'We had to be brave and we did it' - former jockey and trainer Paul Cowley outbids big guns for £105,000 Doctor Dino gelding

It was as if specific arrangements had been made with the local meteorological services for the return of the National Hunt community as the sixth Goffs Yorton Sale took place during a brief window of glorious sunshine far apart from the rest of Thursday's gloomy weather in the Welsh borders.

Organiser David Futter was entitled to wear a broad smile, not only for showing off the operation in the best possible light, but also for the encouraging trade at the two-year-old store sale he has been curating with his family since 2019. This year’s sale was conducted after a one-year hiatus after Futter's instincts told him that his consignment was a bit short on quantity, if not quality.

While most of the leading British trainers were present, not to mention a number of figures from across the Channel, the £105,000 top lot went to a less familiar name to those not involved at the grassroots.

Paul Cowley, the former jockey and trainer, outbid major owner Dai Walters for Lot 20, a Doctor Dino brother to Willie Mullins' Doctor Du Mesnil, an effortless 11-length winner on his only start. The gelding, named Doctor Green, had been picked up by Yorton for €65,000 at Arqana last November.

"We bought him for resale," said Oxfordshire-based Cowley, who signed as Vanquish Bloodstock.

Paul Cowley: "We buy nice horses and it's a bit of a boutique yard. It's not a numbers game, it's quality"Credit: Sophie Webber Photography/Goffs

"We generally buy foals but it's a quicker turnaround for this lad. He looks like a racehorse and realistically if his brother goes on and does something special then he's got a chance of making a few quid by June or July time. That's our plan."

Cowley explained a little more about the business he is developing.

"We're doing it ourselves," he said. "We buy nice horses and it's a bit of a boutique yard. It's not a numbers game, it's quality.

"We're trying to present horses that the big players want to buy and with the way the economic climate is, my wife and I always feel that if we've got the best available, it'll always stand its money. We had to be brave and we did it. 

"He's a lovely horse. Dave and his boys do a great job with the sale and it's successful - a lot of winners have come out of it."

Futter thrilled with manageable numbers

With 33 horses going under the hammer, they ended up accumulating turnover of £905,000, working out at an average of £27,425 and median £20,000. Those metrics were slightly below the last time the event was staged but it remains a building process for organisers.

"We're delighted," Futter said. "It's our sixth sale, seventh year and nine years since we came up with the idea. It still feels like we're really at the start of it!

"Lots of people have come and supported us and we're getting the results out of the sale.

"We're trying to create a different concept here to any other sale. I invited four of my good friends [to offer horses] this year but the rest were owned by Yorton. You're buying off one outfit and we're very clear, we show people the reserves. A lot of them were homebreds and it was a good result for us."

A horse is shown ahead of the Yorton SaleCredit: Sophie Webber Photography/Goffs

Futter already has the likes of Grade 1 winners Inthepocket and Redemption Day to show for his efforts and can now begin the process of looking towards 2026.

"We've reduced it from 50 down to around 38 and we sold 33, which is a number we can produce," he said. "We've got 60 mares here on the farm, we've got some in France and we're spicing it up with some French stallions.

"I've had a few sleepless nights, it's very stressful putting it together and you don't take the support for granted. It's wonderful to have so many people come here, from buyers to people who are interested in seeing what's happening. As an industry we've got to be very conscious of trying to grow it, provide incentives and new initiatives. Hopefully this is one of them."

Doctor ordered for Walters

While Walters had played second fiddle to Cowley on one Doctor Dino, he got in early to secure the only other representative by Haras du Mesnil's powerhouse stallion in the catalogue.

Fauchil (13), another striking individual, is a half-brother to French Listed winner Imperial Mag and Not Negotiable, who also landed her only start for Mullins.

The Welshman suggested the March 31-born gelding would be heading to Sam Thomas' yard, who trains a lot of Walters’ horses. 

"The Doctor Dinos have been making a lot of money and we'll put him out in a field and make a plan," he said. "[Thomas] is a good, honest man and a good trainer. I can't say a bad word about him."

Fauchil: Doctor Dino gelding sold to GD Walters for £95,000Credit: Sophie Webber Photography/Goffs

Perhaps the only players who were a little quieter were the Irish, with point-to-point handlers likely to have already played their hands at the summer store sales. Nonetheless, Mags O'Toole made a significant £65,000 swoop for a Nathaniel filly from a family she knows well.

Lot 12 is out of a placed No Risk At All half-sister to Brian Acheson's top-hurdler Teahupoo. The agent is regularly associated with the owner but did not disclose this particular buyer.

"She's a very pretty filly with a lot of size and scope and Teahupoo has been very good to us," she said. "Nathaniel is doing all the right things and I loved the cross with No Risk At All. She's been bought for an end-user."

O'Toole was one of those who had great praise for the event. 

"The horses have looked out of this world," she said. "It's a lovely setting and they've done a great job."

New trainer Vergne takes pick of French fancies

The concept of getting two-year-old jumpers up and running earlier is partly an attempt to ape the success enjoyed by the more precocious French-breds at the major festivals.

While there is a feeling that it will be gradually embraced, quite a few of the horses offered will be gaining that experience first hand.

The likes of Noel George, Gabriel Leenders and Hugo Merienne were on site and active buyers while one of their imminent colleagues made an impression too.

Nathan Vergne and Nicky Bertran de Balanda were in action at the Goffs Yorton SaleCredit: Sophie Webber Photography/Goffs

The pick of two signings made by Nathan Vergne, who spent a few years working in Somerset for Philip Hobbs, was a Blue Bresil gelding (25) for £35,000 in alliance with agent Nicky Bertran de Balanda.

"That'll be the fifth Blue Bresil I've got - we bought a lovely one in November at Arqana out of Stormy Ireland," said Vergne. "I always loved the sire and always thought it was a big mistake for the French breeder to let him go, he came here and then went to Ireland. Having seen [star hurdling son] Constitution Hill, I just love the sire."

Explaining his plans, Vergne said: "We're based near Angers at the moment but at the end of the year we're moving to Maisons-Laffitte to start up training. 

"The last four seasons I've been pre-training about 45 horses all year. We do a lot of the training for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede in France as well as for lots of different owners, breeders and trainers. Last year we decided to move our career and move to be a trainer, so it's really exciting."

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