Stay Away Fay, Rubaud and Regent's Stroll among highlights as Giles dispersal headlines the Goffs UK Summer Sale

For the second time this year, National Hunt owners with deep pockets have the opportunity to cherry pick the sweetest fruits from another's collection as leading owner Chris Giles sells off his stock to devote more time to his young family.

Giles's pink and purple silks have been carried to Grade 1 success by Zarkandar, Silviniaco Conti, Greaneteen and Stay Away Fay, who is potentially the biggest attraction in the 11-strong draft at the revamped Goffs Summer Sale, which has moved forward from its traditional August date to a new place in the calendar. 

Juliet Minton's Mill House Stud is consigning Giles's horses along with some gems from Caolan Woods at the sale, which takes place on Monday.

"It's not often that you get a collection of horses like this," said Minton as she supervised inspections of the team at her Shropshire farm. "Obviously there's a Grade 1 winner in there but they are all quite young horses with enormous potential and they are all beautiful.

"When they arrived here I watched them coming off the lorry and each one was nicer than the other."

Stay Away Fay (lot 72) is the proven Grade 1 winner in the draft, with all of the horses in training coming from the yard of Paul Nicholls. The seven-year-old's career highlight was a victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham last year.

The son of Shantou won the Grade 2 Esher Novices' Chase at Sandown in December and is out of Augusta Bay, an Oscar half-sister to the Listed-placed Generous Ransom and Little River Bay.

First of the Giles horses to come under the hammer is last year's Grade 2 Scottish Champion Hurdle winner Rubaud (65), who was also successful in the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle last season. 

The six-year-old is another eyecatching entry and the son of Air Chief Marshal is the younger brother of Francin, who was third in the Grade 3 Poplar Square Chase for John Berry.

One member of the team has been particularly popular with potential buyers who have inspected him at Mill House Stud and that is Regent's Stroll (67), a five-year-old son of champion National Hunt sire Walk In The Park.

A £175,000 purchase at Doncaster as a store, he won the Goffs Spring Sale Bumper at Newbury this year and is unbeaten in his two bumper starts.

Rubaud: Grade 2 winner is for sale at Goffs Credit: Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

A half-brother to the Listed Ascot bumper winner Didtheyleaveuoutto, he is out of Pretty Puttens, who is a Snurge half-sister to Nicholls' brilliant chaser Denman and the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle and Scilly Isles Novices' Chase winner Silverburn, who was also trained by Nicholls.

"We have been quite busy with inspections and with lots of people coming to look at the horses, and Regent's Stroll is one who seems to be ticking a lot of boxes," said Minton.

Related to Regent's Stroll is Rocket Scientist (73), a four-year-old gelding by Blue Bresil who is the first foal out of Potters Den, an unraced Stowaway half-sister to the quadruple Listed winner and Grade 1 Mares' Hurdle runner-up Polly Peachum.

Their dam, Miss Denman, is a Presenting full-sister to Denman and Silverburn and a half-sister to Pretty Puttens.

Histrionic (71), who at €450,000 is the second most expensive point-to-pointer sold at public auction in Ireland, is also among the draft. The five-year-old son of Walk In The Park was bought at the 2023 Goffs Punchestown Sale by Nicholls and Tom Malone, having won a four-year-old maiden at Tralee for Denis Murphy.

He was third on his bumper debut at Newbury last season and is out of Flemensbay, a Flemensfirth full-sister to the Grade 3 winner Kimberlite Candy. She is also a half-sister to Alfie Sherrin, a Cheltenham Festival winner, and to Hawkes Point, who won Warwick's Grade 3 Classic Chase for Nicholls.

Byzantium (69) is another promising young horse in the draft. The four-year-old won a bumper on his debut in France at three and was second on his first start in Britain over hurdles for Nicholls. The son of Magneticjim has the outstanding influence Saint Des Saints as his broodmare sire.

Also among the draft is five-year-old Doctor Dino gelding Jackpot D'Athou (68), who has won twice over hurdles for Nicholls and is a full-brother to Hester D'Athon, a dual Grade 3 winner in France. 

Their dam, Victoire D'Athom, is a half-sister to Gentleman D'Athon, by Doctor Dino, who has been successful at Listed level in France.

Regent's Stroll led from flag fall to win the Goffs UK Spring Bumper Credit: Mark Cranham

Minton added: "They are a very exciting bunch of horses and are a credit to Paul Nicholls, Fergal O'Brien [trainer of Giles's Oak Grove, lot 66] and their teams."

Tim Kent, managing director of Goffs UK, said: "We would like to thank Chris for entrusting us with this top-class draft of horses. This is a fascinating collection of young and proven National Hunt performers, headed by the Grade 1 winner Stay Away Fay and the hugely exciting Regent’s Stroll.

"I was at Newbury when Regent's Stroll won the £100,000 Goffs Spring Sale Bumper; he showed he has an abundance of ability to match his good looks and he has a hugely exciting career in front of him over hurdles and fences.

“Grade 2 Scottish Champion Hurdle winner Rubaud is also a notable highlight in a draft which is sure to prove popular."

In addition to the horses in training, Giles is also selling Jenny Wyse and her Walk In The Park filly foal (75). 

The Flemensfirth mare won a four-year-old point-to-point and is out of Morning Edition, a King's Theatre full-sister to the Grade 3 winner Morning Run and a half-sister to the Listed winner Morning Supreme, dam of Dancing On My Own and You Raised Me Up.

"The Walk In The Park filly is an early March foal and she is lovely," says Minton.

The Mill House draft contains more than just the Giles dispersal and, in the Grade 1 Prix Jacques de Vienne winner, Grade 1 Prix Renaud du Vivier second and Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil Hurdle third July Flower (96), offers a mare who will be coveted by many owner-breeders.

Still only five, the daughter of the late Pastorious, the Deutsches Derby and Prix Ganay winner by Soldier Hollow, is offered on behalf of Woods and is out of an Astarabad half-sister to the Listed winners Enjeu D'Arthel and Jardin D'Arthel.

"July Flower is a very talented mare and has a lovely pedigree," said Minton. "She's really lovely and has more to offer as a racemare before retiring to stud, so hopefully somebody who is looking for a high-class mare to race and then breed from will buy her."

Juliet Minton: consigns the Chris Giles horsesCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

She is also selling Deep Cave (98), Woods' full-brother to last season's Grade 2 Lightning Novices' Chase winner and Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase third JPR One. The six-year-old gelding by the late Court Cave boosted his profile with a timely win.

Minton said: "Deep Cave won at Clairefontaine on Wednesday and he was very impressive. His full-brother is a good horse and there's more to come from him too."

The Shropshire Stud also consigns a trio of store horses later on Monday. The only gelding among them (205) is by by Soldier Of Fortune and inbred 3x3 to Sadler's Wells. He is a half-brother to the Grade 3 handicap hurdle third Tedham out of the Listed hurdle winner Alegralil, by King's Theatre.

Lot 232 is by Mukhadram and has a nice profile as a half-sister to the Listed-placed mare Diamond Gait out of Milliegait, a half-sister to the second dam of Martello Sky. 

Milliegait's dam Miller's Gait is a half-sister to the Prix du Cadran, Prix Royal Oak and Champion Hurdle hero Royal Gait.

The final member of the draft is Sukrain (235) a filly by Kamsin out of the winning Sholokhov mare Miziella.

The sale takes place over a single session beginning at 10am.

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