Half-sister to Santini among the Goffs UK Spring Store Sale entries

Goffs UK have unveiled the entries for the Spring Store Sale, with the company's managing director Tim Kent stressing that "more emphasis on quality over quantity" has been applied than in recent renewals.

The catalogue features 237 lots, down from 264 in 2019, with the auction scheduled to take place on the revised date of July 28.

The change of positioning in the calendar has been brought about by complications surrounding the Covid-19 crisis, and means the catalogue is currently only available to view online, with lot numbers shown only provisional at this stage.

The later date means the Doncaster Spring and August Sales will be amalgamated into one three-day event, which will also include the Spring Horses in Training and Point to Point Sale.

The proposed format will see the run begin on Tuesday July 28 with the Spring Store Sale, the following day will host the August Sale store session and part one of the Spring Horses in Training and Point to Point Sale, with trade set to conclude on Thursday July 30 with the final session of the Spring Horses in Training and Point to Point Sale.

Revised Goffs UK Sales dates

Tuesday July 28 Spring Store Sale
Wednesday July 29 August Sale store session & Spring Horses in Training and Point to Point Sale
Thursday July 30 Spring Horses in Training and Point to Point Sale

Among the headline entries for this year's Spring Store Sale are:

• a Sholokhov gelding out of a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Herecomesthetruth (Lot 1,006);
• a Walk In The Park half-sister to this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Santini (1,008);
• a Blue Bresil gelding out of the Listed-winning Whoops A Daisy (1,023)
• a son of Robin Des Champs out of a half-sister to Cooldine and the dam of Blow By Blow (1,206);
• a Martaline half-sister to the Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Irish Saint (1,165);
• and a Bernebeau brother to the high-class chaser Virak (1,181)

Past Spring Sale graduates include winners of major races such as Copperhead, Emitom, If The Cap Fits, Midnight Shadow and Ramses De Teillee.

Entries for the August Sale store session remain open, as are entries for the Spring Horses in Training and Point to Point Sale. The closing date for both sales is June 10, with a single catalogue comprising lots for the three days due to be produced on June 24.

Kent said of the Spring Store Sale: "We approached this year's sale in a slightly different way as we looked to place more emphasis on quality over quantity than has been the case in recent years.

"As such, we worked with vendors to ensure a classy catalogue which has enabled us to compile a vastly improved group of horses when compared to previous editions.

"We were fortunate to have completed the store inspections before the Covid-19 epidemic struck Europe but have had to make some changes to the format of the sale in keeping with government directives.

Tim Kent: 'We were fortunate to have completed the store inspections before the Covid-19 epidemic struck Europe'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

"As a result we are confident that we will give our consignors and purchasers the best possible chance of a successful sale. We have been very well supported by our vendors and have been entrusted with some outstanding physicals to match the wonderful pedigrees on offer.

"The sale will take place a month after the resumption of National Hunt racing in the UK and we look forward to welcoming a strong and diverse buying bench to Doncaster at the end of July."

Kent added that Goffs UK would be adhering to all relevant safety protocols come sales day, but said that with such a rapidly evolving situation it was too soon to determine precisely what measures will be in place come July 28.

"We will, of course, be monitoring Government guidelines carefully in the weeks leading up to the sale," he said. "We also understand the need to inspect horses before they are purchased, so we will be doing everything we can to ensure we do what's best for vendors and purchasers in a safe and effective manner.”

Goffs UK have also announced that other National Hunt sales scheduled to take place in 2020, including the boutique Yorton Sale, are due to be held on their originally scheduled dates, with further details to be released in the coming months.

More sales news:

Goffs and Tattersalls agree safety protocols for yearling inspections

'We urge everyone coming to the sale to wear masks' - OBS issues new protocols

Micky Cleere staying positive with breeze-up venture in trickiest of times

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