Doncaster breeze-up moves to London and NH sales delayed as Goffs offers clarity

Goffs has moved to lend some clarity to its upcoming sales schedule by announcing a range of changes in the wake of ongoing uncertainty due to the coronavirus crisis.

Most immediately, its Doncaster breeze-up sale, which was slated to take place on April 22 and 23, will now take place on the eve of Royal Ascot - providing the meeting goes ahead as planned - at a location to be determined close to London. Kempton is believed to be among the venues being considered.

As a consequence of the breeze-up rearrangement, Goffs' boutique London Sale will not take place this year. The options being discussed for the rearranged breeze-up are June 13 and 14 or June 14 and 15.

Goffs has also pushed back its National Hunt store sales, with the Goffs UK Spring Sale, which also incorporates a horses-in-training offering, now due to take place in the week commencing July 27.

Its showpiece Land Rover offering, originally slated for June 9 and 10, has been pencilled in for the week beginning August 3. In a press release revealing the changes, a hope is expressed that Goffs' autumn yearling sales either side of the water will go ahead as originally scheduled.

The rearrangements follow a similar move by Tattersalls, whose May store sale will now follow its Derby sale offering at the end of June.

"In these uncertain times we must plan as best we can but accept that time is going to be required before any degree of normality returns to our lives," Goffs' chief executive Henry Beeby said of the reconfiguration.

"With that in mind we have revisited our sales calendar and listened to the directives and information coming from our governments and the aspirations of the racing authorities in both countries.

"We do not feel it would be sensible to attempt to sell any category until such time as racing returns in some form in the UK and/or Ireland and hope this revised schedule allows the time for that to happen and for the dream of racehorse ownership to be reignited in potential purchasers.

"The breeze-up sale will utilise a highly successful date in the Goffs calendar and follows a proven formula for sales ring and top-class racecourse success. Meanwhile the alternative store sales dates recall a time when the best stores used to be sold at that time of year.

"Indeed, I remember working my first DBS sale in August 1978 when the cream of the crop was offered. These later dates also provide the opportunity for some point-to-pointers and horses in training to be offered to a willing market."

Beeby added: "We hope that this revised schedule gives some clarity to our clients whilst recognising that there are no ideal solutions to a situation no one foresaw just a few weeks ago. However, we are grateful to the industry for their assistance and assure every Goffs client that we will work tirelessly to provide the best possible opportunities to sell and buy.

"Finally I want to thank the Goffs teams in Ireland and the UK for their commitment and proactivity whilst we operate our work from home policy to ensure that we keep everyone safe and play our part in trying to halt the spread of this awful virus.”

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