Ryanair hero and Grand National entry Balko Des Flos tops Goffs sale at £110,000

The 2018 Ryanair Chase winner Balko Des Flos was one of the standouts in the Goffs Online March Sale catalogue, and the Grade 1-winning chaser duly took top lot honours on Wednesday when selling to Racehorseclub.com for £110,000.

From 62 lots offered, 32 changed hands for a clearance rate of 52 per cent, turnover of £557,600, an average of £17,425 and median of £8,750.

The Cheltenham Festival winner was the first and only lot to reach the six-figure mark, with Grange Hill Farm's dual Grade 2-winning chaser and fellow Randox Grand National entry Ballyoptic failing to meet his reserve at £175,000.

Balko Des Flos was consigned by Gigginstown House Stud, and the son of Haras du Lion's Balko has a pedigree to match his race record, being a half-brother to another festival winner in Plate scorer Salut Flo, a son of Saint Des Saints. He is the sixth foal out of the Garde Royale mare Royale Marie.

The gelding was purchased on behalf of Racehorseclub.com by Peter Molony, who said: “Balko Des Flos will stay with Henry de Bromhead and is being aimed at the National. He's been bought for an exciting new venture, about which there will be further news announced in the coming weeks."

He added: “I found the Goffs Online site and timed auction format extremely user-friendly - I bid on my phone while halfway up a mountain in the middle of Land Rover sale inspections!”

Bred by Clovis and Florence Bardin, the Galway Plate winner enjoyed his finest hour when defeating Un De Sceaux in the Ryanair, and had also finished a gallant second to Road To Respect in the Christmas Chase at Leopardstown that season.

Shallow River rewards Canterbrook

Shallow River was a €4,200 purchase from Lackabrack Stud at the 2019 Tattersalls Ireland August NH Sale and Mags Mullins' Canterbrook Stud was rewarded when the son of Ocovango realised £66,000 to Shane Donohoe.

The five-year-old hails from the first crop of the Beeches Stud sire, who had his first Graded winner when Langer Dan won the Imperial Cup at Sandown this month. He is out of Nicola's Girl, a half-sister to Moscow Breeze, and was third on his recent racecourse debut at Thurles.

De Lady In Red is by another promising sire in Jet Away and made £64,000 when selling to Gerry Hogan.

Consigned by Borotown Stud and from the family of multiple Graded hurdle scorer Powerstation, the five-year-old was runner-up to dual Listed bumper winner Bigbadandbeautiful on her second hurdles start at Navan on Monday.

Harry Fry's Ishkhara Lady was another late supplement to the online auction and provided connections with good cheer after being snapped up by Garranlea Bloodstock for £37,000.

The daughter of Scorpion is the fifth foal out of Supreme Leader mare Lockhill Lady and looks an exciting broodmare prospect, being related to three winners including fellow Fry-trained Whisky Express, winner of her first start at Taunton this month.

The seven-year-old, a £27,000 purchase from her breeder Distillery Stud at the Goffs UK's Spring Sale in 2017, won her first three starts under rules, including dead-heating in a Listed Cheltenham bumper in November.

Statement

Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said: “This was Goffs’ second timed online auction, following the Doncaster January Sale which was moved online, and to see both sales topped by six figure sales - £110,000 and £300,000 respectively – is a great endorsement of the role Goffs Online now plays in our overall offering.

"This method is never the first choice, but time after time since the Covid 19 pandemic began a year ago, Goffs Online has proven to be an invaluable vehicle for our clients, with over €8.6 million of business successfully conducted so far."

He added: "Following the January Sale we reviewed the timed format with vendors and purchasers and launched a number of improvements to the site prior to today’s sale. Since the catalogue was released, over 4000 unique viewers visited the online catalogue, and we accepted 197 bids from buyers in Ireland, the UK and France, while feedback from clients was overwhelmingly positive in relation to usability and the opportunity to trade that the sale provided.

"While we acknowledge that trade was not strong at all levels, it was pleasing to see the better horses achieve very satisfactory prices and the teams at Goffs and Goffs UK, who collaborated on today’s group sale, are grateful to all vendors and wish all purchasers the very best of luck."

Read more

Listed-winning We Are Ninety tops Tattersalls Online March Sale at 75,000gns

'It gives us great pleasure' - meet the keen young couple behind Ashbrooke Stud

First-season sires in Brocklesby and Ghaiyyath's brother among Doncaster entries