Geoffs Sales - Ireland
February brings the first sale of the year in Ireland. On February 11 and 12, at Kildare Paddocks (Goffs), a wide variety of Thoroughbreds will be offered, including horses destined for turf racing and National Hunt (NH) competition, as it is known in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The first day features a selection of horses that are technically foals, but having passed January 1—the universal birthday for racehorses in the Northern Hemisphere—are officially considered yearlings, meaning one-year-olds. The second day offers horses of all categories, including two- and three-year-olds, horses that have started or are yet to start their racing careers, barren mares, and mares in foal. This mid-winter sale provides both diversity and quality to kick off the 2026 sales calendar.
After reviewing the catalogue, I can confirm the strong quality of bloodlines on offer. This sale represents an excellent opportunity for those looking to “buy cheap and sell high,” the classic pinhooking strategy. One of the great advantages of turf racing is that, although these horses are offered in Ireland, they can later be resold in major international markets such as Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton in the United States, where turf racing has grown significantly in popularity in recent years.
In my opinion, the highlight of the sale is Lot 398, EMPRESS OF HOPE, a five-year-old mare (foaled in 2021) by Holy Roman Emperor, a proven sire with an outstanding record as a broodmare sire. PORTA FORTUNA (by Caravaggio), heroine of Royal Ascot and runner-up in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, is an excellent example of Holy Roman Emperor’s strength in the maternal line.
EMPRESS OF HOPE is a full sister to Group 3 winner VALERIA MESSALINA and a half-sister to SEA OF DREAMS, the dam of Group 2 winner AZURE BLUE, who was offered last year at the prestigious Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions and realized 1.1 million guineas (approximately €1.4 million). In addition, EMPRESS OF HOPE is offered in foal to SHAQUILLE, the champion sprinter whose first crop was offered last year, achieving a top price of €250,776 and an average of €44,184.
Another mare worth close attention is Lot 350, GOLDEN PEARL (2013), a daughter of Pearl Banks, making her a half-sister to PEARLS GALORE (by Invincible Spirit), Ireland’s Champion Older Horse of 2022. Her sisters and half-sisters also include Group 3 winners LUCKY LYCRA (Olympic Glory) and PEARLY STEPH, who, like GOLDEN PEARL, is by Oasis Dream. The immediate family of GOLDEN PEARL is very attractive; however, her main drawback has been a run of bad luck. She failed to produce in 2021 and 2023, and unfortunately lost her foal in 2025.
GOLDEN PEARL could represent a value opportunity, as she is being offered barren and the market tends to be pessimistic in such cases. With good management and a successful covering this season, the resulting foal—or later, a yearling—could represent significant future value. It is also worth noting that her most recent offspring is a two-year-old by champion Blue Point, who could potentially race and win this year.
As the saying goes in the racing industry, “fortune favors the bold.” To win, one must be involved—and the best way to do so is through the buying and selling of horses. The full catalogue can be found at www.goffs.com.
Author: Horse Racing en Español – Agentes 305
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