Point-to-point carousel completed at Doncaster

A raft of British point-to-pointers changed hands this week at Goffs UK’s Spring Sale of pointers and horses-in-training.

The two-day auction held in Doncaster also saw a number of horses bought out of licensed yards with a view to joining the point-to-point circuit next season. Record turnover of just over £11m was achieved and there were improved figures for both the average (£29,823) and median (£17,000) prices.

Among the 414 offered lots – of which 369 or 89 per cent found a buyer – were a pair of winners from this season’s GB Pointing Bonus Young Horse Maiden Series. The two four-year-olds, who could each win a £15,000 bonus if successful in a developmental hurdle or chase within two years, were sent to the ring by Herefordshire-based Chris Barber.

Rockatansky (pictured above), who won at Charm Park last month, was sold to Gloucestershire trainer Ben Pauling who said: “I’ve bought him for an owner in the yard. He’s a nice-sized horse who looks capable of winning races. It’s up to me to try and win the £15,000 bonus.”

The Barber-trained Chasing The Dreams could also reclaim some of his purchase price back after being knocked down to Somerset trainer Jeremy Scott. The four-year-old won at Eyton-on-Severn earlier this month.

Noble Thistle was sold to agent Dan Astbury and trainer Jackie Stephens for £22,000 (Ce)

Barber also sold Noble Thistle, who had finished second in two maiden races, for £22,000 to agent Dan Astbury and trainer Jackie Stephens, while the Will Biddick-trained Uncle Boss – who has won twice in recent months – is set for a career across the Atlantic after being knocked down for £40,000. Astbury was once again the buyer, but in conjunction with expatriate Briton Tom Garner who now trains at Butler Hall Racing in Maryland. Garner also dropped £20,000 on the Biddick-trained Son Of Saratoga.

Kate Leckenby’s Overton winner Idole Des Carnette was sold to American Irv Naylor for £48,000, while his stablemate, the Hexham-winner Orderly, made £20,000 to a bid from Ian Hamilton.

Orderly, led up by trainer Kate Leckenby, was sold to Ian Hamilton for £20,000 (Ce)

Wise Maiden, the five-year-old mare who bolted up in Aintree’s point-to-point bumper on Friday for trainer/rider Gina Andrews, was led from the ring unsold at £95,000, but Island Jetaway, who finished runner-up in that race, changed hands for £45,000. He won a Larkhill flat race in March for Myles Osborne and will race on for Billy Aprahamian after Paul Webber brought the hammer down.

Whats The Solution entered the ring just 24 hours after winning the final hunters’ chase of the season held at Huntingdon. The Jack Teal-trained eight-year-old was offered by his owner, Gillian Smith, and knocked down to agent J D Moore for £17,000.

Tuesday’s Huntingdon hunters’ chase winner Whats The Solution who made £17,000

Harvey Smith, one of Britain’s most famous showjumpers and whose wife Sue and grandson Joel Parkinson train near Bingley in Yorkshire, bought a pair of pointers from Fran and Charlie Poste’s Station Yard. Smith gave £26,000 for five-year-old Farfromaway, a three-time winner this season, and while his stablemate, four-year-old Silver Salver – who finished runner-up at Sheriff Hutton in April – was led from the ring unsold at £9,000 he was bought outside by Smith for £8,000.

Station Yard was also listed as buyer of the Warwick Ryan-Beswick-trained Barbar Esko, a £16,000 purchase having finished second at Charm Park last month.

Full results can be viewed here: https://www.goffs.com/sale/UK/Spring-hit-ptp-sale-2026