Cheltenham Festival winner Concertista to star at the Goffs December NH Sale

Cheltenham Festival-winning mare Concertista will be one of the headline acts at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale after the sales company's announcement on Thursday.

The auction, which takes place from December 6-8, will also include other star names such as Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle winner Royal Kahala and Grade 2 mares bumper scorer Grangee.

Bred by Wertheimer et Frere, Concertista was a winner on the Flat for Christophe Ferland in France before her transfer to Willie Mullins and Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. She sold to Highflyer Bloodstock for €75,000 at the Arqana Summer Sale in 2017.

The daughter of Nathaniel was a 12-length winner of the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the festival in 2020, while she won her following two runs in Graded hurdles at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown in November and December of that year. That spring she was second in two Grade 1s, including when a head second to Black Tears in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

She also won two of her three starts over fences, landing a brace of Grade 2s at Cork and Limerick in style last winter.

Concertista blasts clear of her rivals by 12 lengths at CheltenhamCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Concertista is out of the winning Selkirk mare Zagzig and a half-sibling to the likes of Group 3 winner and Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris second Slalom, stakes scorer Folamour and the Group-placed Empreinte.

Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby said: “Concertista is a remarkable mare and will be an asset to any broodmare band. Her superb record over hurdles and fences is matched by a wonderful black type pedigree and we are honoured that Simon Munir and Isaac Souede have chosen the December National Hunt Sale to offer her for sale.

"Our team have worked with vendors to compile a mouth-watering December National Hunt catalogue that will feature three days of top-class foals and a boutique breeding stock section where the focus is firmly on quality over quantity."

He continued: "This sale has produced record results for vendors in recent years, most notably the highest ever price for a NH mare at public auction, and the opportunity to purchase a Cheltenham Festival winner in Concertista is sure to capture the imagination of so many breeders."

The catalogue will be published early next month.

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