Tullycanna Stables jets to the top at Goffs Land Rover with €50,000 sale to Bowe

The search for next year's four-year-old maiden winners drove trade during part two of the Goffs Land Rover Sale, which although in its infancy witnessed robust trade and significant gains on the previous edition.

A trio of €50,000 horses destined for leading handlers on either side of the Irish Sea were the highlights of a strong sale on Thursday, when turnover reached €3,109,500 from 174 horses sold, which was 82 per cent of those offered.

The average of €17,871 was eight per cent higher than in 2021, while the median grew by seven per cent to €16,000.

Colin Bowe was one of the busiest buyers on the day and the Milestone Bloodstock banner was attached to the first horse to achieve the significant mark of €50,000.

That honour went to Tullycanna Stables' gelding by Jet Away, the first foal out of Terrified Typist, an unraced Gold Well sister to Warren Greatrex's Rendlesham Hurdle winner and Sefton Novices' Hurdle second Emitom. Their Ol' Man River three-year-old half-sister had made €35,000 to Peter and Ross Doyle earlier in the week, during part one of the sale.

Bowe said of his purchase: "He is a nice horse with a good way of going and a nice bit of presence about him. The page is good too and we've had some luck with the sire."

Colin Bowe: leading handler bought Tullycanna Stables' Jet Away geldingCredit: Goffs

That luck Bowe mentioned is this year's Grade 1 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final winner Brandy Love. The first-crop daughter of Jet Away was a €15,000 Land Rover Sale purchase by Maria Byrne and was trained by Bowe to win a four-year-old maiden on her debut before being sold for £200,000 to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins.

Father's Day at Goffs for Tullycanna

For father and son team Noel and Shane Roche of Tullycanna Stables, it was another high point in a week of excellent moments for their consigning operation.

Shane Roche, who also rides out for the Monbeg Stables team, said: "We sold him on behalf of his breeder and he is a lovely big horse by a sire who is going well at the moment. He would not have been out of place in part one."

All those connected with the Jet Away gelding were not surprised that their horse made such an impression on buyers.

"We knew he was a nice horse and we thought that he would make between €30,000 and €40,000, so to go over what we were expecting is brilliant," added Roche.

In consignor mode, the Wexford man enjoyed another good result later in the sale for a client when selling the Doyen first foal out of Limerick Grade 2 novice chase winner Bonny Kate for €22,000 to Eric McNamara.

Tullycanna Stables had success at Goffs with progeny of Jet AwayCredit: Mark Cranham

The father and son duo brought five horses to Goffs this week and are returning home satisfied with the outcome.

They offered a trio of stores during part one, with the pinhooking highlight being the sale of a Telescope half-brother to Grade 1-winning novice chaser Kylemore Lough for €54,000 to Galgystown Stables. From the further family of last season's Irish Gold Cup winner Conflated, he cost €15,000 as a foal.

They also sold a pair of geldings by Arctic Tack's Jet Away, a son of Cape Cross out of a sister to Juddmonte's blue hen Hasili, during part one, and were pleased with how well they went. Charlie Longsdon and Highflyer stretched to €35,000 for his son out of a half-sister to Crescent Island, while Tom and Gina Ellis bought Listed-placed Style Of Campile's three-year-old for €26,000.

Tullycanna Stables isn't just a pinhooking and consigning business either, with the Roches also involved in breeding.

"We have two mares at home and we try to buy a few National Hunt foals every year to produce for this business," explained Shane Roche.

"We used to consign under Peter Nolan but for the last three or four years we've consigned them ourselves as we have more horses."

Derby hero in demand

The victory of Desert Crown in the Derby last weekend brought back memories of Sir Michael Stoute's Epsom stars of the past and one Classic hero, in whose hoofprints Desert Crown could follow if traveling to Paris for the Arc in the autumn, has been drawing attention to himself with his first crop of Irish-bred horses.

Workforce, the Derby and Arc winner who was also placed in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Eclipse, is revelling in his new role as a National Hunt stallion at Knockhouse Stud, and with the exploits of his four-year-olds between the flags his stock have been in demand at the sales and he has been more popular than ever with breeders.

A quartet of horses from his second Knockhouse Stud crop went under the hammer during part two and they sold for an average of €34,500 and a median price of €35,000. A filly from Kellsgrange Stud became the day's most expensive by the sire when making €50,000 to Charlie and Francesca Poste.

Kellsgrange Stud's daughter of Workforce is the Derby winner's most expensive store horseCredit: Goffs

She is a half-sister to Watch House Cross, who won a four-year-old maiden for Henry de Bromhead last season, and they are out of Benefit Lodge, a Beneficial full-sister to the Grade 1-placed Rindoon. The family traces all the way back to the Stayers' Hurdle hero Dorans Pride, who also won the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup for Michael Hourigan.

Interestingly, all three of the horses who made €50,000 were out of mares by one of Knockhouse Stud's former star stallions, the brilliant Beneficial.

Doyle strikes for Doyen

James Doyle of Baltimore Stables was a member of the team buying horses for US owner Rod Moorhead during the week, as well as replenishing the stock at his Wexford stables.

James Doyle of Baltimore StablesCredit: Goffs

The Baltimore Stables team was back in action at part two and they signed for a Doyen filly at €50,000 offered by Boardsmill Stud.

Out of the Grade 3 Grabel Mares' Hurdle second Benny's Fagartha, her family produced one of the stories of the last National Hunt season through the exploits of Tommy's Oscar, who stitched together a chain of four wins for Ann Hamilton that culminated with victory in Haydock's Grade 2 The New One Hurdle. His dam Glibin is a Luso half-sister to Benny's Fagartha.

It was another successful pinhook during part two as the Doyen three-year-old was bought for €12,000 by Brian Malone at the 2019 December National Hunt Sale.

It's a Walk In The Park for Mullins

David Mullins has taken to his new role as a bloodstock agent like a duck to water and the Grand National- and multiple Grade 1-winning jockey was another to register some significant purchases at Goffs this week.

Mullins snapped up the only gelding by Walk In The Park offered during Part Two of the sale, going to €44,000 for Ballincurrig House Stud's full-brother to Broomfield Bijou, who was fifth in a bumper for Philip Dempsey on her only start to date.

Grand National winner turned agent David Mullins got involved in the actionCredit: Alex Cairns/ITM

They are the first two foals out of Aure Antique, a winning Network half-sister to Desert Orchid Chase winner Petit Robin, who was also placed in the Champion Chase and Tingle Creek for Nicky Henderson. Another of her half-sisters is the dam of Anibale Fly, twice placed in the Gold Cup.

Mullins said: "I think he wasn't bad value for a Walk In The Park with a page, when you compare his price to what they were making earlier in the week. It's been really strong trade and not easy to buy the nice horses. This horse will go down the point-to-point route."

That comparison bears scrutiny as Walk In The Park's average during part one was €80,933 for 15 sold and the median came in at €80,000, which indicates the price level for progeny by the sire of Jonbon, Ginto and Facile Vega.

End of sale statement

Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby had plenty of positives to reflect on in his Land Rover Sale statement.

"With so many sales these days one of the joys of the Goffs Land Rover Sale is the need for only one trip to buy classy stores at all levels of the market," he said.

"That allows so many of our important UK buyers to take in both part one and part two, incorporating 715 lots, but only do battle with the airport once. In today’s world that is ever more important.

Lot 635: the Doyen filly from Boardsmill Stud who made €50,000Credit: Goffs

"Today continued the positive trends of the part one sale, with increases in the key metrics and, once again, we are indebted to every vendor and each purchaser for their trust and support.

"Whilst trade is obviously at a lower level than part one, there is no doubt that some future stars were sold today and we look forward to seeing Land Rover graduates performing at all the big meetings in the coming seasons."

He added: "The last three days have concluded a vibrant National Hunt stores sales season for Goffs, with strength, depth and consistency at Doncaster Spring and Goffs Land Rover, with both sales posting impressive results following massive support from breeders on both sides of the Irish Sea.

"We are grateful for every lot and each bid, and remain committed to providing the best possible service to the industry as our share of the market continues to grow.

"As well as enjoying a highly satisfactory few days of business, one of the most wonderful aspects of the whole week was the freedom to do business without a hint of the dreaded restrictions, temperature checks, masks or the like. And that made it all feel even better!"

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