Americans in England for the Royal Ascot meet that began June 14 were busy at Goffs London sale, which was held June 13 at the Orangery at Kensington Palace.
The one-day sale cataloged well-bred 2-year-olds as well as high-class offerings which have already proved their worth.
Top price among the U.S. purchases was the £200,000 ($284,087) that Sol Kumin—of Lady Eli fame—paid for Big City Dreamin.
Bred in Florida by Wesley Ward, who trained the chestnut filly to a maiden win at Keeneland in April, Big City Dreamin is entered in Royal Ascot’s Windsor Castle Stakes on opening day. Gatewood Bell’s Cromwell Bloodstock consigned the 2-year-old Iqbaal filly to the sale. Grade III-placed Iqbaal is a Florida-based son of Medaglia d'Oro who stands privately for Ward.
Robert Masterson, owner of the classy champion miler Tepin—she won the opening day Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot—shelled out £160,000 ($227,891) for the 3-year-old Irish-bred Iffraaj colt Ikerrin Road. Winner of three of his seven starts, Ikerrin Road has not placed off the board this year.
Top price of the sale was the £1.3 million ($1,851,610) China Horse Club paid for Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) winner Jet Setting. Godolphin took the second-highest-priced lot, giving £700,000 ($997,021) for Dee Stakes winner Viren's Army, an Irish-bred 3-year-old colt from the first crop of Kentucky-based stallion Twirling Candy .
Business at this year's sale increased across the board. The gross of £5,593,000 ($7,960,908) was up 49% over last year, with a £199,750 ($284,214) average (up 21%) and a £135,000 ($192,062) median (up 35%).
