000 store for £190,000. Bought for an existing client in the yard, Real Quartz had been on the agent’s radar for some time.
Mahon said: “He’s got loads of size and scope, a good pedigree and he likes soft ground. We had already earmarked him when we saw him in February. His win confirmed our thoughts.”
An own-brother to this year’s bumper winner Alan De Banks, Real Quartz is out of a half-sister to the dual Grade 1-winning chaser Joncol.
Bloodstock agent Tom Malone purchased two of the five lots to realise six-figure sums, but for two different trainers. Colin Bowe’s Suburban Legend, a four-year-old son of Harzand, joins Paul Nicholls after his sale for £165,000. Pulled-up on his debut, this €68,000 store made amends at Quakerstown last month when running out a nine-length winner in the quickest time on the day, some 18 seconds better than the average.
Earlier on the day, Nicholls had won the feature race on the Newbury card with Kandoo Kid, and he was pleased with the price he had to pay for Suburban Legend. He said: “I like Harzand and I think he will make a very good jumps sire. The idea is to get him home and give him one run in a bumper in the spring. He’s a good one to put in the shop window to sell to someone.”
Bumper winner
Spincourt Bloodstock sold the French bumper winner Kernie D’Airy to Malone and Jamie Snowden for £155,000. The sale was probably helped when the four-year-old filly’s sire It’s Gino (Perugino) got the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Sir Gino. Furthermore, the form of the race Kernie D’Airy won in November was franked when the runner-up won on the day of the sale.
Hugo Merienne trained Kernie D’Airy and recommended her to Malone. Antonin Pelsy, the filly’s owner-breeder, was happy with the sale outcome. “I’m very pleased,” he said, adding “I’m pleased she is going to such a good trainer. I’ve met a lot of people, the filly has sold well, and I’ve been well looked after by the Goffs team; so job done.”
The fifth, and last, lot to make it to six-figure territory was Stuart Crawford’s Jackpot Cauveliere, and Gerry Hogan secured him for £100,000. The five-year-old son of Kamsin was bought by the trainer for €30,000 at the Land Rover Sale two years ago and his patience paid dividends when he made a belated but wining debut six days before the sale at Lingstown, scoring by all of 20 lengths. Hogan was acting for trainer Harry Derham.
Improved facilities
In the aftermath of the sale, Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said: “Following on from last year’s successful debut sale here at Newbury racecourse, there was a high level of anticipation coming into this year’s edition, and the racecourse results ensured that we had a strong catalogue going into today’s sale.
“Because of that, inspections were busy across both days of racing at the Coral Gold Cup Festival, with many positive remarks about the improved facilities which included using the racecourse stables and moving the auction to Newbury’s Owner’s Club. These changes helped the sale to enjoy a unique atmosphere and, other than a few on-site technical issues, the event was a success.
“Racecourse results are what drive any sale and the impressive victory of Ben Pauling’s The Jukebox Man in yesterday’s Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase was a timely reminder of what can be bought at the Goffs point-to-point sales. This helped drive a clearance rate of 88% and a sale topping price of £320,000, which is a significant increase on last year.
“We would like to thank our loyal vendors for their support today and also wish the buyers the best of luck with their new recruits. We look forward to following their progress in the hope of unearthing the next The Jukebox Man, Jonbon or Constitution Hill.”