Goffs London Sale

Unbridled joy was present in bundles at Hamburg on Sunday as recent amateur-turned-apprentice Nina Baltromei urged Hochkoenig to victory on the line in the 156th Deutsches Derby, denying the Karl Burke-trained Convergent (Fascinating Rock) by the merest of margins. Hochkoenig is by the Lomitas stallion Polish Vulcano, who stands at the Darboven family's Gestuet Idee, which sponsors the Derby and is where the 17-year-old was bred. We'll be hearing from the stallion's breeder Albert Darboven in tomorrow's TDN, but for the breeders of Hochkoenig, racing photographers Marc and Gabi Ruehl,...

High-class performer Ghostwriter (Invincible Spirit), who holds obvious claims in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, led the way at the Goffs London Sale on Monday when selling to Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing for £2 million.  A three-time winner - including at Group 2 level - for trainer Clive Cox and owner Jeff Smith, Ghostwriter twice hit the frame behind City Of Troy last year in the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International.  Joorabchian held off the attention of American owner John Stewart as underbidder. And, while he was standing beside...

Group winner Path Of Soldier (lot 30) is one of a trio of late additions for the Goffs London Sale, held on Monday, June 16. Successful in the G3 Bavarian Classic in May, the son of Soldier Hollow was runner-up in the G3 Derby Trial at Baden-Baden for trainer Peter Schiergen. The G1 Deutsches Derby hopeful holds a German rating of 94.5 (approx. 109). Gavin Cromwell has entered the winners Bonus Time (Too Darn Hot) (lot 28) and Mo Chroi (Galiway) (lot 29). Nineteen lots will be offered with Royal...

The catalogue for the Goffs London Sale, held in association with Fitzwilliam Sports and Privat 3 Money on June 16, has grown to 27 lots after late additions, which include Ali Shuffle, Bone Marra and Green Storm. Lily Agnes Stakes winner Ali Shuffle is one of 18 lots set to be sold with engagements at Royal Ascot which begins the day after the sale on Tuesday, June 17. Trained by Karl Burke and unbeaten in three starts, the daughter of A'Ali is set for the G2 Queen Mary Stakes. Joining...

The French Group 3 winners Rafale Design (Starspangledbanner), Monteille (Cable Bay) and Woodshauna (Wooded) are among 11 further entries for the Goffs London Sale on Monday, June 16. Earlier this week, Goffs announced the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes winner Ghostwriter as a headline act for the eve-of-Royal Ascot auction. Stallion shares in Arc winner and Cartier Horse of the Year Ace Impact and group sire Hello Youmzain are also included in the catalogued lots. The full catalogue for the sale will be released on Monday. 

The initial entries for the June 16 Goffs London Sale, held in association with Fitzwilliam Sports and Privat 3 Money, include G2 Royal Lodge Stakes hero Ghostwriter. A son of Invincible Spirit from the yard of Clive Cox, the 4-year-old was third in the 2024 G1 International Stakes and holds a Timeform rating of 120. Timeform describes him as a "big, good-topped colt: very smart performer." He carries an entry for the G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, as well as an entry in the G1 King George VI and...

France Galop has teamed up with Goffs as an official partner of the London Sale on June 16. Under the terms of the partnership, Goffs will become the new sponsor of the G2 Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly on Sunday, July 20. French interest at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot included Al Shaqab buying into Sparkling Plenty at £5 million just over 24 hours after her victory in the G1 Prix de Diane. "This new relationship further strengthens our growing ties with the French market,...

Fitzwilliam Sports, a Dublin-based independent bookmaker making its first foray into UK sponsorship, has been announced as a new title partner of the 2025 Goffs London Sale. It will join returning title partner Privat 3 Money, a pioneer in premium digital finance, for this year's event. The 2025 Goffs London Sale will take place on Monday 16 June on the eve of Royal Ascot. It remains the only auction in the world where buyers can purchase a horse declared to run at the Royal Meeting just 24 hours later. One...

A filly who failed to find a bidder as a yearling and landed a Gowran Park maiden on 3-year-old debut at 40-1 became a new 'TDN Rising Star' at Santa Anita on St. Patrick's Day, fittingly enough, as Raw Ability (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) ran her stateside record to two wins from as many starts and won for the third time in three career appearances. Friendless in the markets when unveiled by Limerick trainer Eric McNamara over a mile at the Irish venue last June 3, the bay--who was bought back...

The inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale--part glitzy party, part horse auction--will be held in the Del Mar paddock Oct. 30, offering invitation-only attendees, as well as off-site bidders, the chance to become owners of horses running in the Breeders' Cup at the oceanside oval just days later. The catalogue for the auction was released Thursday, revealing full or fractional interests available in four Breeders' Cup contenders, as well as a stallion share in a fifth championship starter. The 12 offerings in the auction also include a half-sister to a Breeders' Cup...

Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation Stakes placegetter Opera Singer (Justify) and supplementary entry Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) are the leading lights left after 10 of 12 overnight nominees stood their ground for Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. Opera Singer, last term's impressive G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner, is on course to make her first start beyond the one-mile distance while it will be dual Group 1 winner Emily Upjohn's first visit to the Sussex Downs venue. The latter's Team Gosden stablemate Inspiral...

Sparkling Plenty (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), winner of the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly just over 24 hours previously and billed as the headline act at Monday's Goffs London Sale, was knocked down for a whopping £8,100,000 only for it to emerge that the filly had been brought back by owner Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois. Eventually it was revealed that a deal was struck by Al Shaqab Racing to buy into the Patrice Cottier-trained sister to G3 Jersey S. winner Noble Truth (Fr) for £5 million. It was reported that Sheikh Joaan...