The Goffs Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale concluded its two-day run on Wednesday with 355 out of the 414 yearlings through the ring turning over a total of £16,262,000 for a clearance rate of 86 per cent. The average rose by four per cent to £45,809 and the median remained steady at £35,000.
Although Tuesday’s top price of £200,000, set by a Wootton Bassett colt sold to Robson Aguiar, wasn’t matched, Wednesday’s session still proved vibrant, with ten six-figure lots headed by a first-crop son of Pinatubo who sold for £180,000 to Godolphin. As with Tuesday’s £180,000 Blue Point colt, the youngster was offered by Longview Stud.
Out of the Listed-winning Fig Roll, the colt is a half-brother to four winners including the Group 3-winning two-year-old Al Raya.
Jono Mills signed the docket on behalf of Godolphin, and said: “Just a lovely individual, who Anthony and David loved. Pinatubo was a proper horse and we’re really looking forward to his first runners. This one comes from a great farm and was beautifully turned out.”
Godolphin paid £180,000 for this first-crop Pinatubo colt. Photo: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs
Yeomanstown Stud’s good sale also continued into Wednesday thanks to a son of the operation’s stalwart sire Dark Angel, for whom Oliver St Lawrence went to £170,000. The colt is a full-brother to Rockfel Stakes winner Juliet Capulet and out of Capulet Monteque, a daughter of former Yeomanstown stallion Camacho from the fast family of Lethal Force.
“The page says it all,” said St Lawrence. “The mare has done well with Dark Angel covers time and time again. This looks a ready-made two-year-old and is hopefully one for Royal Ascot.”
The most expensive filly of the day was a Mayson full-sister to Listed winner Dance Diva bought by Alex Elliot and Billy Jackson-Stops on behalf of a new partnership.
“This filly was our pick of the sale,” said Elliott. “She has a brilliant page and the physical match, so she should make a decent racehorse, but even if she stubbed her toe she’s still got serious residual value.
“It’s been a fair market at Doncaster this week. You can tell by the turnout that everyone loves coming here. There are some very good horses on show and vendors are being well rewarded for the ones that everyone wants.”
Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent commented: “It’s been a fantastic few days in Doncaster with an incredible atmosphere generated by the huge number of people who’ve visited our vibrant Sales Complex over the last few days. Vendors have been quick to say that we are missing no one, the car park has been full since the weekend, and our party on Sunday night set the atmosphere nicely for the week ahead.
“In the ring it has been great to see the sale make advances in turnover and average, with the latter growing 4% to £45,809 which is the third highest figure achieved in the history of this sale. The number of six-figure lots also grew on last year, moving to 28 for the two days, and despite not having an obvious standout lot, the top of the market was very strong with plenty of bidders looking for what they believed to be the best horses on offer and frenzied bidding at the very top.
“The term ‘Donny Rockets’ has been widely used in advance of the sale and buyers were quick to congratulate the Goffs team on the selection of horses as that is exactly what they found over the last two days. The rebranded Harry’s Half Million sales race at York is something else that has certainly captured the imagination of buyers and we look forward to seeing our rockets contest the £500,000 race next year and we wish everyone the best of luck with their new purchases.”
