Experience the Arkle Sparkle
Goffs Arkle outperformed all other select store sales in 2023. Our two-day Part 1 recorded an average of €52,210 and the highest turnover, median and clearance rate anywhere, while the top price of €250,000 sits alongside those from recent years such as €325,000, €235,000, €220,000, €210,000, and €200,000. All facts which point to undeniably stronger trade at Goffs, where elite stores regularly make a premium and the atmosphere is like nowhere else.
buyers to Kildare Paddocks in their droves. Our job is to add the sparkle, as we strive to make their time at Goffs as enjoyable and successful as possible. Airport collections courtesy of our luxury brand partner Defender, accommodation in excellent local hotels including next door in the Club at Goffs, unrivalled hospitality onsite and the warmest welcome from all at Goffs and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. No team cares more or tries harder.
It is about much more than numbers to us. The spectacular rise of the Arkle Sale ushered a vibrant new era for National Hunt at Goffs, with the December NH Sale and Punchestown Sales also leading the National Hunt foal, breeding stock and Point-to-Point categories in 2023. We are both proud and grateful for every opportunity to deliver on behalf of vendors who increasingly choose Goffs for their top-quality National Hunt horses.
Gerry Hogan, Neil Walsh, Peter Molony, Kevin Ross and Harry Fowler head up the experienced Goffs inspection team and look forward to working with you at every step of your Arkle Sale journey.
Your magnificent stores and the Arkle’s record for Grade 1 success are what bring
Just send us your stars and we’ll do the rest.
Henry Beeby Group Chief Executive
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
It’s more than numbers
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We specifically target Arkle with our best stores TO N Y CO ST E L LO
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
T R E A N N A H O W S TA B L E S
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Vendor of the €250,000 top lot at Arkle 2023
€325,000, €250,000, €235,000, €220,000, €210,000, €200,000 E TC .
49%
A R K L E S A L E PA R T 1
€20,466,500 TU R N OVER *
Other select Store Sales combined
€52,210 AV E R A G E
51%
€48,000
Goffs Arkle Sale
MEDIAN*
Goffs Arkle Sale offered the majority share of the select store market in 2023 for the second year in succession
89%
C L E A R A N C E R AT E * *THE HIGHEST OF ANY S TO R E SA L E I N 2 02 3
“ The numbers speak for
themselves and all the buyers are here – there is real positivity HUGH BLEAHEN C L I F TO N H O U S E
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
RECENT TOP PRICES
The New Market-Leader
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“ Hot, hot, hot as the “
FIREWORKS at the Arkle Sale as champion trainers battle it out
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
R AC I N G P O S T, A R K L E S A L E 2 0 2 3
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Great
BATTLES
THE IRISH FIELD, ARKLE SALE 2023
in the sales ring
DAV I D M I N T O N , A R K L E S A L E 2 0 2 3
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You won’t find a vendor prize like this at any other sale.
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
The vendor of next year’s Goffs Defender Bumper winner will take home a brand-new Defender.* Yours to keep.
Only horses offered at this year’s Arkle Sale are eligible for the Goffs Defender Bumper on the opening day of the Irish National Hunt Festival at Punchestown 2025. The 2024 renewal has attracted one of the highest number of initial entries in the race’s 28 year history proving it is as popular as ever with buyers seeking a share of the €100,000 prize pot.
Goffs Arkle Sale IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
Goffs vendors win Defenders
Goffs Defender Bumper
*Terms and conditions apply 6
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N E I L WA L S H
Cork, Tipperary
Kilkenny, Wexford
Describe an Arkle horse. Stylish. It’s hard to describe as it’s a subjective thing, but it’s a horse who catches your eye: a good-looker without being pretty, who’s strong and moves well. When you see it, you know.
Describe an Arkle horse. Good size. Good movement. Good outlook.
Favourite part of the job? I could look at horses all day long, so it’s perfect for me! I just love trying to work out what each one might be. It’s a fascinating puzzle. Of course you also meet some very nice people along the way, and it’s a privilege to be shown their farms and stock. Highlights from your time as a Goffs inspector? There’s no one horse or transaction in particular. I just get a great kick out of someone landing a touch in the ring, especially when it’s a smaller operator. Sometimes there’s been a fabulous individual I’ve seen who had a slightly lighter pedigree, and I’ve had to make a bit of a case to get them in the sale. When they get there and do well it’s always particularly satisfying.
Favourite part of the job? Every time you go into someone’s yard, whether it’s a newer person in the industry with only one or two horses or a more established name with larger numbers, you could be seeing racing’s next superstar. You just don’t know. They could come from anywhere. It’s the suspense of what might come out of the box, and waiting for that ‘wow’ moment. And then when a vendor takes their horse to the sale and gets an awful lot more than they expected, it’s incredibly humbling and hugely satisfying. Highlights from your time as a Goffs inspector? In my first full year at Goffs I inspected the Shantou fullbrother to Airlie Beach who topped the sale at €230,000, so that was a good start! More recently I was very pleased that another horse I saw on my rounds in the South-East that year, Captain Teague, won the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle for Paul Nicholls.
H A R RY F OW L E R
Why choose Arkle? The sale has gained so much momentum in recent years. Prices for the top lots have gone through the roof, but the market is also strong all the way down, with the median holding up particularly well. It attracts so many trainers from Ireland, Britain, France and even America, because the graduates have done so well, especially at the Cheltenham Festival, which, let’s face it, is what everybody wants.
Why choose Arkle? Simply put, it’s been the best store market in recent years. It gives early access to buyers’ budgets in the year, and when the right horses are put in front of them, they’ll spend their money. And you don’t just have the chance of hitting a home run with a huge price; the median and clearance rate have been especially strong too.
Gerry Hogan +353 (0)87 293 3683 gerryhogan@goffs.ie
Neil Walsh +353 (0)87 266 7188 neilwalsh@goffs.ie
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
KEVIN ROSS
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
P E T E R M O LO N Y
N E I L WA L S H
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The Goffs inspection team will soon be hitting the road to cast their expert eyes over entries for this year’s Arkle Sale, looking for stores with the potential to light up the ring and later the racecourse.
GERRY HOGAN
Your Arkle Team
GERRY HOGAN
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KEVIN ROSS
H A R RY F OW L E R
Limerick, Kerry, Clare, Galway, North and West Cork
Northern Ireland and parts of Leinster
Carlow, Meath, Westmeath, Kildare, UK
Describe an Arkle horse. Scope and movement.
Describe an Arkle horse. A racehorse.
Describe an Arkle horse. An athlete.
Favourite part of the job? Satisfied customers. It’s nice, of course, travelling around farms, meeting people and seeing horses – especially a really exciting one – but the main thing is getting the result in the ring. That’s what it’s all about.
Favourite part of the job? I’ve been doing it for 11 years now and I never tire of meeting people and seeing their horses. It’s a real privilege. The icing on the cake is when a horse you’ve inspected goes and makes more than what was hoped.
Highlights from your time as a Goffs inspector? I think that would have to be a few years ago when we managed to persuade the Motherways to send us Hurricane Fly’s three-parts brother Arturus, and the horse smashed the sale record price by making €230,000. That was huge, and a turning point for the sale. It showed that it could achieve top prices for the best-bred, most attractive stores in Ireland.
Highlights from your time as a Goffs inspector? I’m lucky to have seen lots of horses who have sold for good money and gone on to do well on the racecourse. A relatively recent one that sticks in the memory is Minella Cocooner, a Grade 1 winner and one of the leading novice hurdlers a few years ago. He was always a smashing horse. With my agent hat on, I’ve bought a fair few good ones from the Goffs Arkle Sale, including Imperial Aura and The Storyteller, both of whom won at the Cheltenham Festival.
Favourite part of the job? Nothing gives me more pleasure than going around farms, meeting people and seeing horses. Every time you look at a horse, you learn something new, and when you see one who floats your boat, it’s an amazing feeling. As I say, what I like is a natural athlete. I wasn’t a bad athlete in my day, taking part in the odd duathlon and triathlon, so I like to think I know what it takes, and there’s nothing better than seeing a horse move beautifully.
Why choose Arkle? The Goffs team do an amazing job in getting buyers in and looking after them. People really appreciate the effort that’s made and they genuinely love coming here. It’s like a holiday for a lot of British trainers and their owners, and you can feel it in the atmosphere during the week. It’s become what I suppose you might call a ‘destination sale’. And because everyone loves being here so much, they tend to spend more freely. So you really need to put your horses in front of them!
Peter Molony +353 (0)86 823 8611 petermolony@goffs.ie 10
Why choose Arkle? It’s all about the footfall. The Goffs Arkle Sale has the best footfall of any store sale. There’s always a big, diverse crowd of buyers there, from the point-to-point fraternity to small trainers, medium sized trainers to the biggest trainers, and all their owners too. British, Irish and beyond. That’s reflected in the prices, and not just in the top end, as the median has been strong for years. The clearance rate is great too.
Kevin Ross +44 (0)771 0586975 kevinross@goffs.ie
Highlights from your time as a Goffs inspector? One that sticks in the mind is getting Paul Cowley, a friend of mine who I used to ride point-to-pointers with, into the business in the last few years and bringing him to Ireland to sell. He sold two stores at the Goffs Arkle Sale and another two at the Doncaster Spring Sale last year, and they sold for €250,000 combined, when they were bought for around half. A couple have already won. Finding new clients and bringing them success: that’s what it’s all about, really. Why choose Arkle? The Goffs team are extremely good at proactively attracting buyers and then making them feel welcome when they get there, and they always create a great atmosphere at the Arkle Sale. We work hard because we care. Trade is very strong because everyone is there. In fact, the median and average prices were very close to each other last year. That just goes to show how strong the middle market is. That’s what vendors want, after all: to get their horse sold, and for a good price.
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
P E T E R M O LO N Y
Harry Fowler +353 (0)87 195 8323 11
Gerry Hogan +353 (0)87 293 3683
Neil Walsh +353 (0)87 266 7188
Peter Molony +353 (0)86 823 8611
Kevin Ross +44 (0)771 0586975
Harry Fowler +353 (0)87 195 8323
Andrew Nolan +353 (0)86 241 6690
Jeremy Mactaggart +44 (0)7785 348095
George Stanners +44 (0)7704 581 700
Bernard Condren +44 (0)7772 112983
Jerry Mcgrath +44 (0)7742 855233
The Goffs Alternative Goffs offers the complete package for vendors of quality stores with the oldest and newest first choice Store sales, the Doncaster Spring and Goffs Arkle Sales respectively. Our experienced inspection team in UK and Ireland will be selecting horses for both sales, and, regardless of location, we guarantee the same impeccable standard and service as we work to deliver the very best price for you. Dare to Stand Out at Spring...
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Goffs’ experienced and personable team are now on the road in the UK and Ireland sourcing select stores for the Arkle and Spring Sales, with the potential to achieve the best results in the sales ring and on the racecourse.
Mary Kilduff +353 (0)87 781 8854
Michael Hardy +353 (0)86 102 4847
Celine Orton +44 (0)7867 617075
• Top prices of £210,000, £200,000, £175,000 etc. • Over 150 individual buyers from throughout Europe • Europe’s first headline Store Sale of the year and the only one in the UK • All lots eligible for the world’s richest bumper, the £100,000 Spring Sale Bumper
Conor Wixted +353 (0)86 764 5726
Tadhg Dooley +353 (0)87 741 1150
Joan Tyner +353 (0)87 294 9133
Henry Beeby +353 (0)86 835 7555
Nick Nugent +353 (0)86 243 8899
Tim Kent +44 (0)7866 063759
Nominate for the Spring Store Sale on goffs.com
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
GOFFS ARKLE SALE 2024
The Goffs NH Team
Everyone in the National Hunt industry knows where they need to be in the third week of May: Doncaster, for the Goffs Spring Store Sale.
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You’re in good hands Goffs Arkle Sale IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Part 1 11 – 12 June | Part 2 13 June 2024
IRELAND
Nominations and entries at Goffs.com