By Emma Berry
From Johnny Murtagh 'riding' Joey the War Horse, to the first of Frankel's offspring to be offered at auction, to a Classic winner going under the hammer, and the explosive sales debut of the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the Goffs London Sale has certainly never lacked interest.
To some, it offers the perfect way to kick off Royal Ascot week, with a glass or two of delicious Chateau Léoube rosé in the gardens of Kensington Palace, while for a handful of vendors and buyers it is more serious business. In the five year since its launch, the sale has turned over £24.5 million for 112 horses sold. Yes, it's select—this type of boutique sale always is, and the price has to be right for an owner to part company with a Royal Ascot runner on the eve of the year's most prestigious meeting—but it's also innovative. It's also a venture of which the Goffs team, in its partnership with QIPCO, should be proud.
So what's in store this year at the auction rightly dubbed 'the sale like no other'?
With the early days of the breeze-up horses sensibly left to those specialist auctions, the London Sale catalogue now focuses mostly on its unique selling point of horses with entries this week at Ascot. This time around, 14 of the 23 lots have confirmed engagements at the Royal meeting.
They include Cromwell Bloodstock's Maven (lot 22), the first winner in the U.S. for the Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, who is entered for the G2 Norfolk S., and is one of eight likely runners for Wesley Ward at Ascot. On Thursday, Maven is likely to face the dual French winner Real Appeal (Ger), by another first-season sire, Sidestep (Aus), and offered as lot 8 by Con Marnane's Bansha House Stables, which consigns another dual winner, the filly Brand New Day (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}) (lot 12), who heads for the G2 Queen Mary S.
The David Evans-trained Ivatheengine (Ire) (Ivawood {GB}) has some strong form behind listed National S. winner Flippa The Strippa (GB) (Outstrip {GB}) and as a subsequent winner in his own right, and he features as lot 13 with an entry for the Windsor Castle S. tomorrow.
Michael O'Callaghan consigns two recent Irish winners—the 2-year-old filly Isabeau (Ire) (Cable Bay {Ire}), who has two Royal Ascot entries and is lot 20, and her fellow juvenile Red Epaulette (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}), who struck on the opening day of the Irish Flat season and follows his stable-mate in the catalogue as lot 21 with a Windsor Castle S. entry.
Among the horses in training who are not Ascot-bound but one who looks to have the potential to be of interest to those racing in farther-flung places is Le Don De Vie (GB). One of two winners at Epsom on Derby day for the late Leroidesanimaux (BRZ), the 3-year-old has won both his starts this year for Mick and Janice Mariscotti and looks to have all the hallmarks of a typical Andrew Balding improver. The gelding from the family of the high-class middle-distance filly Lady Marian (Ger) (Nayef) will sell as lot 18.
French sprinter Sestilio Jet (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}) arguably has the bragging rights on recent form. The Andreas Marcialis-trained 4-year-old, lot 14, recently landed the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges among his eight wins, as well as finishing runner-up in the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene a fortnight ago, while another with recent stakes form to her name is the final horse of the sale, Pure Zen (Fr) (Zoffany Ire}) (lot 23), who was a listed winner last year and was narrowly beaten in the G2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly.
Of course, the London Sale, has always thrived on variety and while Crystal Gaze (GB) (Rainbow Quest) and her Frankel (GB) colt missed out on the top spot at the inaugural sale when sold for £1.15 million to MV Magnier, broodmares have topped two of the five sales to date.
First of the three select mares on offer this evening is South African champion 3-year-old filly Just Sensual (SAf), who is consigned by the National Stud as lot 7. The daughter of Dynasty (SAf) is now six and is in foal for the first time to Frankel (GB). Not only was she a champion on the track but so was her dam, the top-rated 2-year-old Consensual (SAf) (Camden Park).
New England Stud offers lot 11, 4-year-old Murasaki (GB), a daughter of Dubawi (Ire) and G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Michita (Dynaformer) who is in foal to Invincible Spirit (Ire), while Barton Stud sends Simsimah (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}), a half-sister to Derby runner-up Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}). She is the sole mare with a foal at foot—a filly by Divine Prophet (Aus)—and she is in foal to Juddmonte's Expert Eye (GB).
The sale gets underway at 5pm.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
