Presentandcounting lives up to his lofty billing to top January Sale

Derek O'Connor - who rode Presentandcounting to a 12-length success at Aghabullogue last Sunday week - confirmed his high opinion of the five-year-old when signing on the dotted line at £105,000 for the son of Presenting to top day two of the Goffs UK January Sale on Wednesday.

The leading amateur rider described Presentandcounting as "a potentially top-class two-mile performer" in his point-to-point column in the Irish edition of the Racing Post last week and had to fight tooth and nail to secure him.

Auctioneer George Stanners introduced the sale-topper, offered by Philip Dempsey's Kilkeaskin House Stables, as having "a Cheltenham pedigree" - his dam being a Westerner half-sister to the Champion Hurdle hero Binocular - and called for an opening bid of £100,000.

View sale results and buyers

The first offer came in at £20,000, with the bids rising rapidly in increments of £5,000 with O'Connor, stood in the gangway, emerging on top at £105,000.

"He's been bought for a new client of Donald McCain's," said O'Connor, who was stood alongside the trainer of Ballabriggs. "He has the pedigree to be top class and looks great value."

The same duo also secured Word Has It, a five-year-old Jeremy gelding who placed on both starts at Dromahane, for £70,000.

"He's had some real nice runs," said O'Connor, who is also the Goffs UK horses-in-training representative. "He's been bought for Tim Leslie to be prepared by Donald."

Word Has It was second on his most recent start to Banner Rebel - a five-year-old Stowaway gelding who also came under the hammer on Wednesday but was led out unsold at £175,000.

McCain's first three Grade 1 wins as a trainer all came in Leslie's colours, with Peddlers Cross and Overturn both successful in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the former also winning the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.

Derek O'Connor (brown jacket) and Donald McCain busy sourcing Irish pointers on WednesdayCredit: Sarah Farnsworth / Goffs UK

Pointing the way

The four most expensive lots sold over the two days were supplemented Irish pointers, with County Fermanagh-based trainer David Christie stretching to £80,000 for Templenacarriga maiden winner Dolphin Square, a five-year-old Shantou gelding offered by Tom Keating's Nicholastown Stud.

Christie, who was bidding from his position by the holding ring, said Dolphin Square is likely to remain in Britain.

"He's been bought for a client of mine and we'll find a trainer for him over here," said Christie. "He ran a very fast time at Templenacarriga and has speed and stamina in abundance."

Dolphin Square was fourth to Thunderstruck at Loughanmore last spring and the winner has since finished second in a Sandown bumper.

Sons of Monsun

The offspring of stallion sons of Monsun have been enjoying a fine run of late, with Getaway the sire of Christmas Hurdle winner Verdana Blue and Getabird, who was a half-length second to Hardline in the Grade 1 novice chase at Limerick in December.

Stanners pointed to "the tremendous success of Getaway" in introducing the five-year-old gelding Avoid De Master, who won his Mainstown maiden by three lengths this month.

David Dennis, standing by the chute, spoke highly of Paurick O'Connor's offering after he made a winning bid of £75,000.

"Getaway's a sire I like," said Dennis, who also trained the Getaway mare Getaway Honey to win a Stratford bumper last August.

"This fella is tall, rangy and scopey - he's an athlete and had his ears pricked when he won his point. I've an owner in mind for him and will aim him at a point-to-point."

Another son of Monsun whose progeny proved a hit on day two was the French-based Noroit, with Katy Price, stood opposite the rostrum, securing the five-year-old gelding Eclair Des Sablons for £64,000 from Colin Bowe's Milestone Stables.

"Colin's a very good judge of a horse," said Price, after signing for the Tinahely maiden scorer for an undisclosed client. "He cost €42,000 as a store and has got his jumping together, so he represents good value.

"We had a runner declared at Catterick today and were already up there when the meeting was cancelled, so we decided to stop off here today."

Godolphin goodies

The Godolphin and Shadwell drafts helped lift the sale in the earlier part of the session, with Parabellum among the highlights of the Godolphin consignment.

Described by Henry Beeby as "one of the best-bred horses in the book", the five-year-old Dubawi gelding is out of Group 3 winner Pacifique and from the family of top-class siblings Chicquita and Magic Wand, and topped the 2015 Arqana August Sale when sold to Godolphin for €2.6 million on his last journey through a sales ring.

A bidding tussle ensued between Goffs UK director Jeremy Mactaggart and agent Colm Sharkey, both on the phone, with the latter emerging on top with a £25,000 bid from his position by the stairwell.

Sharkey was buying on behalf of Denis Hogan, for whom he has also sourced the dual Listed-placed Allegio, and said: "Denis was quite keen on him. He has a high rating and looks value at that price, especially if Denis can win a good race with him."

The pair were also active later in the session, securing the Catterick bumper winner The Second Coming from Justin Landy for £70,000.

"He's been bought for a client in the north of Ireland," said Hogan. "He's a sharp horse, a good mover and was very impressive winning his bumper. It's likely he'll go hurdling."

Colm Sharkey (right) and Denis Hogan have teamed up to good effect with Allegio beforeCredit: Sarah Farnsworth / Goffs UK

Ascot ambitions

Martyn Macleod has done well with his purchases from Godolphin and Shadwell in the past, with the owner having sourced the 2017 Wolferton Handicap hero Snoano from Shadwell through Stroud Coleman and Tim Easterby for 21,000gns at the 2015 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.

Macleod has designs on winning the same race again after signing for Kidmenever - who finished a close third to Snoano at Royal Ascot - for £28,000 from the Godolphin draft on Tuesday. The five-year-old son of Baltic King will resume his career with Richard Fahey.

"We've raced against him plenty of times and he's a quality operator," said Macleod. "You could spend hundreds of thousands of guineas looking for a yearling who could turn out like him. Godolphin are always upfront about any vice or crib a horse may have."

On Wednesday, Godolphin had 15 lots sell for a combined £221,300 and at a median spend of £16,000.

Figures

Last year's Goffs UK January Sale was always going to be hard to match, with Dickie Diver and Phoenix Way selling for a combined £480,000, with the latter smashing the previous sale record at £270,000.

During Wednesday's session, 106 of the 134 lots on offer sold, with aggregate sales rising by two per cent year-on-year to £1,454,300. The average dipped seven per cent from £14,682 to £13,720, while the median stayed put at £5,000.

Overall sales for the two days of trade amounted to £2,478,750, with 199 of the 285 lots offered finding a new home. The aggregate fell by 40 per cent year on year, though last year's sale also featured the Trull House Stud dispersal, while the average was clipped by 20 per cent from £15,602 to £12,456. The median dropped from £8,000 to £5,500.

Goffs UK managing director Tony Williams said: "For today's horses-in-training and point-to-point session to surpass last year's turnover and clearance rate was a satisfying result in a changing market, as was to see yesterday's National Hunt foal session produce the third highest average price in the sale's history.

"However, it must be acknowledged that trade was tough for some vendors with the selective market seen at sale grounds across Europe in recent months driving a lower clearance rate for yesterday's National Hunt mare and foal session.

"That being said, horses that held commercial appeal were the subject of strong and sustained demand in the ring, again demonstrating the market's draw for high-end stock.”

January Sale day one report:

Kayf Tara colt tops bill at £58,000 amid glowing reports about his brother