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Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins’ purchase of a blue-blooded Tunis gelding from Liss House for €210,000 led the way in Wednesday's final session of the Goffs Arkle Sale Part 1.
The two-day sale ended with a clearance rate of 80%, down from 89% last year. From 20 fewer horses sold, the aggregate of €16.5 million dropped by around €4 million (19%) but was still the third highest in the auction's history, behind only 2022 and 2023. The average price of €48,615 was down just 7% and the median back by 12.5% to €42,000.
Mullins was an obvious buyer for the top lot as the Tunis gelding from Niall Bleahen's Liss House is a half-brother to Kopek Des Bordes, winner of the Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Bumper at Fairyhouse on his debut in March.
There was a fierce bidding war for the sale-topper between Mullins’ talent scout Harold Kirk and Tom Malone, who was standing with Paul Nicholls.
It was a determined Kirk who won the protracted battle with a bid of €210,000.
“I always knew he was going to be very popular, as he’s a stunning horse with a huge pedigree,” said Kirk. “He’s for an existing owner in the yard.
“His half-brother Kopek Des Bordes won a sales bumper last season and we’ll be hoping this one can win the Goffs Defender Bumper next year. That’ll be the first plan anyway.
"The whole page is very good. The mare is an excellent producer, and we like Tunis too. He was a very good hurdler and is still a young sire, but they like him a lot in France. A lot of French National Hunt sires ran over hurdles themselves, and so have proven they can jump. In France they nearly prefer that to a horse who’s won a big race at Royal Ascot. It’s a different system, but it works.”
The transaction continued an outstanding Arkle Sale for Liss House, as it also sold a No Risk At All gelding to Ian Ferguson for €160,000 in yesterday’s opening session.
Bleahens again
Not long after the session topper, the Bleahen family’s expertise in sourcing and preparing stores was showcased when Lakefield Farm’s filly by No Risk At All out of flat Group 3 winner Pearl Sky sold to Aiden and Olly Murphy on behalf of an existing owner for €125,000.
“She’s a lovely filly with a very good pedigree,” reported Aiden Murphy. “The dam was very good and won four on the Flat.
“I wouldn’t mind having a van full of No Risk At All horses, and being out of a Kahyasi mare wouldn’t do her any harm either. He’s a great broodmare sire.
“Time will tell. She’s from a very good farm – the Bleahen family are unbelievable.”
Fastorslow relation
The identity of the purchaser of the Goliath Du Berlais gelding out of a Martaline half-sister to Fastorslow came as no surprise. Signing the docket for him at €110,000 was Ger Morrin, standing alongside Fastorslow’s trainer Martin Brassil.
“He’s a lovely, neat horse and a beautiful mover; he’s going to Martin and will also be for Sean and Bernardine Mulryan,” reported Morrin. “He reminded us a lot of Fastorslow, and he’s a three-parts brother to him too."
Indeed, the two horses are more closely related than appears at first glance of the page, as both up-and-coming French sire Goliath Du Berlais and three-time Grade 1-winning chaser Fastorslow are by the mighty Saint Des Saints.
“Goliath Du Berlais is doing very well in France, and hopefully this will be another one who helps him make his name,” added Morrin. “He looks like he should come to hand quickly, he certainly won’t take forever.”
The sale of Fastorslow’s close relation continued a good week for consignor Brown Island Stables with its French-sourced stores.
Johnny Collins’ outfit also sold a Tunis gelding for €155,000 and a Zarak filly for €100,000 in yesterday’s opening session.
Ballyburn's sister
Killeen Glebe offered a collector’s item in a Crystal Ocean half-sister to Willie Mullins’ outstanding novice hurdler Ballyburn and the high-class pair Minella Daddy and Noble Endeavor, and it was Tom Malone and owner Lynne Maclennan who seized the rare opportunity to buy such a beautifully bred filly.
“She looks a scrapper,” said a delighted Maclennan, who won the day with a bid of €92,000. “We just want to improve. We’ve been in it for roughly eight or nine years, and we seem to be hitting the bar more times than not now because we keep improving.
“We’ve always had a passion for it but when you start doing silly things like paying €92,000 for a store you wonder if it’s tipped over into madness! No, this is how we love to do it: buy them young and see them come through. There’s so much more satisfaction in doing it like that."
At the end of the sale Goffs CEO Henry Beeby said: "It is no secret that there was a feeling of trepidation as the sale approached as it has been a tough year in several ways, not least with the weather that played such havoc with the point-to-point season, but the overriding vibe from the two days was a sale of vibrancy and strength with the familiar refrain that it is “hard to buy the good ones” regularly heard.
"While the statistics are behind last year, they have only been bettered by the last two amazing renewals of the sale and we must put the trade into the context of the world today which is a much different place to 12 months ago so therefore derive a level of satisfaction from the results. That said, we recognise that the market has contracted to an extent and a reduced clearance rate is always a cause for concern as it means less success for our loyal vendors."
Part 2 of the Arkle Sale takes place on Thursday.
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