Goffs roll out the red carpet as racing royalty descend on the London Sale

Roll up, roll up, the hottest show in town is about to begin. From 3pm on Monday a who's who of global racing royalty will descend on Perks Field, Kensington Palace Gardens for the sixth annual Goffs London Sale, held in association with Qipco.

Proceedings kick off with a garden party, but the canapés and rosé only serve to whet the appetite for the altogether more serious business that follows, as the London Sale distills the boutique auction concept to its purest form.

There are 23 lots in this year's catalogue, which is the very epitome of quality over quantity. There are 14 horses who boast an entry at Royal Ascot, chief among which is Maven, the Wesley Ward-trained son of American Pharoah engaged in the Windsor Castle and Norfolk Stakes.

View full Goffs London Sale catalogue

The Aqueduct maiden special weight winner is joined by the likes of Chesham Stakes entry and Leopardstown maiden scorer Mohican Heights; Listed winner and Commonwealth Cup hopeful Forever In Dreams; and the progressive Oxted, who is due to line-up in the Jersey Stakes.

There are three broodmares, namely Just Sensual, a champion in South Africa offered in foal to Frankel; Murasaki, a winning daughter of Dubawi and Ribblesdale Stakes scorer Michita carrying to Invincible Spirit; and Simsimah, a half-sister to Investec Derby runner-up Madhmoon, who will be offered with her Divine Prophet filly foal at foot and in foal to Expert Eye.

There is also the high-class middle-distance prospect Le Don De Vie, while Building Bridges looks certain to progress from his taking Navan maiden victory, and a pair of barrier trial winners in Tinnahalla and Kingslayer.

"We've kept numbers very tight, there are 23 entries this year but that could have easily been 53 or more," said Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby. "We're not trying to be elitist, but we want this to be a special sale. It's a very competitive space this sale operates in, we're not just competing with other auction houses but there's the private market too.

"Goffs' Nick Nugent, Joey Cullen and Mary Kilduff in particular lead the charge and are incredibly proactive in getting entries and chasing every horse who might be of interest. It's a balancing act, you don't want to be hounding people who've just had a nice winner, but by the same token you don't want to think you've missed an opportunity."

Rosé and research material: a prospective purchaser clutches his London Sale catalogueCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

The London Sale's standing has come a long way since 2014, when Cappella Sansevero topped the bill at £1.3 million – closely followed by the £1.15m Crystal Gaze and her Frankel filly foal.

However, Beeby is acutely aware of the part those sales, and that of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Jet Setting to China Horse Club for £1.3m in 2016, have played in the sale's development from revamped breeze-up event to a boutique auction of genuine global appeal.

"It's evolved beyond our wildest dreams and I'd be lying if I said I knew it would work, you take these punts and you hope," he said.

"It's unlike anything else we do and it doesn't happen without a lot of people working hard. Ascot have been very helpful and hugely enthusiastic, Qipco have been magnificent and I'd pay great credit to the BHA and HRI - there's a lot of moving parts.

"You need people who aren't afraid to back themselves too; it needed Sheikh Fahad and David Redvers sending Crystal Gaze and her Frankel foal and Ger Lyons and Sean Jones, who sent Cappella Sansevero, in year one."

The London Sale – which is backed by Qipco, the family-run investment company owned by Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and his five brothers – not only serves as a unique opportunity for buyers and sellers on the eve of Royal Ascot, but, given the setting and social aspect, also provides an important shop window for the Goffs brand – and the wider industry – beyond the usual confines of the racing and bloodstock world.

"One thing that Sheikh Fahad and his brothers have said right from the start is that they want to get more people involved in horseracing, and they saw this as another vehicle to do that," said Beeby.

"The interest we get in this sale is extraordinary and it's wonderful how it's caught the imagination. We're thoroughbred auctioneers and that's central to anything we do, but there's a ripple effect from this sale that brings us a great opportunity to be in the centre of London engaging with people we usually only dream about getting to a sale.

Henry Beeby faces the TV cameras ahead of the 2018 London SaleCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

"It's important to take racing to a wider audience and to get more people involved. We're involved in promoting British and Irish racing and therefore anything that benefits that benefits us as well."

The guestlist plays a pivotal role in how the sale will unfold, but while Beeby was remaining tight-lipped about who exactly would be in attendance, there is likely to be more than a handful of racing A-listers in town given the substances to the catalogue and the proximity to Royal Ascot.

"It's a sell out," said Beeby. "We've got people coming from all corners of the globe and I'm looking forward to welcoming them. The one thing we're praying for is that the weather stays dry!"

One thing is for certain, come rain or shine, you won't want to miss it.

GOFFS LONDON SALE FACT-FILE

Where Perks Field, Kensington Palace Gardens, London
When Gates open at 3pm, selling begins at 5pm*
Last year's stats From 30 lots offered, 13 sold (43 per cent) for turnover of £3,710,000 (down 18 per cent), an average of £285,385 (down 24 per cent) and a median of £300,000 (down 12 per cent)
Notable graduates Harbour Law (sold by Malcolm Bastard, bought by Kiltown Bloodstock for £30,000); Cappella Sansevero (Glenburnie Stables, Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, £1.3m); Shine So Bright (Spigot Lodge Stables, Sackville Donald, £375,000)

*Entry to the Goffs London Sale is by invitation only

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