Frankie Dettori's Coventry Stakes mount Givemethebeatboys goes for £1.1m at Goffs London Sale

Con Marnane has pulled a few rabbits out of the hat over the years, but turning an €11,000 yearling into the £1.1 million top lot at the Goffs London Sale undeniably ranks among the biggest touches in horse trading history.

The thoroughbred in question is the unbeaten Givemethebeatboys, whose natural athleticism has been harnessed by master trainer Jessica Harrington. The colt took his record to two from two with a classy and courageous effort in the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes, a performance, along with the booking of a certain Frankie Dettori, that has helped propel the son of Bungle Inthejungle into as short as 10-3 for Tuesday’s Coventry Stakes.

The customary global who’s who gathered in Kensington Palace Gardens for this year’s renewal of the London Sale but no one was more delighted than the father-and-son duo of Con and Neil Sands, bidding with Hubie de Burgh by the parade ring, after they struck the decisive seven-figure bid. Richard Ryan was left the frustrated underbider as a hearty round of applause rang around the boutique sales ring.

“I can’t describe how I feel at the moment,” said an emotional Marnane, who watched the bidding battle unfold from the spotters’ podium. “I’m just so happy. Goffs have done an incredible job.

Givemethebeatboys, here with Con, Amy and Olivia Marnane, topped the Goffs London Sale on Monday Credit: CAROLINE NORRIS

“I had no figure in my mind but I knew a lot of people wanted him. He’s very special. You don’t get horses like him going to Ascot that are not already owned by the big powerhouses. This is a very special day. This is up there with the biggest I’ve had, but if he wins tomorrow it’ll be bigger!”

Although it was Marnane’s name on the docket of the €11,000 Goffs Autumn Sale yearling, the man many know as ‘King Con’ was quick to highlight that his daughter Amy deserved the credit for unearthing the youngster, although the transaction so nearly never happened at all.

“Amy was the one who bought him for 11 grand,” he said. “We tried to buy him in Doncaster [at the Premier Sale] and it didn’t happen as he got a bit of a stone bruise and they took him home. I just want to thank Jessie Harrington and all her team, and my own team at home that broke him and pre-trained him. My daughter, Olivia, is in college in Dublin and she rides out most mornings so she rides this horse out a lot. I’m just so proud of everybody.”

The Sands family race under the banner of Bronsan Racing and have seen their colours carried to success by the likes of Bated Moon and Nurburgring, both of whom are trained by Joseph O’Brien. The former is due to contest the Queen Mary Stakes and the latter is set to line up in the Queen’s Vase on Wednesday.

The Goffs London Sale at Kensington Palace Gardens was the scene for a convivial pre-Royal Ascot auctionCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

“As prospects come, the day before Ascot, horses like this are really rare,” said Neil Sands. “He’s two for two, he’s an absolute specimen of an animal and we have Frankie Dettori up tomorrow on his swansong.

“When you look at his pedigree, the way he’s won his two races, he’s incredibly genuine, so we expect that he’ll keep progressing long after Ascot. There’s a lot more in the tank. There’s a fantastic story behind the horse so it feels like the stars are aligning. Jessica Harrington is a world-renowned trainer too so it’s a special thing to be a part of. We’re hoping we look very clever this time tomorrow!”

Con Sands, a property developer by trade, added: “We’ve never even had an Ascot runner before because this is our first year into racing really. We’ve had winners but we haven’t been to Ascot before. Hubie de Burgh is our agent and we put a lot of trust in him.”

Givemethebeatboys has changed hands at public auction on two previous occasions, firstly when pinhooked as a foal through Highpoint Bloodstock at €15,000 before he appeared at last year’s Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale when the colt was presented by Ard Erin Stud.

He was bred by Airlie Stud and Sonia Rogers and is the second foal out of Dromana, a winning Dutch Art half-sister to the black-type performers Lismore, a Group 3-winning stayer, the Listed-winning miler Testa, and Malrescia, who was Group 3-placed over six furlongs.

There is more high-class form further back too, as Dromana is out of a winning sibling to the Group 3 scorers Johnny Barnes and Albisola, while other half-sister, Pembina, is better known as the dam of Meditate, who will look to add another top-flight triumph to her record in Friday’s Coronation Stakes.

Just a couple of lots after Givemethebeatboys the hammer fell at £1.2m but it transpired that Sauterne, third to Blue Rose Cen in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, had failed to meet her reserve. From 21 offered, 11 lots (52 per cent) sold for turnover of £3,770,000, an average of £342,727 and a median of £250,000.

No Nay brings £800,000

The second-top lot is also due to contest one of Royal Ascot’s prestigious juvenile prizes, as the Norfolk Stakes-bound No Nay Mets was knocked down to Liam Culman’s Tuckernuck Stables at £800,000.

The well-travelled son of No Nay Never made a winning start to his career in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream, where he was saddled by trainer George Weaver.

The youngster was bred in Ireland by Coolmore and signed for by Bregman Family Racing for €180,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale. He was offered on Monday by Jackman Bottom Trading Company.

Culman was joined at the sale by Tom Taaffe, who said: “He’s going to stay with George to run in the Norfolk for a partnership and after that they will sort  things out. Liam was bidding in person but he knows the horse and had him vetted. I was helping him out but he’s very happy to get the horse. Now we’re hoping for a good result at the races.”

Waterhouse makes waves

London Sale regular Gai Waterhouse was back in town and made two signings in conjunction with Johnny McKeever, namely the £300,000 Cuban Dawn, who was also signed for by Mt Hallowell Stud, and the £260,000 New Endeavour.

“Gai likes to come to this sale and do something exciting for her owners,” said McKeever, expanding on the brace of buys. “She really believes that Royal Ascot is the pinnacle of the world racing stage and she likes to get involved.

“In a way it’s easier for her to buy something and have it run than it is to prep a horse on the other side of the world, which of course she would do if she had absolutely the right horse. Here we can buy something that will give the owners a bit of fun having a first run at Ascot and then move on and have a career in the future in Australia.”

Cuban Dawn, who was offered by Jim Bolger’s Glebe House Stables, and the Roger Varian-consigned New Endeavour were offered with Royal Ascot engagements and the pair look set to take aim at those targets, as McKeever said: “New Endeavour will, most likely, run in the Britannia Stakes and Cuban Dawn will run in the Golden Gates on Saturday.”

The pair previously ran in the colours of Teme Valley Racing, with Cuban Dawn, a €200,000 yearling purchase by Richard Ryan, finishing runner-up on his last two outings after a fourth-place finish behind Paddington on debut. The son of Teofilo boasts an official rating of 91.

New Endeavour, another €200,000 yearling, has won two of his seven starts, the latest success coming last time out at Kempton, for which he hit a career-high rating of 95.

Bright start for Havana Grey

The first lot to change hands was a breeding right to Whitsbury Manor Stud’s rising star sire Havana Grey. Matt Houldsworth, European representative of the China Horse Club, brought the gavel down at £205,000.

“He’s a lovely young horse who’s on the up,” said Houldsworth. “He’s getting great results with his two-year-olds and it’s nice to see them running on at three. He fits very well with our broodmare band here in Europe so we’re delighted to get into him. We haven’t used the horse before but we’ve been watching him very closely.”

Beeby hails high emotion

At the conclusion of trade, Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said: “We always say this is a sale like no other and we judge it like no other, so the normal metrics don’t apply. Normally if we sold 50 per cent or just above we'd be disappointed, but this is a sale where we give people an opportunity to sell the dream, and if the dream doesn't have a big price then they go onto Royal Ascot themselves.

Our New Buddy walks out at Kensington Palace GardensCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

"The top lot is a wonderful result. The emotion involved in the whole thing is superb and we wish the new owners every success. We’re as proud as ever to be here in the grounds of Kensington Palace on the eve of the greatest race meeting in the world.

“For Goffs to be here welcoming people from all over the world is what we’re all about. The fact we’re able to offer the dream of a Royal Ascot winner, or even a Royal Ascot runner in the first place, with a few little quirks such as the breeding rights and the broodmare, is wonderful. We’re delighted and we’ll be shouting as loud as anybody for Givemethebeatboys and all the other Royal Ascot runners over the next few days.”

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