Impressive bumper winner to head across the pond after £150,000 purchase

Following a day of mixed fortunes at Wednesday’s yearling session, Goffs UK’s Autumn Sale enjoyed a much stronger day with the horses in training auction on Thursday as impressive bumper winner Aggressive fetched a winning bid of £150,000 to top the two days of trade.

A ten-length winner at Huntingdon on his only start to date, Aggressive was consigned by David Elsworth’s Egerton House Stables and will now be sent across the pond to America after Hamish Macauley signed the docket on behalf of prominent owner Irv Naylor.

Goffs UK Autumn Sale results

Macauley was enjoying success with an American recruit as recently as Saturday, after Invocation, whom he bought privately in conjunction with Matt Houldsworth after a series of placed efforts for Alan King, registered his fourth victory since making the move stateside in a handicap hurdle at Far Hills.

“He’s been bought for Irv Naylor to go to America and will be trained by Katherine Nielsen, with a view to hopefully running in March or April,” Macauley said.

“He was the pick of the sale coming here. I actually went to see him in Newmarket last week and absolutely loved him.

“He’s a gorgeous looking horse and he’s still a bit raw, but the way he won his bumper was so impressive. We don’t know what he beat, but he did it very nicely and for a big horse to do that hopefully there will be a little bit of improvement in him.

Catalogued as lot 290, the gelding hails from the first three-year-old crop of Coolmore’s Ashford Stud-based stallion Declaration Of War, who has already made a name for himself on the Flat with his progeny spearheaded by this year’s French 2,000 Guineas winner Olmedo.

“He looks like a proper National Hunt horse. He’s 17 hands and he covers the ground well,” Macauley added. “He cost a bit more than we thought he was going to but we thought it was worth paying the extra bit for him.

“Irv is a relatively new client. I bought him a couple of horses earlier this summer and he wanted a proper young horse from over here, and he fitted the bill perfectly.

“Today, the nice horses were making plenty. I underbid on a couple of point-to-pointers after him as well and they made more than expected, so it was good trade.”

Shortly after the gavel came down at £150,000 for Aggressive, Highflyer Bloodstock landed a six-figure lot of their own after stretching to £110,000 to secure Loughrea point-to-point runner-up Pistol Whipped.

Catalogued as lot 306, the gelding is by leading National Hunt stallion Beneficial out of the unraced Turtle Island mare Holiday Time and was consigned by Colin Bowe’s Milestone Stables.

Figures

Wednesday’s alarmingly low clearance rate of 46 per cent was left well behind during Thursday’s session, increasing markedly to 70 per cent, though that figure was still a reduction from last year’s impressive 82 per cent for the corresponding sale.

Both the median and averages saw slight increases, with the latter climbing to £11,346 from £9,388 twelve months ago. Overall, the aggregate fell from last year’s £2,112,000 to £1,840,800.

Goffs UK Managing Director Tony Williams said: "We have enjoyed a good day’s trade today, with the higher-class entries attracting strong demand in the ring from buyers from throughout Europe and America.

"Yesterday’s yearling session was indicative of the season’s end service trade. Our figures were in line with last year’s edition and the clearance rate was reflective of this market.

"We were pleased with the top priced yearling selling for £50,000 yesterday and today’s top price of £150,000 proved a highlight of the day and indeed the sale."

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