Premier Feel For Goffs UK Flagship

DONCASTER, UK—The reputation of the 'Donny' yearling has long been cast in physique over pedigree: an up-and-at-'em type beloved of breeze-up pinhookers and a certain brand of trainer. To an extent that still holds true but as the popularity and success of the sale has grown—fairly significantly over the last five years—it's now fair to say that the type of yearling on offer has morphed into a 'Donny-Plus' model.

Of course not all graduates of the sale will go on to win a Classic but if Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) is the straight-A student few can match strides with, she is also a terrific example of the kind of horse to which Goffs UK now aspires for its headline yearling sale. No late developer, John Dance's filly was the most expensive of her sex two years ago at £220,000 and made a winning debut the following July. Just one horse got the better of her in three subsequent juvenile starts in Group company, culminating in victory in the G1 Fillies' Mile. This year, she found only Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) too good in the 1,000 Guineas before annexing the G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G1 Prix de Diane.

The next crop of Goffs UK graduates has been led by the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), sold for £60,000 to Dermot Farrington a year ago and now as short as 12/1 for next year's 2,000 Guineas.

“This sale has been progressing and we saw it last year take another big step,” said Goffs UK Managing Director Tony Williams at the sales ground on Monday.

“Our top price has been £280,000 over the last few years and I think we have horses here who could eclipse that. We had 42 yearlings sell for over £100,000 and I think there's a lot of stock out there that could easily be at that level or better. Support from breeders has been exceptional. When you go and look around the grounds there are real highlight horses that we've had in the past but not in the same numbers. I think the level of stock has definitely elevated and the intensity of buyers is developing. A lot of top-end buyers are now properly targeting the sale. It's not an after-thought to come here.”

Indeed, the yards on Monday were a hive of activity, with plenty of trainers in situ along with the buying teams from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Shadwell, Godolphin and Phoenix Thoroughbred to name but a handful. So the buyers are in place but one problem that has made this year's cataloguing process an extra painful once across the sales companies is an increase in demand for places from breeders.

“It was difficult this year and I'm sure we can still refine the selection process further,” Williams conceded. “We have 501 boxes and we've catalogued 501 lots. That's how tight it was this year. We have 174 catalogued for our Silver Sale and that was difficult to keep to that level this year. In the past the uptake hasn't been as good but this year the uptake for both sales has been really good. Breeders are really giving us the opportunity with high-end horses.”

He added, “This sale was built around the early 2-year-old type, and that focus can't be taken off the sale, but there's a development through that of higher-end horses who could be sprinter-milers and that broadens the spectrum through the sale. I think the type of horse here is very much evolving.”

More than ever, the bottom line and clearance rate will be of utmost concern to each sales team this year. While we're not yet looking at a scenario akin to the global financial crisis of a decade ago which, coupled with surging foal crops, created a perfect storm of despondency for the bloodstock industry. We have, however, seen the foals crops rise gradually again after significant market correction, and on the back of a much steadier breeze-up season than in recent years and uncertainty surrounding the implications of Brexit, most participants are approaching the yearling sales with a degree of caution.

It would be a sad day if Goffs' Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby ever lost his Tigger-like bounce and the Goffs UK team as a whole should certainly retain a degree of optimism ahead of the next two days of the Premier Sale. Here's why.

Last year for the first time the sale posted an average just above £50,000, that figure having risen gradually from £32,464 five years ago. While the number of yearlings sold in that time has hovered annually just above or below 400, an extra £4 million was added to turnover from that 2013 mark, with last year's final count standing at £19,767,750.

This encouraging progression in all sectors may stall this year but a personal belief is that this sale is one which could well fare better than many of its rivals in an increasingly packed calendar.

Williams said, “We're fortunate that we've been in a rising market and having had good success out of the sale has given people further confidence. This industry is all about confidence and perception and the perception is that this sale can now produce a wider range of horses and there's confidence from the vendors to put them in the sale and from buyers to come and buy. I'm always hopeful but I think we'll be taking another step this year.”

Anna Sundstrom's Coulonces Sales has a solid reputation in France and the profile of the Swedish-born consignor has also risen pretty quickly in the UK after she brought with her the French-bred Laurens among a debut draft of three in 2016. This year Coulonces has six Premier yearlings to sell (following one withdrawal) and they include a grey colt by Starspangledbanner (Aus) (Lot 477), a sire with which Sundstrom has already enjoyed success as breeder and vendor courtesy of dual Group 3 winner Home Of The Brave (Ire).

At £280,000, last month's G3 Hackwood S. winner Yafta (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) topped the 2016 sale, offered by Highclere Stud on behalf of breeder Lordship Stud. The same partnership returns to Doncaster with Lot 267, a filly bred along very similar lines, by Acclamation (GB) out of Swiss Kiss (GB) (Dansili {GB}), a winning half-sister to Yafta's dam Swiss Dream (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) from Lordship's flagship family of Swiss Lake (Indian Ridge {GB}).

Plenty of stallions go from hot to cold but Oasis Dream has been simmering away nicely again this season with two new Group 1 winners, including the top-rated 2-year-old filly in training, Pretty Pollyanna (GB). The Juddmonte stallion has topped this sale in the past when the colt that would become G3 Jersey S. winner and Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Gale Force Ten (GB) was bought for £280,000, and he has three colts catalogued this year. They include Lot 175, a brother to the 99-rated multiple winner Silent Echo (GB) from the family of Twice Over (GB) (Observatory {GB}) consigned by Norris Bloodstock.

Siyouni, the sire of Laurens, remained all the rage at Europe's first yearling sale of the year in Deauville and three of his offspring can be found in the Premier catalogue, including Ashbrittle Stud's colt out of a half-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Plumania (GB) (Anabaa), who sells as Lot 230.

Showcasing is among one of the best represented sires in the catalogue with 18 yearlings to be sold. Two years ago, bloodstock agent Matt Coleman and is father Roger enjoyed a decent return when selling an Acclamation colt out of their homebred listed winner Melbourne Memories (GB) (Sleeping Indian {GB}) for £230,000 to the Hong Kong Jockey Club and this time they offer the mare's Showcasing filly through Brightwalton Stud (Lot 72).

Jeffrey and Phoebe Hobby of Brightwalton Stud enjoyed success in their own right as owner-breederson Saturday with the G3 March S. victory of Maid Up (GB) (Mastercraftsman{Ire}) and their four-strong draft also contains that filly's half-brother by Kodiac (GB) (Lot 396).

Kodiac is also the sire of the first foal of GIII Senorita S. winner Charlie Em (GB) (Kheleyf) whose half-sister Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) came within a pixel of winning the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. last week at York. The January-born filly is offered by Manor Farm as Lot 381.

No Nay Never is way out in front in the first-season sires' table by earnings and another exciting member of his first crop, Ten Sovereigns, was unleashed at the Curragh over the weekend, his seven-length victory earning his TDN Rising Star status. Sixteen of his yearlings are set to come under the hammer in the next two days including Lot 114, a half-sister to multiple Group 3 winner Mac Love (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}).

The Goffs UK Premier Sale gets underway at 10am local time and is followed on Thursday by the Silver Sale.