Magnus, a gelding by Italian Group 1 winner Roakarad who has won his last three starts, brought a record final bid of $470,235 to top the first session of the two-day Goffs France mixed sale on Thursday in Saint-Cloud.

Martin Pipe purchased Magnus, who is the most expensive steeplechaser ever sold at public auction. Consigned by Naji Pharaon, Magnus is out of the Neustrien mare Volcania.

Magnus is a half brother to stakes winner Cosmographe, who finished third in the 1999 Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1). He has won ten of 28 career starts, including a pair of steeplechase stakes, for $339,053 in earnings.

Goffs reported sales on 102 horses during the session for a total of $2,096,847, an average of $20,557.

The Thursday session featured French National Hunt Stock Horses in training while Friday's group will be two-year-olds, weanlings and broodmares.—Tony Smurthwaite

More information is available at http://www.goffs.fr/