‘Ask me in 12 months if he was value’ - JP McManus splashes €820,000 on talented pair at the Goffs Punchestown Sale

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

With yet another champion owners' title in the bag, JP McManus set about recruiting new stars to join his already talent-laced battalion of horses, taking home the two priciest lots at the Goffs Punchestown Sale. The high-rolling owner spent €820,000 on the pair. 

The leading owner was quick out of the blocks, showing his cards early on in proceedings when parting with €320,000 for recent Ballysteen winner Night League.

McManus returned to the well a little later, outlasting Gordon Elliott to secure Walkonseas for a record-equalling €500,000. The son of Walk In The Park was offered by his trainer Denis Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables. 

A laughing McManus said after the transaction: “I knew nothing about him until 15 minutes before the sale.” 

When urged to elaborate if he was happy to purchase the four-year-old, the leading owner joked: “Ask me in 12 months if he was value”

JP McManus bought the €500,000 Walkonseas at the Goffs Punchestown SaleCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

The top-seller signalled an impressive windfall on the €85,000 Murphy gave for the gelding at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale. Walkonseas was bought by Ronan Griffin as a foal for €68,000. 

The four-year-old came under the hammer after his four-length winning debut at last weekend’s Lisronagh meeting. 

Out of an unraced sister to Listed winner Presence Of Mind, Walkonseas hails from the same family as multiple Grade 1 winners Albertas Run and Mister Morose. 

McManus’ other purchase, Night League, came up for sale with an equally lofty reputation having produced a dominant 31-length victory last Saturday. 

Trained by Jonathan Fogarty and ridden by Derek O’Connor, the gelding was clearly travelling best with a six-length advantage when his closest pursuer, Sunset Carousel, fell at the second-last.

The Gaynestown Stud Partnership-owned gelding, a €55,000 graduate of the 2025 Tattersalls Ireland July Sale, was left with a straightforward task to beat the only other finisher, Max Attack. 

Walkonseas tops the Goffs Punchestown Sale at €500,000Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

The gelding is by Coolmore’s brilliant stayer Order Of St George, who enjoyed breakthrough success as a sire courtesy of Storming George’s victory in the Grade 1 ThatPrizeGuy Top Novices' Hurdle at Aintree. 

Despite concerns around the economy and wider global pressures, there were no signs of market struggles at the boutique auction after racing on Thursday as the sale delivered solid results.  

At the close of trade, 23 of the 25 offered horses sold at a clearance rate of 92 per cent for a new benchmark aggregate of €4,300,000, up five per cent on last year’s renewal. The average price rose ten per cent to €186,960, while the median dipped seven per cent to €150,000. 

Henry Beeby, group chief executive of Goffs, said: “As the original festival sale, the Goffs Punchestown Sale always attracts maximum attention. Last year we scaled new heights with a rise of 40 per cent, so to consolidate that this evening with a further five per cent rise is most gratifying.

“A record equalling top price of €500,000 contributed to a ten per cent rise in average, whilst the median was within €2,500 of last year’s record.

“As ever we are indebted to our vendors who have thrown their support behind the Punchestown Sale from the start, and it is testament to their professionalism that this sale continues to grow. We wish every purchaser the very best of luck, and doubtless we will celebrate the success of today’s graduates at future festivals.”

Malone strikes for Garden Master

Garden Master left a lasting impression when he made a winning debut at Tullaherin on April 19 and that four-length win did not go unnoticed by members of the buying bench as he sold for €275,000 with Tom Malone eventually coming out on top of a spirited bidding battle. 

A member of Eamonn Doyle’s Mossy Fen Stables academy, the gelding is from the first crop of Batsford Stud sire Kew Gardens, who were conceived at his first home, Coolmore’s Castlehyde Stud. 

He was having his third engagement at a public auction, having first been bought back by his vendor, Mountain View Stud, at €11,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland November Foal Sale, before selling to Doyle for €25,000 at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale. 

Malone said the horse had blossomed in recent months and was taken with his win earlier in the month. 

"I loved him and his brother [The Mighty Bandit] is rated 154 and hasn't got black type, so he doesn't come up on the page. He was one the Caldwell construction horses. 

“Eamonn had him at Christmastime and in the last month he's just blossomed. For me those are the best horses that keep improving. I hope he puts Kew Gardens on the map. 

Asked about plans, he said: "As normal I haven’t got a f**king clue yet, but it will be in England somewhere. I thought I might get him a bit cheaper than that, but you have to dig for quality."

Garden Master the most expensive of four lots bought by Malone. His total spend was €540,000. Elliott was the other big spender on the evening, walking away with three lots for total receipts of €615,000.

British trainers stock up

Fresh from being crowned Britain’s champion trainer for the first time, Dan Skelton was far from resting on his laurels, combining with his usual bloodstock scout Ryan Mahon to add Lisronagh winner Ilians Way to his powerful stable at a cost of €260,000. 

The daughter of Haras du Hoguenet’s Moises Has was another offered by Ballyboy Stables, having been purchased by Denis Murphy for €38,000 as a store. 

Ilians Way signalled she might be in for a big future when easily pulling away from her rivals to post an impressive six-length win on her debut last weekend. 

Skelton, who became the first trainer to break the £5 million prize-money barrier, said the mare would be given time. 

"She's lovely, I love the sire. She put up a lovely performance and she's a beautiful model and she's a hose we are going to give time to and let her be the best she can be. She's got owners already and they're very patient people. She's a nice big lady and I think she's got a massive future."

Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables finished the sale as the leading vendor, selling two lots for €760,000.

Dan Skelton: 'She's a nice big lady and I think she's got a massive future'Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Ben Pauling is another British trainer who has celebrated a landmark year, headlined by The Jukebox Man’s victory in the King George at Kempton. 

He and bloodstock agent Jerry McGrath were on the hunt for fresh talent to go to war with next season and landed on Smithytown, securing the gelding for €240,000 from County Antrim-based handler Stuart Crawford. 

McGrath said: “I was just saying to Ben, I consider the Crawfords very good friends and it's been a long time since they've pushed a horse to me like they did with his one. 

“He's a lovely big four-year-old by Maxios, who needs no introduction. The minute I showed him to Ben he loved him. He made a phone call and we have an owner for him. He's an exciting horse to add to the team."

Maxios’ talents as a stallion have been advertised this season by none other than Gaelic Warrior who supplemented his extraordinary performance in March’s Cheltenham Gold Cup with another otherworldly display in Punchestown’s equivalent on Wednesday.

Having finished third on his debut at Kirkistown, Smithytown got off the mark at the second time of asking when posting a two-length win at Loughanmore on April 6. 

Out of the winning Mahler mare Celestial Chimes, the four-year-old delivered a solid return on the €15,000 Crawford originally paid for him at last year’s Goffs Arkle Part 2. 

Ben Pauling secured Loughanmore winner Smithytown for €240,000Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Crawford’s Newlands Farm celebrated another brilliant result when Olly Murphy combined with his father Aiden to buy recent Castletown-Geoghegan winner Monjeu de Chaillac for €220,000. 

“He is a horse I loved and the one I picked out at the sale,” said Olly. “He was very well fancied the day he won and he's by a fantastic sire. He was bought on spec - he's for sale, so ring the phone! 

“He'll be a lovely horse for the autumn so I am looking forward to getting him back. He looks like a sharp horse, so he's a horse we can kick on with straight away - I'm chuffed to bits to get him."

The French-bred son of Jeu St Eloi was bought by Highflyer and Jet Bloodstock for £41,000 at the Goffs Spring Store Sale and looked a real talent in the making when scoring a two and a half-length win on his debut on April 19. 

Read more:

'The aim’s to hopefully have him run at Royal Ascot’ - late drama at Tattersalls with 240,000gns Minzaal colt heading for Richard Spencer 

‘I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring’ - Australian Harry McAlpine makes Tattersalls rostrum debut at Guineas Sale 

Yulong continue Australian expansion with first New South Wales base after purchasing renowned Hunter Valley farm