Goffs Arkle Sale: Top Trainers go Head-to-Head in Ireland

Summer in Ireland is generally dominated by two major events – the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) All-Ireland Football Championship and the Goffs Arkle Sale.

Both have a massive impact on the Irish betting industry, although it takes a little longer for the latter to truly manifest itself on the sector.

While GAA betting is currently all the rage in Ireland, it will be at least a few months before the horses featured in the Goffs Arkle Sale hit the racetrack.

However, some of them may well be the scourge of on-course and online bookmakers when they embark on their racing careers.

There were plenty of fireworks at the sale when the champion trainers in the United Kingdom and Ireland went head-to-head for an eye-catching son of Galiway.

Known as ‘Elvis’ by legendary horse dealer Tony Costello, the gelding was sold to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for a whopping €250,000.

The horse lived up to his kingly nickname as Kirk and Mullins engaged in a bidding war with Paul Nicholls and Tom Malone.

An opening bid of €100,000 laid the foundations for a series of offers that soon passed the €200,000 barrier for the first time at this year’s sale.

Kirk’s €250,000 bid proved to be decisive to ensure that King Rasko Grey became the third Galiway gelding to join Mullins’ stable this week.

The leading Irish trainer has had plenty of success with sons of Galiway in the past, with Grade 1 winner Vauban among his most notable offspring.

Mullins said (via the Racing Post): "He's a gorgeous horse by a sire who has been very good to us.
“He was poetry in motion walking around the ring and I loved him. We've gone back to the source of success in Treannahow Stables."

Nicholls and Malone ensured their visit to the Goffs Arkle Sale was worthwhile by splashing out €160,000 to purchase striking grey gelding Zamek.

Sired by Grade 1 winner Beaumec De Houelle, Zamek looked every inch a superstar as he strutted his way effortlessly around the parade ring.

Initially purchased by Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey Mark Dwyer, the horse looks a good bet to fulfil his potential under the watchful eye of Nicholls.

"He is a beautiful horse - really good and sharp with a pedigree to go with it,” Malone said.

“They gave €70,000 for him and they were well-rewarded but they deserved to be. He will go to the Ditcheat academy and has been bought on behalf of an owner in the yard."

Malone and Nicholls did not stop there, adding impressive-looking geldings by Walk In The Park and Doyen to the Ditcheat academy for six-figure sums.

It took a bid of €130,000 to secure the Walk In The Park gelding, who is the first foal of Listed Lady Protectress Mares' Chase winner Antartica De Thaix.

Another €120,000 was needed to purchase the Doyen gelding, whose Kayf Tara brother Tango Tara won over hurdles for the Ditcheat team last year.

"We like Tango Tara - he's had a few training setbacks but he's nice,” Malone added.

“The Scorpion half-brother won the handicap chase at Cheltenham on New Year's Day and had a rating in the 140s. It's a good pedigree and he's a fine animal.”

Plenty of other horses were sold for at least €100,000, highlighting that the Irish breeding industry is in rude health at the moment.

Numerous other promising horses fetched significant five-figure sums, further strengthening the belief that the 2023 Goffs Arkle Sale will produce winners galore in the future.