A YEAR in which positives abounded for Goffs ended on a bright note for the company as the expanded December National Hunt Sale concluded with a solid set of returns that contained several landmark sales.

The €530,000 heights reached by Apple’s Jade last year were never going to be matched but the sale still played host to the second highest price in its history when Shattered Love fetched €260,000.

Furthermore, a No Risk At All colt set a new National Hunt foal record for Goffs on Wednesday when selling for €100,000.

These sales played their part in a set of returns which yielded an aggregate of €7.1 million. This represented a progression of 37% on last year which is not surprising given that the sale grew from two days to three.

The average of €16,136 was fractionally ahead of last year while the median held steady at €10,000.

An increase in numbers for this year’s sale did impact on the clearance rate which dropped from 71% to 66%, but overall this represented a perfectly satisfactory edition of this progressive auction and competition for quality foals was strong all the way through.

Indeed the number of foals to make at least €40,000 went from 15 last year to 35 this time around which is indicative of a National Hunt foal market that has looked ultra-competitive at the two main sales in Ireland this winter.

The number of foals making at least €30,000 also increased, going from 35 to 49, but it is interesting that the greater growth came at the higher figure.

After the foals, the blue chip selection from Gigginstown House Stud once again struck a chord with the Irish National Hunt fraternity and this also played a major part in bolstering a set of figures that give cause for encouragement on two fronts.

Firstly, they mark the conclusion of a heartening few weeks for the National Hunt market and secondly, they represent a bright end to a good year for Goffs as the company bounced back from a trying 2020 in great style over the last 12 months.