The Goffs Orby Sale will be held at home in Ireland following the lifting of travel restrictions for overseas buyers entering Ireland.

The news comes after several weeks of uncertainty during which Goffs discussed holding their flagship yearling sale in Newmarket following a helpful invitation from Tattersalls. However the Irish Government’s recent announcements allowing most overseas visitors to enter the country without the need to quarantine on arrival as long as they are vaccinated means that Ireland’s premier sale will be held in Kildare Paddocks on its scheduled dates, 28th and 29th September.

The Sportsman’s Sale will immediately follow on in its traditional slot on 30th September and 1st October.

Commenting on the latest developments, Goffs Group Chief Executive, Henry Beeby said:

“We are delighted and hugely relieved that the Irish Government’s latest announcements will allow the Irish National Yearling Sale to be held where it belongs, in Kildare.

“At this point I would like to thank Tattersalls for their collaborative approach to work on a contingency plan with us should overseas buyers have been unable to come to Ireland. However I think all of us are pleased that this contingency is not required and each sale can take place at the right time and in the right place. Frankly the Orby and Sportsman’s Sales are Irish sales held for Irish breeders to sell their best to the world, and we can now focus on delivering the best trade possible to repay those vendors who have maintained their support. Indeed our superb Purchaser Attraction team are working with our network of international agents as we speak to promote our excellent catalogue to the widest audience and we are just so pleased that buyers from at least the UK, EU and USA can now make definitive plans to come to Ireland.

“Early interest is high and it seems that the Irish Government’s cautious approach to reopening is giving confidence to overseas visitors planning their trips as they view Ireland in a most positive light in this context whilst the Goffs Million is focussing potential purchasers minds as they know that €1 million must be won by this year’s Orby yearlings.

“Credit must be given to HRI and Government who have engaged with us in recent days to give us a clear understanding of the way forward, outlining how the vaccination programme will have further progressed by the time of the sale. This reassurance is vital to our plans and demonstrates a pragmatic approach to reopening the country in a way that is sustainable.

“Obviously it would have preferable not to have the uncertainty of recent weeks and we apologise to anyone who has felt inconvenienced. However, at all times we have had to react to a very fluid situation but have worked in what we felt were the best interests of our clients and prioritised their needs with every decision. Hopefully the end result will justify the various actions come sales time”