Two ground-breaking sales of point-to-pointers take place in Britain and Ireland over the next week.
Today at Fairyhouse in Ireland, Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale takes place far from its original venue and with online and telephone bidding only. Horses have been on site at Tattersalls Ireland’s headquarters (sales ring pictured above) for the past few days and will parade in an empty sales ring today while being knocked down in the traditional manner by an auctioneer. Click on the link to watch the sale live: http://db.tattersalls.com:8080/4DCGI/Sale/Live?site=CHE
The parade ring at Tattersalls Ireland's Fairyhouse complex
With Ireland currently undergoing a six-week national lockdown a similar behind-closed-doors sale of horses in training was held at Goffs in Kildare yesterday, when the €125,000 top lot Paso Doble was sold to bloodstock agent and point-to-point trainer Tom Malone. Just over two weeks ago Malone saddled Art Mauresque to become the 2020/21 British point-to-point season’s first winner when scoring at Bishop’s Court in Devon.
On Thursday next week (November 12) Goffs UK is staging the first ever sale of selected British and Irish pointers, plus a few bumper performers, at a venue in Wales. Dave Futter’s Yorton Farm Stud near Welshpool in Powys has held auctions of its own stock over the past year, but never horses from outside stables. The November Point-to-Point Sale was originally due to be held in Doncaster, but was moved to Yorton following the government’s decision to impose a national lockdown in England. Wales exits its own lockdown on Monday.
This sale will be open to ‘registered/recognised owners, trainers and bloodstock agents’, who must all register in advance, pass temperature tests on arrival and adhere to further Covid regulations once the auction begins, although online and telephone bidding will be available. It can be followed live via the Goffs UK website www.goffsuk.com
Yorton Stud's sales ring, which will be used by Goffs UK for a sale of pointers next week