Store season got underway in Britain on Tuesday with the first day of the Goffs UK Spring Sale, which saw a decent 80% clearance rate for the 225 young jumpers catalogued, though figures in other sectors dropped slightly from last year's results. At £4,737,800, the aggregate was down by 14%, while the average dropped by 4% to £26,468 and the median by 13% to £21,000.
The six-figure barrier was breached on four occasions, initially when a gelding by four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats (Ire) took top billing when selling for £105,000 to agent Aiden Murphy and his son, trainer Olly Murphy.
Consigned by Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm—which was also responsible for selling the G1 Preakness S. winner War Of Will (War Front) at least year's Arqana Breeze-up Sale—the 3-year-old (lot 76) is a half-brother to G1 OLBG Mares' Hurdle winner Roksana (Ire) (Dubai Destination), one of the stars of this year's Cheltenham Festival.
Getaway (Ger) has enjoyed a good season with his runners and the young son of Monsun (Ger) supplied two of the top four lots including the joint-session topper (lot 238), a half-brother to the Scottish Grand National winner Joe Farrell (Ire) (Presenting {GB}). Colin Tizzard will train the Ballincurrig House Stud offering after buying him in conjunction with Ross Doyle.
Getaway's other banner horse of the day was lot 164, a 3-year-old out of the unraced Flemensfirth mare Crossbar Lady (Ire), who sold for £100,000 to Tom Malone from Treannahow Stables..
“I saw him yesterday and I fell in love with him,” said the agent. “He's going to Paul Nicholls and he's just his type of horse: a big rangey chaser for the future. We've had good fun with Getaway, through Getaway Trump (Ire), and he's doing very well.”
The champion trainer will also take charge of lot 246, a son of Glenview Stud resident Sholokhov (Ire), who was another to sell for £100,000. Out of Maryota (FR), a Martaline (GB) half-sister to the prolific Grade 1-winning hurdler Yanworth (GB) Norse Dancer {Ire}), the 3-year-old was a member of Tom and Katie Rudd's Busherstown consignment.
The May Sale continues over the next two days, with point-to-pointers and horses in training coming under the hammer, including dispersals from the Million In Mind syndicate, Brittas House and Grech & Parkin.
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