Whistle Dixie set for Order Of St George date after smashing Goffs record

A total of 214 lots came under the hammer during the second and final session of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale on Thursday, but the day unquestionably belonged to one horse.

Whistle Dixie boasted a sublime pedigree, some classy pieces of form and a cover to a rising star of the jumps sire ranks, and it was Robert McCarthy who was most taken by the well-related eight-year-old, as The Beeches Stud man brought the hammer down with a record bid of €230,000.

Auctioneer Nick Nugent took an opening offer of €20,000, but within mere seconds the mare's price had already sailed into six-figure territory.

"She's possibly the best-bred mare ever offered in this ring," said Nugent as the bidding rapidly approached the €200,000 mark. "It's the very best of Irish National Hunt blood."

View full Goffs December National Hunt Sale results and stats

Six bids later and McCarthy secured Whistle Dixie, carrying to Mount Nelson, for the session-topping sum that set a new high mark for a jumps mare at Goffs.

Whistle Dixie boasts such a strong immediate family that only her first dam's offspring fit onto her catalogue page. She is out of the Good Thyne mare Fairy Blaze, making her a closely related half-sister to Kicking King, whose six Grade 1 wins include the 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup and the previous year's King George.

There could be a major update to come too, as Whistle Dixie is also closely related to the dam of exciting novice chaser Kalashnikov, who is currently the clear favourite for the Arkle next March.

"We're delighted to get her as we think she's the best National Hunt mare that's come up for sale in quite a while," said McCarthy. "She has a great pedigree, it's not too often you only get the one dam on the page, and she's closely related to Kalashnikov so we hope he'll go on to great things this season."

Whistle Dixie was consigned by Gigginstown House Stud, whose colours she carried to three successes under rules, having been signed for by Henry de Bromhead at €100,000 at the 2013 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

She also gained black type when finishing third in a Fairyhouse Grade 3 mares novice hurdle.

McCarthy said she could now visit one of the National Hunt ranks most well-credentialed recruits, three-time Group 1 winner Order Of St George.

"There's a possibility we'll cover her with Order Of St George," he said. "He's a really exciting new addition to the National Hunt roster, I think he's going to be very popular. He's a lovely looking big bay and we think he's going to do very well."

The next lot through the ring, also consigned by Gigginstown House Stud, proved to be the sale's fourth-highest price, as Nelius O'Keeffe went to €72,000 for Monastery, a winning daughter of Presenting.

"Three of the great Irish National Hunt stallions are on the page, Presenting, King's Theatre and Roselier," noted Nugent as the six-year-old entered the ring. "She'll be a great addition to the breeding shed, which is unusual for somebody called Monastery."

Ballincurrig on song again

Having dominated proceedings on the opening day of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale, Ballincurrig House Stud once again held sway during the afternoon of the second and final session.

The County Cork outfit consigned a colt by Boardsmill Stud stallion Mount Nelson out of dual Grade 1 winner Glens Melody - most famous for landing the OLBG Mares' Hurdle in which Annie Power fell at the last when all but assured of victory.

It was Park Farm's Adrian Costello who struck the winning bid of €82,000 and the buyer was thrilled to secure a colt by a stallion who has emerged as a top-level producer for both codes, having sired British Champions Sprint winner Librisa Breeze on the level as well as dual Cheltenham Festival hero Penhill.

"From the minute I saw him I was always going to have a go on him," Costello said of the colt. "He's a baby foal, but he's a lovely correct horse with a very good step to him and he has the full package with his breeding - it doesn't get much better."

"He's a very good foal out of an outstanding racemare, and very often that standard of foal doesn't come to the public market.

"He's only a June foal and the plan is to sell him somewhere along the line, but I'm going to rear him first. It's too far away and he's got too much growing up to do to be jumping ahead of ourselves.

"The sire is also getting very nice horses, he's a very exciting National Hunt sire and he got on well on the Flat. You couldn't be anything but excited about a Mount Nelson going jumping."

Elsewhere on Thursday afternoon, Kieran Shields went to €52,000 to secure Carrolls Grove Stables' Shantou colt. The youngster is a grandson of Bilboa, who landed Kempton's Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle for legendary French trainer Francois Doumen in 2001.

Final figures

By the close of trade at the two-day sale, 319 of 453 offered lots had sold for a clearance rate of 70 per cent. Despite 33 fewer lots selling than at the 2017 renewal, turnover increased by eight per cent to €4,635,650, while the average was up by 19 per cent to €14,530 and the median rose from €8,000 to €9,000.

In his end-of-sale statement, Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said: "It is always encouraging to break a record but even more so when it happens more than once. So we have been delighted to sell the highest priced National Hunt mare of the year at any sale for ten years at €230,000, making her the highest ever at Goffs, and the two highest priced National Hunt foals in this sale's history for €90,000 and €82,000."

Beeby went on to reflect on trade across 12 months' worth of sales at Goffs and Goffs UK, saying: "So we finish the year on a positive note. 2018 has been full of highlights but we face 2019 with a combination of optimism and nerves.

"We have enjoyed several great moments this year headed by selling the two highest priced yearling fillies in the world at the Orby Sale for €3.2 million and €2m, and breaking the Doncaster yearling record with a top price of £380,000.

"Those superb prices, together with the Land Rover record breaker and today's headlines, clearly demonstrate the ability of the Goffs teams to consistently deliver the best prices and regularly exceed expectations, and we will only redouble our efforts to attract more of the best in the coming 12 months.

"Naturally of concern were the clearance rates for the more commercial types in each category and the increasing polarisation of the market that was so clearly in evidence at the later Flat yearling and foal sales on both sides of the Irish Sea.

"The warning signs should not be taken lightly and it behoves all of us in this industry to work together on the elements over which we have influence as there are so many factors outside our control, not least the absolute chaos that is Brexit and what that might mean for us all."

More jumps sale news:

Ma Filleule and Gitane Du Berlais top the bill at Munir and Souede dispersal

A Walk In The Park for Ballincurrig as record tumbles at December Sale