Land Rover Sale concludes as Jeremy and Elusive Pimpernel geldings lead way

Following immediately after Tuesday’s spectacular results, it was going to be difficult for Part Two of the Goffs Land Rover Sale to live up to the fireworks of Part One. Wednesday’s market was a tighter one and it showed in the end of sale results, particularly the clearance rate which fell nine points from 2017 to 73 per cent.

Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby recognised the tricky nature of the market for Part Two.

“We have enjoyed another lively day of trade, although it is fair to acknowledge a more selective nature to this level of the market as illustrated by the drop in clearance rate which, although still respectable, could not match 2017. That said, we have essentially held steady on a day that made massive gains last year,” he remarked.

View full Goffs Land Rover Sale results

Turnover was down 15 per cent on the 2017 figure to €3,118,000 but last year recorded a massive increase of 53 percentage points on the previous year. Similarly the average dropped 13 points from €20,185 in 2017 to €17,616 on Wednesday, while the median figure of €16,000 was just six per cent less than last year.

In the ring, agent Kevin Ross was one of the busiest buyers on Wednesday, purchasing three in his own name and teaming up with Imperial Racing, in whose black and white silks Imperial Commander won the 2010 Gold Cup for two more.

It was in his own name that Ross signed for the first of the geldings to make €70,000 – a son of Elusive Pimpernel consigned by the Wexford-based Peter Nolan Bloodstock.

Out of the unraced Linamix mare Raheefa’s Mix who has produced three winners from three runners so far, he is a half-brother to Templemore Dream who won his maiden hurdle last year for Alan Fleming and Barry Connell.

Kevin Ross (left): signed for five lots at a total spend of €218,000Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

“I've bought him for Paul and Clare Rooney,” Ross revealed. “The late John Lynch of Five Star Bloodstock purchased him as a yearling. The mare is three from three and has done nothing wrong while the sire is doing well from the numbers he has on the ground."

Wednesday’s session was a highly successful one for the Irish National Stud’s sire who is increasingly popular with buyers at National Hunt Sales. Four offspring by the son of Elusive Quality changed hands at Goffs on Wednesday for an average of €30,500.

Out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Cara Fantasy, Elusive Pimpernel won both the Acomb and Craven Stakes and was placed in the Racing Post Trophy. From the family of Big Bad Bob and the brilliant Snow Fairy, he stands for a fee of €1,000 at the Irish National Stud, a fee that has remained unchanged since his arrival there in 2014.

More Glory for Fame

Ross was acting for Imperial Racing when he purchased Knockeely Farm’s daughter of Fame And Glory, whose early death looks a greater loss with every passing day. The bay filly is notably inbred 3x3 to Sadler’s Wells as her damsire is the wonderful National Hunt stallion Oscar.

The third foal of Ozzy Oscar, she is a half-sister to Off You Go by Presenting, who won the Coral Handicap Hurdle at this year’s Dublin Racing Festival for Charles Byrnes and JP McManus. It is a family that McManus has enjoyed previous success with as Ozzy Oscar is an unraced three-parts sister to his Irish Grand National winner Shutthefrontdoor.

Ross said: “She is a lovely filly and her half-brother is a good horse but it was first and foremost about the filly and her page matches the individual.”

Through the agent, Imperial Racing bought a Shantou gelding for €50,000 from Knockara Stables. Bred by Maria Mulcahy-Durrheim and George Durrheim, the chestnut is a full-brother to Themanfrom Minella and a half-brother to Marky Bob by Turtle Island.

Minton's birthday present

Another stallion whose early death has been keenly felt is Jeremy and the son of Danehill Dancer was responsible for the joint top priced horse on Wednesday with David Minton of Highflyer Bloodstock securing White Horse Stud’s gelding for €70,000.

The second foal of his unraced Luso dam Ellen’s Choice, Minton bought the gelding for Trevor Hemmings for whom he purchased a paternal half-brother during Part 1 for €190,000.

“Jeremy was a remarkable sire and one we like a lot. This horse is a really good type and was one of our picks of the sale today,” said the agent, who received birthday wishes from the rostrum from auctioneer Henry Beeby when he knocked the gelding down to him.

Birthday boy: David and Jackie Minton at Goffs on WednesdayCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

The sale was a pinhooking success for Michael Cullen of White Horse Stud who purchased him as a foal for €9,200. Better known as a trainer, Cullen now concentrates on producing myoung horses and was delighted with the result.

“We were big into Jeremy when we bought him and he’s a lovely horse, we’re really pleased with how he turned and out and hopefully he is as lucky for his new owners,” Cullen said.

Tyner drives on

Robert Tyner has won two of the last three renewals of the Land Rover Bumper at Punchestown for which graduates of this sale are eligible and he hoped he had purchased the 2019 winner on Wednesday in the shape of Fiston De Becon.

Consigned by Galbertstown Stud, the Cork trainer was inspecting other horses prior to the sale on Monday when he caught a glimpse of the Secret Singer gelding out of the corner of his eye and he knew he saw something out of the ordinary.

“I saw him move across the yard and I really liked him. I tried to buy a few yesterday but the prices were just too much,” he said. “I always had this horse in the back of my mind so I didn’t get desperate when I couldn’t get anything yesterday. Luckily I had a back-up plan!”

As for a third Land Rover Bumper success?

“He's a big horse but French-bred so he might come to hand quickly,” was Tyner’s verdict.

The sale was the best for a store by Secret Singer in Ireland or England. A son of Singspiel who was placed behind Act One in the Group 1 Prix Lupin, Secret Singer stands at Haras de la Courlais. His best known offspring here is Volnay de Thaix who was trained by Nicky Henderson and finished third behind Jezki and Rock On Ruby in the 2015 Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle.

One more for Malone

Tom Malone played his part in Tuesday’s record-breaking sale, acting for Paul Nicholls to purchase the Flemensfirth gelding out of Master Minded’s half-sister, and the agent was back in the thick of the action of Wednesday. He was the purchaser of the sale’s most expensive Getaway horse, signing for Riverview Farm’s offering at €46,000.

A half-brother to a pair of winners in Loose Preformer and Just Milly, he will go into training with Lucinda Russell for Debbie Thompson, one half of the partnership that owned Russell’s Grand National hero One For Arthur.

“He is an absolute beauty, a real standout horse,” enthused Malone. “Deborah was here yesterday and I’m glad we didn’t get to buy anything and waited for this horse.”

His dam Out Performer is a half-sister to Bacchanal who defeated Limestone Lad in the 2000 running of the Stayers’ Hurdle and also won the Grade 1 Feltham Novices’ Hurdle for Nicky Henderson and Lady Lloyd-Webber.

Their dam Justitia is a half-sister to the dam of black type winners Mwaleshi, Crossbow Creek and Candy Creek.

An Imperial start

Grand Prix de Paris winner Imperial Monarch’s first crop are three-year-olds and hitting the store market for the first time. The Beeches Stud resident was popular with buyers at Goffs on Wednesday where nine offspring by the son of Galileo, whose dam is a half-sister to the Oscar, were catalogued. Seven of them, conceived at a fee of €2,500, changed hands for an average price of €23,140.

The most expensive was Railstown Stud’s filly out of Technohead who made €38,000 to Colin Bowe. She is a half-sister to a pair of winners by Flemensfirth in Distime and Half The Odds. Technohead herself was successful over hurdles and is a half-sister to German Group 2 winner Bad Bertrich.

Peter Nolan: sold 12 lots for a total of €292,500Credit: Peter Mooney

Peter Nolan offered the only two horses in Part 2 of the Land Rover Sale by Maresca Sorrento, sire of 2014 Grand National winner Pineau De Re. Aidan O’Ryan went to €40,000 for a half-brother to Blue Buttons by King’s Theatre who won a listed mares’ hurdle at Wetherby for Harry Fry. The bay is from the family of dual Grade 1 winning hurdler Grimes.

Charlie Poste and Francesca Nimmo went to €24,000 for Garry Clermont, offered by Nolan on behalf of Garrynacurra Stud. Inbred 2 x 4 to Cadoudal, the sire of Maresca Sorrento, the French-bred gelding is out of the unraced Claifet mare Kalidria Beauchene from the family of Group One winners Matahawk and Mauritzfontein.

Part One’s stunning prices aided the overall figures in continuing their upward trajectory with turnover increasing once more, from €12,270,500 in 2017 to €13,605,000 this year, growth of 11 per cent.

The average was also improved, albeit by a more modest six points to €34,356. However the median dropped by ten per cent to €25,000 from the 2017 high of €28,000.

An increased catalogue and number of horses offered – 500 over the two days – contributed to a lower clearance rate of 79 per cent as opposed to 88 per cent in 2017.

However, the 2018 Land Rover Sale will be long remembered for the three record-breaking stores that were sold during Part One on Wednesday.

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