After a period of exponential growth, the global sales calendar now has hundreds of days. But if you think all public auctions are essentially the same, you obviously didn’t attend the Goffs London Sale.
For starters, the unique and boutique event, back in front of Royal Ascot at 5pm on Monday after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus, is held in a tree-lined setting and the opulence of Kensington Palace Gardens.
In keeping with the surroundings, sales favorites Schoffel vests and On-Running trainers were swapped out for linen and summer wear, and the show’s last time off. The price was held, on a hot day back in 2019, there was a band, canapés and an abundance of roses.
The invitation-only event looks less like a horse auction and more like an upmarket garden party, attended by someone who truly enjoys international racing, as well as one or two periodical journalists. odd.
Business is not just a combination of fun but the fact of being served over ice and with cocktail umbrellas. For all, though, there’s an unmistakable sense of fun and frivolity, as well as the more serious problem of some of the elite racing and hybrid prospects coming under the hammer.
Lot 2 at Goffs London 2019 sale
This year’s category usually looks promising but has a lot to live for, based on events that have come before. The first London sale in 2014 saw Sheikh Fahad Al Thani spend £1.3 million ($1,760,200) on Cappella Sansevero second runner-up Wow signal in Coventry Stakes (G2) less than 24 hours after changing hands.
That same year, the London Sale also made a small piece of history when Frankel The pony at Crystal Gaze became the first descendant of the undefeated double world champion to be sold at public auction. The youngster and his dam got it right with Coolmore’s MV Magnier for £1.15 million ($1,557,100).
Other past highlights of the sale include 2016 Tattersalls Irish heroine One Thousand Guineas (G1) Install the jet sold to the China Horse Club for £1.3 million ($1,853,410) in 2016, while the following year, King Power Racing marked its emergence as a major new player at a premium £2.05m for six lots, including luxury categories like Straight right and Tisbutadream .
Only time will tell what stories about this year’s sale, but the premium mixed-goods category looks sure to capture the interest of buyers from far and wide. There is arguably no greater chance of a draw than the chance of purchasing a ready-made Royal Ascot lead and a handful of lots that come with participation in a five-day meeting.
Michael O’Callaghan provides two minors who not only have an impressive winning debut but will be introduced with engagements at Royal Ascot. Navan scorer Harry Time (Lot 5) claimed for Coventry Stakes, while Crypto Force (Lot 24) who beat Auguste Rodin was heavily touted winning a hot-looking Curragh teenager , bound to Chesham.
“This is the first post-COVID-19 sale in London, so I would love to have some horses in it,” said O’Callaghan. “It’s a great idea to hold an auction on the eve of Royal Ascot in a great setting when everyone’s in town and if you have the right kind of horses, they’ll cost a bit. rare value.
“However, you really need to be in stock at this sale, and here are two of the most luxurious 2-year-olds I’ve offered for sale during this sale. Harry Time is a very nice pony. and won the first appearance, which is a very difficult thing to do in Ireland.
“He did it with great style, he came out of the race really well and his work at home has both improved and improved since he ran. I think he will. Run a big race in Coventry.
“Crypto forces go a little slow and back far enough, and when they’re steady and the horses in front start to speed up from three hairpins back and you have to make up five lengths just to get to the front. balance, it’s a tough thing to do.
“He did it with ease even when he was still green, and when Colin (Keane) really made him drive, he was quick to run away from them. I thought he was going to run. a big race in Chesham and there should be some big goals in the fall after that.”
The caliber horses offered at the London Sale will often trade for substantial sums in the private market, and O’Callaghan confirms that Crypto Force has been the subject of great interest.
He said: “Crypto Force captures a lot of people’s imaginations and the phone is dancing with people trying to buy him privately. But I told everyone that with the sale there is only left In a week, the best thing to do is put the horse in the auction and let them sort it out for themselves.
“There are a couple of offers that are coming up that are very tempting, but hopefully people have the confidence to go to the sale and fight there.”
There are a host of other high-end racing prospects on offer, no less Hoo Ya Mal (Lot 6), who boosted his value significantly on his most recent outing by finishing second behind Desert Crown in the Cazoo Derby on 6 June In memory of Lester Piggott (G1).
Hoo Ya Mal breaks her maidenhood in the Convivial Maiden 2021 in York
The son of Territory who was coached to Ahmad Al Shaikh by Andrew Balding, has been officially rated 116 for his most recent effort and has been added to Friday’s King Edward VII Stakes (G2).
Other eye-catching varieties include the progressive 3-year-old Tuscan (Lot 16); group 2 wins Cadillac (Lot 20), who also won Glencairn Stakes by 3 3/4 length on his most recent start on June 2; and the improving Chairman (Lot 22), who prides himself on solid form, hit Salisbury and Bath in his most recent outing.
There is also the fourth Irish Star Girl One Thousand Guineas Aalmal (Plot 12), who is in the Coronation Stock (G1).
Breeders are also well served, as there are breeding rights to the burgeoning boars Praise (Lot 1), Ardad (Plot 2), and Havana Gray (Plot 3), as well as a bunch of young cubs with one of the most progressive pedigrees around. 6-year-old Cartesienne (Plot 21) was only the daughter of Pivotal and Modern Ideals when she was bought by John Grogan for 25,000 euros ($27,681) in 2019, but her page and value has since exploded. with her siblings by Dubai and Shamardal who was listed as unrated three years ago, revealing himself to be none other than 2021 Breeders’ Cup (G1) Youth Hero and Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains hero (G1) Modern game and wins are listed Modern news .
🤩 High tier entries added to Goffs London Sale:
👉Win more than 2YOs
👉Register for modern games
👉Supply to Havana Gray
👉Group 2 wins Cadillac
3 Camelot weanlings (Southern Hemisphere time)Second online catalog. Full list of entries ➡️https://t.co/yRAWuKg1E0 pic.twitter.com/GlWTFIuO9w
– Goffs (@ Goffs1866) June 4, 2022
Further laurels may soon come to the family with Modern Ideals’ 2-year-old, Godolphin’s Outperform and Excel The chubby Mawj looks to have an extremely exciting prospect as he won nearly five stages on his debut.
“She’s well protected and we hope that something happens but we wouldn’t dream of what happened,” Grogan said when asked what inspired his purchase. .
“We always wanted a Pivotal mare and she had two Shamardals and a Dubawi pony at the time we bought her, but had no insight into what those horses would achieve. .”
Grogan bred two Zodiac benevolent Cartesienne, who will be providing for the pony Lope de Vega which means that the resulting offspring will be closely related to Modern News.
Grogan, who runs the Milestream Stud in County Tipperary, said: “The pedigree is just leaping at the moment and she is a mare with a great temperament and she is producing really good stock. “.
“We just wait until Monday to find out if she’s worth it, but if we don’t sell her we won’t cry. Half of me think I hate selling her, but half the other said we have to try and hope for the best. If we can get her big, we’ll have to sell.”
Whatever happens with the likes of Cartesienne and Crypto Force on Monday, one thing’s for sure, you won’t want to miss it.
