'A complex full of the famous Donny rockets' - 450-strong catalogue out for the Premier Yearling Sale

A high-class line-up of 450 yearlings have been catalogued for the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale at Doncaster on August 29-30, with all entries eligible for the new Harry’s Half Million by Goffs.

The two-day sale has already produced the likes of this year's July Stakes winner Jasour, as well as Greenham Stakes scorer and French 2,000 Guineas second Isaac Shelby,  Nell Gwyn Stakes winner Mammas Girl and German Group victor Brave Emperor. Other graduates who have showcased their talents this year are Dubai Group winners Fanaar and Al Dasim and  American Graded winner Dicey Mo Chara.

Highlights of this year's catalogue includes Harry Dutfield's Showcasing half-sister to Australian Group 2 winner Without A Fight (lot 9); Lynn Lodge Stud's Siyouni colt out of Fillies' Mile second Lady Darshaan and a half-brother to two Listed winners (11);  Highclere Stud's Wootton Bassett half-brother to Flying Childers Stakes winner Trillium (48); and the same team's Kingman filly out of Group victress Queen of Bermuda (123).

Highclere offers a Wootton Bassett half-brother to 2022 Flying Childers winner Trillium Credit: Edward Whitaker

Others include Barton Stud's Sea The Stars colt out of a winning Frankel half-sister to Group 2 winners Spirit Quartz, Caspian Prince and Tuscan Gaze (234), while Glenvale Stud offers a No Nay Never colt out of an Invincible Spirit half-sister to Lillie Langtry, the dam of Minding, Tuesday and Empress Josephine (433). 

Other sires with representation include Acclamation, Aclaim, Advertise, Ardad, Bated Breath, Blue Point, Calyx, Churchill, Cracksman, Earthlight, Harry Angel, Havana Grey, Iffraaj, Invincible Army, Invincible Spirit, Kameko, Magna Grecia, Mehmas, Mohaather, Night Of Thunder, Oasis Dream, Pinatubo, Sergei Prokofiev, Soldier’s Call, Starspangledbanner, Tasleet, Ten Sovereigns, Too Darn Hot and Twilight Son.

Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent commented: “The 2023 Premier Sale catalogue remains true to the central pillars of the sale’s long enduring philosophy. Buyers already know what they are going to be presented with when they arrive at Doncaster in August – a complex full of precocious, athletic yearlings. To put it another way – a complex full of the famous Donny rockets.

Tim Kent: "We look forward to welcoming an international audience to Doncaster"Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

“We continue to invest in this sale and its bright future and earlier this year we announced that we are rebranding the sale’s long enduring race at York and significantly increasing the guaranteed prize fund. For next year’s race, for which all yearlings sold this year are eligible to enter, all runners will be racing for their share of £500,000 in the re-branded Harry’s Half Million by Goffs."

The York contest, currently called the Goffs Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes, will see its prize fund increased to £500,000 for 2024. It has been won by some top-class performers over the years.

Kent continued: “When the race was launched over 20 years ago it was Europe’s richest two-year-old race and since then it has been won by some outstanding horses; Acclamation, Dark Angel, Tasleet and Wootton Bassett to name but a few, and increasing the prize fund to £500,000 demonstrates our commitment to the race and the Premier Sale. 

"We expect this to be a big draw card for buyers and we look forward to welcoming an international audience to Doncaster on August 29-30.”

Take a look at the catalogue

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