'There's a really good feel to the place and I'm looking forward to starting'

There are plenty of places around the world where people go to chase their dreams, think the likes of Hollywood, London, New York and Paris. But those in the racing and bloodstock business have another destination to journey to in search of fame and fortune: Doncaster.

While the streets may not quite be paved with gold, the South Yorkshire minster town is home to Goffs UK, which hosts the two-day Premier Sale from 10am on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Doncaster yearling sale has a rich and storied past that stretches as far back as 1869 when Tattersalls took lease of Glasgow Paddocks.

The early decades of the 20th century saw the event produce some milestone sales as well as some major talents, including a world record priced yearling when Lord Glanely gave 14,500gns for Blue Ensign in 1920, while two years later the Aga Khan bought Mumtaz Mahal for a sales-topping 9,100gns before she developed into one of the Turf’s most influential broodmares.

There was a brief barren spell after Tattersalls’ lease expired in 1957, but in 1962 Willie Stephenson joined forces with Ken Oliver to form Doncaster Bloodstock Sales (DBS), a move that saw the reintroduction of the St Leger Yearling Sale the following year. Over time the event evolved into the Premier Sale and DBS was rebranded Goffs UK in 2016.

The staircase up to the modern day Doncaster ring is adorned by two sizeable wooden plaques bearing a lengthy list of names who graduated from the auction house before winning at Group 1 level.

From yesteryear names such as Borderlescott, Cockney Rebel, La Collina, Reckless Abandon, Sole Power, Somnus and Tiggy Wiggy immediately jump out, as do those who not only left their imprint on the sale’s roll of honour but the catalogue pages too having also made an impact at stud, including the likes of Canford Cliffs, Dark Angel, Dutch Art, Harry Angel, Kyllachy, Myboycharlie, Olympic Glory and Wootton Bassett.

And Goffs UK is plainly expecting plenty more Group 1 winners to emerge in the not too distant future, as a third plaque has been installed and is waiting to receive its first addition. This year’s Premier Sale offering, which numbered 433 lots prior to withdrawals, gives the distinct impression there won’t be a long wait.

Among this year’s standout pedigrees are Mountarmstrong Stud’s Kodiac filly out of Jadanna (62), whose siblings include Darkanna, Logo Hunter and Kodyanna; a three-parts brother to Aljamaaheer by Too Darn Hot from Newsells Park Stud (74) and Isaac Shelby’s closely related brother by Al Kazeem from Park Wood Stud (75); Marwell Park brings a Wootton Bassett colt from the family of Oaks heroines Minding and Tuesday (129); there is a Night Of Thunder colt out of a sibling to Anthem Alexander and Dandy Man (170), also from Mountarmstrong Stud; while Highclere Stud offers a Kingman colt out of the Listed-placed Tears Of The Sun (274).

The catalogue has also been boosted by two lots from Ben Keswick’s Rockcliffe Stud, with Highclere consigning the Iffraaj colt out of Marsh Hawk, who boasts arguably the sale’s biggest update being a half-brother to Molecomb Stakes scorer Trillium (113). The draft also includes the sole lot on offer by Frankel in the shape of a colt out of the well-related Tai Hang Dragon (269).

Highclere offers Rockcliffe Stud's Iffraaj half-brother to Molecomb Stakes scorer TrilliumCredit: Edward Whitaker

“The brother to Trillium is similar to her and looks like a real two-year-old type who’s by a proven sire in Iffraaj,” said Keswick’s bloodstock adviser Ed Sackville. “Trillium remains in great form and the current plan is for her to go to the Flying Childers Stakes and then, all being well, the Cheveley Park.

“With the Frankel colt we felt he may stand out here at Doncaster. The stallion needs no introduction and has gone from strength to strength this year. Only yesterday he had a Group 3 winner over six furlongs [Perfect News in the Ballyogan Stakes] and we feel this horse looks one of the sire’s speedier types.

"Ed Walker has the two-year-old half-brother [Bauhinia Rhapsody] and is very happy with him.”

On the mood on the sales ground, Sackville added: “It seems to be very busy, there are lots of people here and when you walk in and see the adverts [of past graduates] it shows you how many winners this sale produces. It’s all positive.”

Traditionally Doncaster’s stock in trade has been the kind of animal that helps make a pedigree rather than inherits a page flush with black type, as highlighted by the catalogue cover’s boast that “the Premier Yearling Sale has always been about the individual before anything else . . .”

There is therefore no better way to find the next Doncaster celebrity than by putting the hard yards in during inspections, and as Monday afternoon wore on the stable block became increasingly busy.

Representatives from major operations such as Cheveley Park Stud, Coolmore, Godolphin, Juddmonte and Qatar Racing were among those scouring the grounds, along with a throng of Group 1-winning trainers and high-rolling agents.

Few farms come into the Premier Sale in as good a form as Whitsbury Manor Stud, whose Havana Grey continues to carry all before him in the first-season sire standings. In the last few weeks alone the stallion has supplied Shouldvebeenaring, winner of the Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes at York, and the St Hugh's Stakes winner Cuban Mistress.

Ed Harper: looking forward to the sale startingCredit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs UK

Havana Grey’s Whitsbury Manor neighbour Showcasing got in on the act by supplying recent Lowther Stakes winner Swingalong, while the farm also bred Acomb Stakes winner Chaldean.

Whitsbury Manor brings a five-strong draft to Doncaster, including a closely related Havana Grey sister to Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes scorer El Caballo (234).

“I’ve never seen the car park so busy and we’ve been flat out from start to finish,” said stud director Ed Harper. “It’s taken me 13 years to work it out, and I might still have got it wrong, but when we’re really busy I almost feel it works better when I just leave the lads to it and people just see what they want to see.

“At a quiet sale, which this certainly isn’t, you need to be standing outside the boxes chatting to people but today I’ve almost been able to escape the yard and leave people alone while they look, which is a good sign.

"There are lots of people here and they all seem really keen. There’s a really good feel to the place and I’m looking forward to starting the sale.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby, who said: “We’re delighted with the quality of the catalogue and the feedback from the grounds is that this is a very good bunch of horses. There’s huge interest here too, we’re very busy, which all augurs well following strong sales in Saratoga and Deauville.”

Only time will tell just how far buyers are prepared to chase their Doncaster dreams, but, if past form and current attendance figures are any guide, this is a sale not to be missed.

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