A guide to the Royal Ascot runners on offer at the Goffs London Sale

The Goffs London Sale, held in association with Qipco at Kensington Palace on Monday, offers a unique opportunity to buy a Royal Ascot runner on the eve of the meeting.

Those lots with entries at Royal Ascot are listed below with a summary of their achievements. The sale also includes other useful horses in training, as well as broodmares and a work of art.

The catalogue is available to view here.

Lot 4 Shakour
3yo b c Declaration Of War-Another Storm (Gone West)

This half-brother to Gold Cup hero Order Of St George – and three other stakes winners – was a 250,000gns Book 1 yearling but failed to win in his first five starts for John Gosden and was sold to race for Jason Ward.

Ward seems to have found the key to the colt – who has potential future stallion potential, considering that pedigree – having sent him out to break his maiden at Beverley and to finish a gallant keeping-on fourth to Rostropovich in the Dee Stakes last time out.

Royal Ascot entries King George V Stakes and Hampton Court Stakes

Lot 5 Ventura Knight
3yo b c Casamento-Alltherightmoves (Namid)

Another astute purchase by the Middleham Park Racing team, and a typically hard-knocking and honest customer for his trainer Mark Johnston.

He won four of his 11 starts last year, and has contested competitive handicaps on his last three runs, winning over a mile at Doncaster last time out.

Royal Ascot entry Britannia Stakes

Lot 6 Boa Nova
2yo b c Zebedee-Jebel Musa (Rock Of Gibraltar)

This £68,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale purchase put clear water between himself and his rivals on his only start for Brian Meehan when he won over an extended five furlongs at Bath last month.

The Racing Post analysis of the result noted of Boa Nova: “Making his debut for a stable whose runners generally improve for a first outing, he missed the break but travelled well throughout and showed both bravery and a decent turn of foot to go through a gap and win handily. He has the scope to develop.”

Royal Ascot entry Coventry Stakes

Lot 8 Luchador
2yo b f Holy Roman Emperor-Bride Unbridled (Hurricane Run)

This Archie Watson-trained filly got off the mark at the third time of asking in a five-furlong heat at Thirsk last month, scoring by three quarters of a length from Akela Moon who was sent off favourite.

Luchador has considerable residual value as a broodmare as she is by Holy Roman Emperor, sire of this year's 2,000 Guineas hero Romanised, out of a granddaughter of European champion mare Lady Winner.

Royal Ascot entry Queen Mary Stakes

Lot 10 Vintage Brut
2yo b c Dick Turpin-Traditionelle (Indesatchel)

In normal circumstances a Dick Turpin colt out of an Indesatchel mare would not set the pulse racing but Vintage Brut certainly does as he is unbeaten in two starts for Tim Easterby – first when scorching to a seven-length victory at Thirsk and then by coming out best of a competitive field for the Listed National Stakes at Sandown.

Jockey David Allan said after the stakes win: “He's not very big but has all the ability and I think he could be a force to be reckoned with at Ascot.”

Royal Ascot entry Norfolk Stakes

Lot 11 Main Street
3yo b c Street Cry-My Special J's (Harlan's Holiday)

Main Street was bred to be good, being by a top international sire in Street Cry out of Group 2 winner My Special J's, and after winning a Chelmsford maiden at two last year he has proved most progressive in 2018.

In two runs last month the John Gosden-trained colt scored over ten furlongs back at Chelmsford and was then a decent second to Aspetar in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood.

Royal Ascot entries Hampton Court Stakes and King Edward VII Stakes

Lot 12 No More Regrets
2yo b f Kodiac-Shifting (Oratorio)

The owner and trainer behind last year's Albany Stakes winner Different League, Theresa Marnane and Matthieu Palussiere, are the team behind No More Regrets, a winner at Chateaubriant last month and second in a Listed race at San Siro last Saturday.

She is a daughter of two-year-old sire par excellence Kodiac and is out of a Listed-placed daughter of Oratorio and an Italian champion two-year-old filly.

Royal Ascot entry Albany Stakes

Lot 14 Gee Rex
2yo b c Requinto-Valentine Hill (Mujadil)

The son of Requinto has not won in two starts but achieved a Racing Post Rating of 93 after finishing fourth to the exciting Fairyland and on the heels of the promising Van Beethoven in the Listed Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh on his most recent start.

Post-race anaylsis of the John Hayden-trained colt stated: “Gee Rex ran an astonishing race. The rank outsider was out with the washing at halfway but stormed home and was not far off the second or third. He is obviously a colt with ability.”

Royal Ascot entry Coventry Stakes

Lot 16 Pocket Dynamo
2yo b c Dialed In-Little Bit Tiny (Cuvee)

Robert Cowell's colt is two wins from three starts, winning at Chelmsford and Longchamp on his last runs. The most recent victory in France came at the expense of Show Must Go On, who subsequently took second in a Listed contest at Maisons-Laffitte.

Pocket Dynamo is by Dialed In, the sire of US star Gunnevera, out of a winning half-sister to Grade 3 scorer Blue Tone.

Royal Ascot entry Norfolk Stakes

Lot 19 Andre Amar
2yo b c Dandy Man-Heaven's Vault (Hernando)

This two-year-old Dandy Man colt, trained by Ger Lyons, holds some extremely eye-catching form. On his first start at Dundalk last month he won a Dundalk maiden at the expense of Servalan, who would win a Listed contest in convincing fashion on her next run.

Next time out Andre Amar found only Sergei Prokofiev too good in the Rochestown Stakes and, although he was beaten four lengths, he might have finished closer but for getting upset in the stalls and fluffing the start and giving his rivals a head start.

Royal Ascot entries Norfolk Stakes or Windsor Castle Stakes

Lot 21 Ninetythreetwenty
2yo ch c Dragon Pulse-St Edith (Desert King)

Another fine ambassador for Middleham Park Racing, Ninetythreetwenty is unbeaten in two starts for Richard Fahey, including when triumphant by two and three quarters of a length in a hot Pontefract conditions stakes last time.

Again, the Racing Post analysts was full of praise for the colt after that effort, writing: “After not getting the best of runs and losing his stride briefly over one furlong out, he quickened up in good style to win going away. This should be solid form and he can go on to better things.”

Royal Ascot entry Coventry Stakes

Lot 23 Junius Brutus
2yo ch c Cockney Rebel-Tricked (Beat Hollow)

Like No More Regrets, Junius Brutus represents the Marnane-Palussiere axis that has been mopping up two-year-old races in France this season.

The Cockney Rebel colt – out of a half-sister to champion Twice Over – has won both his starts at La Teste de Buch and Maisons-Laffitte by more than five lengths each time.

Royal Ascot entries Coventry Stakes, Windsor Castle and Norfolk Stakes

Lot 24 Mr Reckless
3yo gr c Reckless Aband0n-Zarabaya (Doyoun)

Mr Reckless is progressing nicely through handicaps and took a ten-furlong event at Wetherby for Jamie Osborne last month.

His official rating is 87 and his pedigree suggests there might be further improvement in him, as his half-siblings Set To Music and Zarafsha ran to best marks of 100 and 97 respectively.

Royal Ascot entry King George V Stakes

Lot 25 No Needs Never
2yo br c No Nay Never-Opera Fan (Cape Cross)

Joseph O'Brien's son of promising first-season sire No Nay Never has made only one start, but it was full of promise as he finished a half-length second to Invasion Day, who had the benefit of a run under his belt, over an extended six furlongs at Cork.

No Needs Never is out of a winning half-sister to Group 1 performers Calvados Blues and Volta.

Royal Ascot entries Coventry Stakes and Norfolk Stakes

Lot 26 Dark Acclaim
3yo gr c Dark Angel-Sistine (Dubai Destination)

Yet another sale entrant who has been carrying the Middleham Park Racing silks with distinction, Dark Acclaim has finished in the top four on his last five starts, all of which were in stakes company.

The Marco Botti-trained colt was fourth in the Italian Derby last time, while his best RPR of 101 was achieved for finishing third to subsequent Belmont Stakes runner-up Gronkowski in the Listed Burradon Stakes at Newcastle in March.

Royal Ascot entry Hampton Court Stakes

Lot 27 Decisive Action
2yo b c Rip Van Winkle-Shared Experience (Raven's Pass)

This son of Rip Van Winkle was sold as a foal for 2,000gns and as a yearling for £8,000 but he proved those valuations all wrong by winning on his sole start for trainer Andrew Slattery, taking a six-furlong maiden at the Curragh by a length.

Decisive Action hails from a fine family nurtured by George Strawbridge, as he is out of a half-sister to Royal Ascot winner Gatewood from the family of high-class performers Aiken and Sleeping Indian.

Royal Ascot entry Chesham Stakes

Lot 28 Saunter
5yo gr g Myboycharlie-Marie Des Fleurs (Smart Strike)

Saunter could have agents and trainers looking for Australian cup horses as well as the jumps fraternity on him, as he has proved a smart handicapper over middle distances.

The five-year-old's finest hour came when he delivered a resounding victory in the November Handicap last year, while on his sole start in 2018 he was an encouraging fourth in a Saint-Cloud conditions race.

Royal Ascot entry Duke of Edinburgh Stakes

Lot 29 Rockin Roy
2yo b c Fast Company-Marinebird (Bad As I Wanna Be)

Rockin Roy has already brought his current connections plenty of fun, and he looks sure to bring his next owners even more. He won his first start over the minimum distance at Beverley and was second on his next two starts at Ripon and Carlisle.

Last time out at Carlisle he enjoyed a fantastic duel with the unbeaten Yousini and went down by only a nose in a bobbing finish.

Royal Ascot entry Windsor Castle Stakes

Lot 30 Shine So Bright
2yo gr c Oasis Dream-Alla Speranza (Sir Percy)

Karl Burke's beautifully bred colt received Royal Ascot quotes after winning over five furlongs at Nottingham in impressive fashion on his sole start.

Burke said of the son of Group 3 winner Alla Speranza, from the outstanding family of Alborada: “He went for a racecourse gallop last Tuesday and went exceptionally well. My only worry was I might be wrong running over five. Clifford [Lee, jockey] said he couldn't pull him up after the race.”

Royal Ascot entries Coventry Stakes, Norfolk Stakes, Windsor Castle Stakes

Lot 31 Country Rose
2yo b f Bungle Inthejungle-Fitrah (Tamayuz)

Bungle Inthejungle has been the revelation among this year's first-season sires, chalking up a double-figure tally of winners before Royal Ascot. Country Rose represents the only chance to buy a horse by the stallion at the London Sale.

She finished second on her first two starts for Ron Harris and made no mistake on her third, winning by one and a half lengths at Lingfield this month.

Royal Ascot entry Queen Mary Stakes

Lot 32 Yolo Again
2yo b f Toronado-Suite (Invincible Spirit)

The Johnny Murtagh-trained filly struck on her third start over five furlongs at Navan this month, having shown good form when third at the Curragh on her previous start.

The Racing Post analysis noted: “She looked very comfortable racing with the early pace after breaking alertly and answered Niall McCullagh's every call when asked to quicken. She's obviously pacy but also looks a very genuine sort and this filly from Toronado's first crop of two-year-olds could be decent.”

Royal Ascot entry Queen Mary Stakes

Not forgetting... the Katie O'Sullivan masterpiece on auction for charity