First four-year-olds of 2025 headline the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale 

The Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale, due to be held on Friday, 21st February at 1pm, is the first sale of four-year-old point-to-pointers in 2025. Entries at this opening stage have produced a catalogue full of future jumping stars, and all lot details, alongside race videos, can be viewed at www.tattersallscheltenham.com.

The initial 24 lots include four debut-winning four-year-olds, including last weekend’s Denis Murphy-trained across-the-card four-year-old double.

HITINTHEHEADLINES, a son of the progressive jumps stallion Harzand, sire of the Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale top lot STARZAND, was Murphy’s impressive 14l winner at Tallow, while TAURUS BAY, a son of Poet’s Word, won his point-to-point at Comea point-to-point.

KANZLER by Tai Chi is from Mick Goff’s Moate Stables and was a smart 7l winner at Kirkistown, while at the beginning of February the Mark Scallan-trained LION ROSE SIVOLA (Victory Song) won the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale 4yo Maiden at Ballinboola. He came home a length and a half to the good of the Rob James-trained sale entrant SAINT INVICTUS, who is by Order Of St George and is a half-brother to the Grade 3-winning hurdler BALLYMOY.

Murphy also sends the Ballycrystal five-year-old debut winner JUKEBOX KING (Jukebox Jury).

Philip McBurney’s Kirkstown debut winner, the No Risk At All five-year-old mare NO RISK TODAY, will travel to Cheltenham with her stablemate MONSIEUR JACO (Pastorius), who was third in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden on the same card for handler Gerald Quinn.

The five-year-old VANDERFLIER and TALK TO THE BOSS, both by Miland and first and second at Bellharbour in the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale 5yo Maiden, will both be on the sale ground, offered by consignors Sam Curling’s Skehenagh Stables and Marie Harding’s Glen Stables

The Eamonn Doyle-trained TALES OF BRAVERY (Affinisea) and ONE FOR RIAN (Workforce), from David Kelly’s Railway Stables, also took the first two places in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballinaboola, and will also be at Cheltenham.

Pa King Racing consigns the five-year-old winner, the well-bred CHANGEYOURSTARS (Shirocco), a half-brother to the Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Beauport.

From the UK, Jack Teal’s Briardale Equestrian offers the Brocklesby winner MOOSERWIRT (Sholokhov), who is out of a Presenting mare NO MORE STORMS, a half-sister to the two-time Grade 1-winning chaser NO MORE HEROES. At last year’s Tattersalls April Sale, Teal sold this season’s leading NH Flat race winner KALYPSO’CHANCE as a debut-winning four-year-old point-to-pointer, and the gelding is currently vying for favouritism in the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

G&T Racing sends the Blue Bresil-winning mare EDITH PELHAM, who was successful on debut at Sheriff Hutton in January, while from Micky Hammond’s yard is BAY EMPRESS, a six-year-old mare by Mahler and winner of her bumper on debut at Wetherby at the beginning of the month.

The three-time winner and 136-rated WEVEALLBEENCAUGHT (Getaway), from the Nigel-Twiston Davies team, is offered with Cheltenham Festival options in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup and the Grade 2 National Hunt Chase. The exciting novice chaser was an impressive winner last time out at Doncaster successful by over 9l.

We are taking entries from this coming weekend’s point-to-points, due to be held in Ireland at Oldtown, Knockanard, Tinahely and Nenagh, and in the UK at Larkhill, Horseheath, Duncombe Park and Buckfastleigh.

Tattersalls Cheltenham-sold horses enjoy a fantastic February

Horses from the Tattersalls Cheltenham sales have dominated feature chases in Britain and Ireland through the early part of 2025 with graduates from its February sales some of this season’s most exciting current young chasing talents, while the brilliant February Sale headliner Envoi Allen has added a ninth Grade 1 victory to his CV.

The Grade 1 Scilly Isle Novice Chase at Sandown at the beginning of February was a thrilling race that produced an intriguing battle up the Sandown hill between the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale-sold HANDSTANDS and the February Sale graduate JANGO BAIE, with the latter just giving way by a short head to the Ben Pauling-trained runner.

HANDSTANDS, a six-year-old son of GETAWAY, has accelerated his way through the jumping ranks to earn the plaudits as a Grade 1 winner, and he is now unbeaten in three completed chase starts. JANGO BAIE, a Grade 1-winning hurdler in 2024, lost nothing in defeat on only his second start over fences.   

He and stablemate JINGKO BLUE, a January Grade 2 novice chase winner, also sourced as a four-year-old at the same February Sale by Jerry McGrath, are both in training with trainer Nicky Henderson. The Seven Barrows maestro will have some big decisions to make regarding Festival targets for this pair of talented Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale graduates.   

Pauling is earmarking a direct route to Aintree for HANDSTANDS, and Liverpool is also in the sights for the connections of the smart stayer, the Grade 3 Peter Marsh Chase winner MR VANGO. The son of OCOVANGO was bought at the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale 2022 by the late Mark Bradstock with agent Marcus Collie for £30,000. 

At 4pm on Saturday, 5th April, the nine-year-old could well be in the line-up for the 4m2f Grade 3 Grand National Chase.   

At the alternative end of the distance spectrum, last weekend’s Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase over 2m at Newbury saw a one-two-three for Tattersalls Cheltenham horses.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained MASTER CHEWY, a Grade 1 runner-up at Aintree last season, came home ahead of Evan Williams’s LIBBERTY HUNTER, purchased by the trainer at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale, and MATATA. He is also from the Twiston-Davies string and was bought by Highflyer Bloodstock at the 2022 February Sale as a four-year-old.

Twiston-Davies reported that the winner, who was consigned by Suirview Stables at the Tattersalls November Sale 2021 and bought by Willy Twiston-Davies, could be one for the 2m4f Grade 1 Ryanair Chase, while MATATA will be targeted at the 2m Grade 1 Champion Chase. The same race 2m championship race has also been pinpointed by Williams for LIBBERTY HUNTER. 

On the same Newbury card, SOBER GLORY, purchased at the Tattersalls Cheltenham 2024 May Sale by Tom Malone, took his unbeaten record to three from three in NH Flat races when stepping up to Listed bumper success for joint trainers Philip Hobbs and Johnson White.

The following day, the 2024 Festival hurdle winner BETTER DAYS AHEAD and the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle winner STELLAR STORY went head to head for Grade 2 novice chase honours at Navan, the former winning by a neck to notch up a first graded race victory on his third chase start. He had finished second in the Grade 1 Long Distance Novice Chase on Boxing Day at Leopardstown.   

Both horses are trained by Gordon Elliott, both were sold at the Cheltenham Festival Sale in 2022, and both are now being aimed at the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novice Chase at The Festival.   

But, as brilliant, progressive and exciting prospects as all these young horses are, they still have some way to go to match the achievements of the wonderful ENVOI ALLEN, who was sold as a four-year-old at the Tattersalls February Sale.   

One of the defining jump horses of the last five years, the son of MUHTATHIR won his ninth Grade 1 with victory in the Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Indicative of the talent that can be found at a Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale, the 10-year-old will be at Cheltenham this March seeking his fourth Festival victory. He is also been allocated third top-weight in the Aintree Grand National.