Every single school report I ever got mentioned ‘talking’ in some form

Auctioneer George Stanners is taking up a new position as racing manager at Yorton Farm, the Welshpool stud owned by James and Jean Potter, from Saturday. He told us about his bloodstock story.

Can you tell us about your new role and how it came about?

Dave [Futter, stud director] and James simply approached me and, after lots of initial thought, the three of us sat around a table and thrashed it all out.

My new role is essentially to share the front of house duties with Dave. There has been so much going on at Yorton in recent years that he has probably been spread a little too thinly, so I will become the link for many breeders, trainers, owners, agents – whoever is interested in doing business with us!

We will attend all the sales and also get around the UK, Ireland and Europe, supporting the stallions, sourcing stock and making new contacts. We have an exciting roster of stallions, none more so than Masterstroke, who really is hitting the mark and was responsible for three-year-old debut winner Invictus Smart, who was second top lot at the December Point-to-Point Sale recently at £200,000.

James and Jean have a burgeoning team of racehorses and mares so I will also be there to assist with that side of things whenever required.

Are there big plans for Yorton’s future?

There are always plans at Yorton – I was quick to learn that, as are most people looking on! The whole enterprise has evolved and every member of the team at the stud are part of that. We will never be frightened to try something new which we think could drive the business forward, or just do some good in the industry.

Further increasing the quality of Yorton sales is a priorityCredit: Goffs UK

Initially, we aim to grow the Yorton Sale of yearlings and two-year-olds by not necessarily increasing the number but by increasing the quality. It is a mammoth task putting together an independent selection of stock that we can firmly stand behind, yet the results, both on the track and in the ring, have been brilliant and the oldest graduates of the sale are still only five in 2022.

Part of that is the formation of Tridynion Ltd, which brings together the Potter, Futter and Stanners families under one umbrella with the remit to hold a small number of quality National Hunt stock for re-sale. More of that in the coming months. Furthermore, Yorton has proved itself as a truly unique National Hunt venue, with point-to-point sales and various open days, and the facilities will continue to be improved to a very high standard.

You came to DBS/Goffs straight from school. It must have been a difficult decision to leave the firm?

Very difficult as it really is all I have ever known. I had never really entertained or let my mind wander about life outside of Goffs in a professional capacity, although I knew it would happen eventually. A few things have been put on the table in the past but this one really did catch my imagination and, after much discussion, it was a case of going one way or the other.

What would be your most memorable moment in your 17 years?

It's tricky to pin down to one moment! One that has to be up there is selling Un Temps Pour Tout at the Hennessy Sale at Newbury in 2013 after he had displayed Grade 1 four-year-old form in France for Francois Nicolle.

He was owned by my stepmum Sue Bramall and I remember the many discussions with her deciding when and how to sell. Eventually she gave me the green light but told me, ‘I’ll leave everything up to you - but I hope he sells well’. No pressure then!

Selling the very smart Un Temps Pour Tout was a Stanners highlightCredit: Mark Cranham

He travelled over from France a couple weeks later to my good friend James Read, who looked after him at the sale. After much pre-sale pacing around, I was ecstatic to personally put the hammer down at a then world record price of £450,000. He went on to win twice at the Cheltenham Festival and returned to France to claim the Champion Hurdle at Auteuil for David Pipe and his owners Professor Caroline Tisdall and Bryan Drew.

What led to your interest in sales and bloodstock in the first place?

I grew up on a large sheep farm called Earlside in the Scottish Borders, which was the former home of the Hamilton family-trained Earls Brig, who was a prime example of natural talent. Much of my time was also spent with my father and Sue whilst they trained near Thirsk and what would become my spiritual home, Wexford in Ireland.

Attending sales was a given and funnily enough it was at Saint-Cloud sales that I first took notice of bloodstock auctioneering. Dad had auctioned livestock for years but that sale in France was definitely the moment I wanted to explore it more.

Who has been the biggest influence in your career so far?

Auctioneering-wise, my father. I never really heard him sell but was told he was very good indeed. He would listen to every one of my early sessions on the rostrum and give brilliant feedback.

In the wider bloodstock world, Harry and Henry Beeby. Henry let me in the door originally, which was brilliant, although I’m not sure he thought that at the time!

The late Harry Beeby was a great mentorCredit: Trevor Jones

He has given so much advice, lots of feedback and many a bollocking when required! His father Harry, who sadly passed away recently, was truly unbelievable to me. I spent my first ten years in his shadow on inspections, valuations, dinners, parties, everywhere really.

He taught me humility and to never be scared to give someone a chance with a horse who may have been 50-50 but was trying to get themselves up the ladder. My God we got into some scrapes along the way on our travels, which I could talk about all day!

Does this mean that you have hung up the gavel, or will we see you still auctioneering?

Get the microphone off me? No chance! Every single school report I ever got mentioned ‘talking’ in some form, so, from a wobbly beginning, it was a result that I ended up making a job out of it! I will be selling at plenty of Goffs sales throughout the year and will be delighted to do so.

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