The largest sale of Irish foals and breeding stock began on Sunday at Goffs in Co Kildare, with organisers hoping to generate trading of up to €40 million. This would represent a new record for Goffs from this annual sale, surpassing last year's mark of €35.7 million over the seven days.
"We're hoping to improve on that if we can but it remains to be seen," Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby told The Irish Times.
Some 1,753 horses have been catalogued for the sales, which will run until Saturday. This year's sale includes the prestigious Wildenstein Stables Ltd dispersal, which is regarded as the most exciting collection of horses to be offered to the market anywhere in the world this year.
Beauty Parlour
The Wildenstein family has enjoyed success at the highest levels in racing. The star of the show this week is expected to be the mare Beauty Parlour who sells on Friday afternoon.
Beauty Parlour won the French 1,000 Guineas and was placed in the French Oaks and will be sold carrying a foal by champion racehorse Kingman.
"It's a family of bloodlines that very rarely comes to the market," Mr Beeby said. "They tend to breed to race themselves rather than breed to sell. As a result, we're expecting a very global audience for them, with buyers from Japan, Australasia and the United States. "
The first section of the Wildenstein dispersal took place at Goffs Orby Sale and featured 17 yearlings and 41 horses in training. That turned over €5.9 million.
‘Doing well’
Mr Beeby said Goffs had “done well” this year in spite of the uncertainties caused by Brexit and the US presidential election.
“We were rather concerned about the Brexit issue and what might happen in the United States but actually we’ve gone well and we’re quite content at the moment.”
Goffs is targeting sales of €110 million for the year with Britain accounting for about half of that figure. “We don’t know exactly what Brexit means, and that’s the trouble. Uncertainty is the enemy of all markets, not least the bloodstock market, which is a luxury item.
"We're hoping that the relationship between Britain and Ireland, in particular, remains. The British and Irish market runs from one stud book, and horses go backwards and forwards all the time so any barriers would be detrimental to the industry."
