Goffs announce blue-blooded line up for next month's Orby Sale

A Sea The Stars sister to last year's €3 million Goffs Orby sale-topper is among some 474 blue blooded yearlings entered in this year's event.

Coolmore and Westerberg combined to land the as-yet unraced Galileo filly in 2019. Bred by Vimal and Gillian Khosla and offered by Ballylinch Stud, who is a full-sister to last year's Oaks heroine Forever Together and Fillies' Mile winner Together Forever and a half-sister to the Prix Jean Prat scorer Lord Shanakill.

There are also eight Galileos, six Kingmans and a Dubawi in the line up for the sale, which is due to run between September 29 and 30 and added Sunday's Phoenix Stakes winner Lucky Vega to its graduates. The catalogue is now online and will be arriving in mailboxes in the coming days.

Goffs is focusing first on the Land Rover Sale, which takes place this Wednesday and Thursday in Kildare Paddocks with online bidding and strict social distancing protocols in place.

The Land Rover Sale will be the first sale in Ireland since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and Goffs has liaised closely with Horse Racing Ireland to ensure that the protocols in place mirror those on Irish racecourses.

There has been ongoing speculation around the future sales programme as the busy autumn season draws nearer and Goffs explains that it is committed to exploring every avenue to deliver the best marketplace possible given the current situation. Executives will be working proactively with their opposites at Tattersalls in order to maintain a cohesive programme.

Goffs group executive Henry Beeby said: "In the first instance we want to thank the many Irish breeders and consignors who have overwhelmingly maintained their support of the Orby Sale with drafts of quality and depth leading to another selection of pedigrees and physical specimens that simply fills us with enormous pride.

"On visit after social distanced visit to stud farms across the land the Goffs inspection team have been supported by colts and fillies of true quality that would make the grade with ease into any other premier sale.

Henry Beeby of Goffs is monitoring the situation closelyCredit: Patrick McCann

"These are especially challenging times and auction houses are having to be more adaptable than ever in terms of dates and locations. However, as we have demonstrated in recent months, Arqana, Goffs and Tattersalls will consider every option to serve the industry as best we are able, putting our usual competitive natures to one side for the greater good.

"To that end I have agreed with Edmond Mahony at Tattersalls that we will meet following the forthcoming store sales to discuss the autumn sales programmes of Goffs and Tattersalls, and the options that exist."

He continued: "With specific reference to the Orby and Sportsman’s Sales we will continue to monitor the situation and look at any and all options as matters evolve, but we would reiterate that the modern day Goffs was set up to provide a world class sales facility in Ireland specifically for the Irish breeder.

"That said, at the same time we have a superb sales complex in the UK so we have options to serve the industry on both sides of the Irish Sea and will make a timely decision in the best interests of all our valued vendors when we have weighed up the strengths and weaknesses of each alternative against the backdrop of a situation that is literally changing by the day.

"However, we feel it would be imprudent to rush in to any finite decisions beyond this week at this stage and we would ask for calm heads together with the continued support of our loyal clients as by working together we can deliver the best results for the world class Irish horses so sought after around the world."

Goffs will make a further announcement in connection with the Orby and Sportsman’s Sales in the coming weeks.

More to read...

Space Blues bridges past and present with Prix Maurice de Gheest win

'I'd give my right arm to go' – British buyers down but not out of Irish sales

A £400,000 strike sees Gordon Elliott deny McCoy and Swan for Doncaster top lot