In light of the Level 5 COVID-19 restrictions announced by the Irish government on Monday, Goffs has been forced to shift most of its autumn sales calendar.
The heightened restrictions mean it will not be legally permitted to hold sales at Kildare Paddocks from Oct. 21 to Dec. 2. After consultation with the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Tattersalls, new dates were selected for the Goffs November Foal and Breeding Stock Sales that will allow attendees to be at Tattersalls and observe the two-week Irish quarantine rules. The November Foal Sale, originally scheduled for Nov. 16 to 18, will now be held from Dec. 18 to 20. The Breeding Stock Sale will follow on Dec. 21.
The Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale will be moved from Nov. 4 and 5 to Jan. 12 and 13. The Goffs Autumn HIT Sale will remain on Nov. 5 as a live online auction. The December National Hunt Sale will also remain on its original dates of Dec. 9 and 10.
Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “Like much of the rest of the country, we did not anticipate a move straight to Level 5 but we fully respect the decision and objectives of the government and understand that, in this timeframe, it would not be responsible to attempt to hold a sale. Therefore, in consultation this morning with the ITBA and Tattersalls, we reviewed every sale and selected what we believe is the best possible alternative to maximise the success for each category.
“Rescheduling the market-leading Goffs November Sale to December will allow sufficient time for buyers and vendors to quarantine for two weeks following the Tattersalls December Sales. Our December National Hunt Sale falls after the current six-week lockdown period and therefore remains on its original scheduled dates.
“[The] Goffs Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale also remains on its original date, Nov. 5, but will be a fully online sale with a live auctioneer and bidding via Goffs Online and by phone. The Autumn Yearling Sale will be pushed back to January 2021. This sale is heavily reliant on overseas investment and it is hoped that a number of countries will have been added to the Irish government's Green List for travel by that stage, allowing key overseas buyers to attend.”
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