Smith full of delight as he pinhooks Yeats filly for £55,000 at Goffs UK

A familiar face to many through the exploits of his talented star Lil Rockerfeller, owner Andy Smith was celebrating after the first foal he pinhooked - a Yeats filly - sold for £55,000 to Mouse Morris at Tuesday's Goffs UK Spring Store Sale.

The filly had first come on Smith's radar thanks to her half-brother The Romford Pele, a multiple winner over fences and a horse who he followed closely. That led him to the Goffs December National Hunt Sale in 2015 where she was offered by Sheridan House Stables to prospective buyers.

After failing to sell at €18,000, Smith made an inquiry about buying the Yeats foal privately and travelled across the Irish Sea to visit her before striking a deal with her breeders Frank O'Meara and Ita and F. Sheridan.

Raised in Somerset, the daughter of the four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner was prepped for Tuesday's auction by James Read of Selwood Bloodstock and Smith said: "The job James did was superb, everyone said how well she looked and the plan is to now go and buy some more stock to hopefully have another good result here in Doncaster."

Too nervous to venture into the ring to see how the Yeats filly was faring, Smith could not believe that both Nicky Henderson and Gigginstown House Stud were trying to secure her.

He added: "The fact that two of the best names in National Hunt racing were after something that we've only looked after, fed and watered was amazing."

Smith has also had success selling horses for profit having purchased Ainchea privately before selling him through Goldford Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale in 2016 to Colm Murphy for €155,000.

Next up for Smith is a trip to France, where he hopes to invest in some more young stock.

"I'm quite interested in getting something by Coastal Path whether that be a foal or yearling," he said. "We've had mixed results here at Doncaster, I've sold some here and bought some good ones here too but yesterday was just great."

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