By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin
“Everyone who is anyone” assembled at Kensington Palace ahead of one of the great weeks in world racing, and Goffs will be hoping that the star of its London Sale on Monday night will go on to be one of the stars of Tuesday afternoon at Royal Ascot. The G3 Marble Hill S. winner Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) led allcomers when sold for £1,100,000 to Con and Neil Sands of Bronsan Racing. He will remain in training with Jessica Harrington and heads almost immediately to the G2 Coventry S.
Generally 10/3 third-favourite for the Coventry, Givemethebeatboys is set to be ridden by Frankie Dettori but he will not now carry the colours of Theresa Marnane, whose husband Con and daughter Amy bought the dual winner for just €11,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale last November.
Amy Marnane said, “It's completely surreal, really, to buy Givemethebeatboys for €11,000 and then for him to not get into a breeze-up sale, and then to go on to win his maiden so impressively at Navan, and then to win the Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh. It was won by Blackbeard last year, and has been won by Caravaggio, it's a fantastic race to win.”
She continued, “Goffs put on such a show. Everybody who is anybody is here and we just hope that the horse goes on to win the Coventry tomorrow. Mrs Harrington and Kate Harrington have been a huge part of this horse's career and they are so excited to see him run tomorrow, which gives us huge confidence in him.”
Kate Harrington confirmed that the colt will return to her family's stable. She said, “We're delighted for Bronsan Racing to have bought such an exciting horse in Givemethebeatboys and let's hope he can go and do them justice in the Coventry. He will stay in training with us after Ascot which is very exciting.”
The Marnanes will not be without a runner at Royal Ascot, however, as they retained the recent Tipperary winner Supersonic Man (GB), another son of Bungle Inthejungle who is declared for Wednesday's Windsor Castle S., at £270,000.
“He'll go close,” said a delighted Con Marnane, while his daughter added, “We didn't sell Supersonic Man but we are very excited to see what he can do on Wednesday. He's not just a small, sharp two-year-old, he's a big, robust horse who will go on and hopefully we'll have a lot of fun with him throughout the summer.”
It was nine years ago that the racing crowd first descended on London on the eve of Royal Ascot for the sale of a select group of Thoroughbreds, plenty of whom had some smart entries for the week ahead. It is a unique concept in Europe, and as much a lavish cocktail party as it is a horse sale. But since that inaugural event of 2014, the boutique auction, which has been tweaked and trimmed in the process, has sold 148 lots for just shy of £37 million. That tally was boosted by the £3,770,000 bid on Monday, when, from 21 lots offered, including breeding rights to Havana Grey (GB) and Soldier's Call (GB), 11 were sold at an average of £342,727 and median of £250,000.
Other highlights of the sale include:
- No Nay Mets (Ire) won a Royal Ascot qualifying race on his sole start at Gulfstream Park for trainer George Weaver and Bergman Family Racing. Not only has he had his airfare paid by Ascot Racecourse, but he has now netted his owners £800,000 before even setting foot on a racecourse again. The No Nay Never colt, who was bred by Coolmore and sold as a yearling by Baroda Stud at Arqana for €180,000, was bought by Liam Culman's Tuckernuck Stables.
- Gai Waterhouse has supported the Goffs London Sale since its inaugural year and she and co-trainer Adrian Bott purchased two lots on Monday assisted by bloodstock agent Johnny McKeever. The first, bought in partnership with Craig Thompson's Mount Hallowell Stud, was Cuban Dawn (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), bought for £300,000 from his breeder Jim Bolger and co-owner Teme Valley Racing. The three-year-old colt has finished second in two of his three starts during May, having made his debut in the Listed Tetrarch S., in which he was fourth behind subsequent Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). Teme Valley was also the co-owner, with Ballylinch Stud, of Waterhouse's other purchase, New Endeavour (Ire). The New Bay (GB) gelding was sold for £260,000 and is entered for both the Britannia and the Buckingham Palace S. on Thursday for Roger Varian.
- Ocean Vision (Ire) (U S Navy Flag) was knocked down to Marquee Bloodstock, with bloodstock agent Martin Buick acting on behalf of Ramiro Restrepo, best known for purchasing Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). It is understood that the three-year-old will remain with his trainer Tim Donworth in France for the immediate future but the plan is for the colt to continue his career in America. Ocean Vision, who was sold for £250,000, was one of three French-trained horses to be offered at the sale. He won the Listed Prix de Pontarme in May among his four victories from 10 starts for Jonathon Kirkland and Geraldine Ryan.
- Joseph O'Brien's useful dual-purpose campaigner Nusret (GB) was knocked down at £300,000 to Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud, who also owns his sire Golden Horn (GB). The four-year-old, a multiple winner on the Flat and over hurdles for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, holds an entry for Friday's Duke of Edinburgh S.
- Breeding rights to last year's champion first-season sire Havana Grey and one of this season's leading lights of the freshman division, Soldier's Call, were offered at the start of the sale. They were bought respectively for £205,000 by China Horse Club and £80,000 by Oliver St Lawrence.
The @Goffs1866 London Sale at Kensington Palace Gardens, once again, was a resounding success.
Great value & a wonderful opportunity to secure a horse racing at Royal Ascot
Lot 7 – CUBAN DAWN (1st pic)
Lot 15 – NEW ENDEAVOUR (2nd pic)
pic.twitter.com/t9Un7UCU5F
— Gai Waterhouse AO (@GaiWaterhouse1) June 19, 2023
Speaking at the conclusion of the London Sale, Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby said, “We are delighted with today's London Sale, which saw strong demand from an international audience capped by a dream result for the connections of Givemethebeatboys. We are delighted for the Marnane family and wish new owners Bronsan Racing the very best of luck in the Coventry Stakes tomorrow. The chance to offer the dream of a Royal Ascot runner is very special, and everyone at Goffs will be shouting as loud as anybody for Givemethebeatboys, or indeed any of the other Ascot runners from today's sale, over the next few days.”
He added, “For Goffs to be here in the grounds of Kensington Palace welcoming so many friends and colleagues from international racing is something we are very proud of. It's what we're all about – the business of buying and selling top-class horses but making it as enjoyable a process as possible. Of course we cannot deliver an event of this level without the incredible support of our partners and I wish to thank our title sponsor Privat 3 Money who have helped bring the sale to a new level, along with Ascot, Chateau Leoube, Ampito and IYC who have been tremendous supporters of the London Sale for many years now, while we were delighted to welcome two new partners this year in Aston Martin and Hofmeister.”
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