Goffs Orby sale moved to Doncaster due to coronavirus travel restrictions

Ireland’s premier yearling sale, the Goffs Orby sale, will take place in England this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Goffs announced on Friday that both the prestigious Orby sale, which generated €43.5 million in turnover last year, and the separate Sportsman’s sale will be moved from Kill, Co, Kildare to their UK sales complex in Doncaster.

The Orby will be held slightly later than usual on October 1st and 2nd while the Sportsman’s will take place on September 24th and 25th.

The move comes on the back of fears that overseas purchasers, in particular those from the UK, will be unable to attend a yearling sale in Ireland while the Irish Government’s 14 day self-isolation requirement is in place.

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The Goffs chairman, Eimear Mulhern, said: "In view of the Covid-19 pandemic and the current Irish and localised protocols, and in the best interests of our clients and the Irish breeding industry, the board of Goffs are announcing today that it will, on a purely once off occasion, stage the Orby and Sportsman's sales in the Goffs UK sales complex in Doncaster.

“Goffs shareholders have always sought to provide the Irish industry with an independent sales company with its own ethos, integrity and values and it is in line with this core principle that we have decided to stage the sale at our own premises in the UK.”

The Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby commented: "Naturally our first preference would have been to hold what is the Irish national yearling sale in Kildare Paddocks. But, given the current issues caused by Covid-19, we judge that is not in the best interests of our vendors who have supported us with a stellar selection of wonderful yearlings.

“Our job is to attract the widest and most diverse group of buyers to our sales and we feel that can best be achieved in 2020 by moving our yearling sales to our UK site as a one-off to deal with the uniquely challenging problems caused by Covid-19.”

The step has been backed by Irish racing's ruling body, Horse Racing Ireland, and its chief executive, Brian Kavanagh.

“We would far prefer that the Orby and Sportsman’s sales be held in Ireland but regrettably, that is not realistic in the current uncertain climate.

“Horse Racing Ireland understands Goffs’ decision to relocate the sales on a once off basis and will support Goffs and Irish breeders in these unique circumstances through the continued and proactive work of our subsidiary, Irish Thoroughbred Marketing,” he said.

Goffs stressed that its remaining sale programmes for 2020 will stay in Ireland and any yearling vendor not wishing to sell in the UK will be accommodated in the Goffs autumn sale on November 2nd to 4th. It means the November foal and breeding stock sale is being planned for Kildare Paddocks.

“The December NH sale is also a largely domestic affair and, as we clearly showed at our recent Land Rover sale, we can deliver a safe and compliant environment for successful sales in Ireland when the buyers are largely domestic,” Beeby added.

Also on Friday, it was confirmed another of Ireland’s major yearling sales, Tattersalls’ September sale, has been moved to England.

The sale will continue to take place from September 21st-23rd but it has been relocated to the Tattersalls HQ in Newmarket. The move has been made to try and attract overseas buyers that may not have travelled to Ireland due to travel restrictions here.