AFTER a stop-start rollercoaster of developments in recent months, there was heartening positivity and a sense of relief at the delayed Goffs Land Rover Sale this week.

Unsurprisingly, there was a decrease in various figures year on year, but not as great as some might have expected on Wednesday, which brought 85% clearance rate and a top lot price that matched that of last year. Thursday was a more subdued affair, with a significant drop for all figures. Full statistics and reports are available on pages 24-28.

Reflecting on the sale yesterday, Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby said: “The first thing that springs to mind was a degree of relief. It was a sense of relief and of satisfaction that we delivered, first and foremost, a safe and compliant environment in which to conduct a sale and to get a bit of liquidity back into the market.

“It was also satisfying to be able to put on a sale for the vendors who have supported us and then to return what were in the circumstances, a satisfactory set of results.

“I think there was an acceptance that we are in difficult times but it was a question of being able to keep adapting, keep working together and there was a sense of community which was very evident the moment the horses arrived until they left last night.

“I can’t stress enough the help, support and advice HRI gave us, Brian Kavanagh in particular, and his colleagues at ITM. It showed the industry in a good light, working together for the greater good.”

Goffs worked with HRI to make a submission to the Government for special dispensation for overseas buyers to attend the sale under strict protocols. That submission was initially well received and a total of 38 people applied to attend the sale on this basis before the Goverment turned it down last week.

While acknowledging how big a blow it was to not have British buyers attend the sale, Beeby highlighted the online activity and the work of local agents on the ground as enormous assets. There were 123 separate bids placed across 38 lots by 16 unique bidders via Goffs Online. This resulted in 13 horses being sold through that platform.

On the ground, vendor Ken Parkhill of Castletown Quarry Stud, said: “It was better than I ever could have hoped for. Everything worked 100%. The people in Goffs moved mountains to get the sale on and they couldn’t get enough praise, it was absolutely fantastic.

“I don’t know exactly who bought what but the British buyers seemed to have bought loads. You’d be very hopeful about next week. I wasn’t at Goffs on Thursday and I don’t think it was as good as Wednesday, but from my end of it, it was fantastic. Even to have a sale at all, it was great.”

All eyes will now be on Fairyhouse for the Derby Sale next week. Tattersalls Ireland CEO Matt Mitchell said: “I’m certainly encouraged by how things went this week. One of the issues in the current situation is the lack of clarity, the unknowns.

“When you have a sale like you had this week, it gives people more confidence that there is trade there and there are people who want to buy horses.

“I’d just remind everyone attending Tattersalls next week that they need to pre-register. Not being able to have British visitors on site is a disappointment for everybody but we have the facility for live bidding, we have videos of the horses and our team here will offer any assistance that people need.”