News Highest Priced National Hunt Mare Of 2018 Tops Strong Goffs December NH Sale

Highest Priced National Hunt Mare Of 2018 Tops Strong Goffs December NH Sale

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The 2018 sales year at Goffs finished on a high note yesterday, with a second record price in as many days at the December National Hunt Sale. While Wednesday's trade was headed by the most expensive foal in the sale’s history at €90,000, yesterday it was the turn of the mares as Whistle Dixie (Lot 530 - pictured), Gigginstown House Stud’s half-sister to both Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kicking King and the dam of Kalashnikov, sold to The Beeches Stud for €230,000 - making her the highest priced National Hunt mare at any sale this year and highest priced in Ireland in over ten years.

The black type Kayf Tara mare was the star of a strong draft from Gigginstown House Stud who were topping the December NH Sale at Goffs for the third year in a row.

Whistle Dixie was sold in foal to Mount Nelson, and the same sire also accounted for yesterday’s top priced foal with a smashing colt out of the multiple Grade 1 winning mare Glens Melody (Lot 388 - pictured) selling to Park Farm for €82,000.  Consigned by Ballincurrig House Stud, he is a half-brother to the top priced foal at the 2017 December NH Sale. 

At the conclusion of the final Goffs sale of 2018, Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby commented:

“It is always encouraging to break a record but even more so when it happens more than once. So we have been delighted to sell the highest priced NH mare at any sale for 10 years at €230,000, making her the highest ever at Goffs, and the two highest priced NH foals in this sales history for €90,000 and €82,000. 
 
The top colts were the highlight of two vibrant days of foal trade to cement the sale’s position as the first choice for so many NH breeders. The progress Goffs December continues to make is also illustrated by a doubling in the number of €50,000 or over foals versus what was a very good sale in its own right last year. That both sale toppers were consigned by Ballincurrig House Stud is testament to their professionalism and, of course, the same farm was responsible for the Land Rover record breaker who realised €325,000 in June. We applaud and thank Michael Moore and his team, along with their clients, in equal measure as they are the leading vendor at the sale by quite some margin.
 
It was also wonderful to see Whistle Dixie prove so popular and only underline Goffs as a sales ring that keeps returning the very best prices for blue blooded stock whether they come from the National Hunt or Flat disciplines. Again we are in the debt of Gigginstown as they have consistently supported this sale with a quality draft of mares each year and we are so pleased they have been duly rewarded.
 
So we finish the year on a positive note. 2018 has been full of highlights but we face 2019 with a combination of optimism and nerves. We have enjoyed several great moments this year headed by selling the two highest priced yearling fillies in the world at the Orby Sale for €3.2 million and €2 million, and breaking the Doncaster yearling record with a top price of £380,000. Those superb prices, together with the Land Rover record breaker and Wednsday’s headlines, clearly demonstrate the ability of the Goffs teams to consistently deliver the best prices and regularly exceed expectations, and we will only redouble our efforts to attract more of the best in the coming 12 months. 
 
Naturally of concern were the clearance rates for the more commercial types in each category and the increasing polarisation of the market that was so clearly in evidence at the later flat yearling and foal sales on both sides of the Irish Sea. The warning signs should not be taken lightly and it behoves all of us in this industry to work together on the elements over which we have influence as there are so many factors outside our control, not least the absolute chaos that is Brexit and what that might mean for us all.
 
All that said my colleagues on both sides of the Irish Sea join in me in expressing our sincere and heartfelt thanks to every vendor and each purchaser for their support throughout our 21 sales at our seven locations over the last 12 months. We are nothing without them and are already looking forward to the next sale and their next winner”.

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