Cheltenham May Sale concludes the sales season with gains in Median
The Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham May Sale concluded with rises in the median of 4% to £41,500. The aggregated finished on a substantial figure of £2,281,000, with the average finishing on £49,587 and the clearance rate ending the day on a healthy 82%. Seven horses were sold for £100,000 or more, an increase on 2016's results.
Two horses claimed top honours of the day selling for £130,000 a piece.
Kerry Lee, who purchased two lots in total, signed for Lot 12, Storm Control for £130,000. The September Storm four-year-old gelding was the impressive 20 length winner of a four-year-old maiden at Lisronagh under the tutelage of handler Donnchadh Doyle.
Matching top lot was fellow Monbeg Stable mate Rio Quinto (Lot 53). Placed on both his Point to Point outings, the son of Loup Breton was much sought after in the sales ring and was eventually knocked down to Stratford based agent Aiden Murphy with a matching top price of £130,000.
Agent Tom Malone was very active again as is the norm at the sale, having purchased Grade 1 winner Finian's Oscar and Grand National Hero One For Arthur at the venue. He signed for Lot 55, Moonshine Bay from Denis Murphy's Ballyboy Stables for £120,000. The Milan gelding produced an impressive eight length victory at Loughrea.
Tom Malone also secured the next highest price on behalf of current Grand National winning trainer Lucinda Russell. Lot 34, Simone, the half-sister to the mighty SIMONSIG, delivered a winning Punchestown Bumper performance and was narrowly denied black type when beaten by a short head for third place in the Grade 3 Mares Bumper. Consigned by Shane Nolan Racing, a real promising mare and sold for £105,000.
At the conclusion of the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham May Sale and the conclusion of sales at Cheltenham for the 2016/17 season, Richard Pugh, Director of Horses in Training Sales at Tattersalls Ireland commented;
"The sales season here has been truly exceptional. To sell the highest priced Point to Pointer ever when Flemenshill fetched £480,000 at the January Sale and then breaking more records when Maire Banrigh became the most expensive Point to Pointer of her sex when sold at the Festival Sale for £320,000, cemented the justifiable sentiment that Cheltenham is the industry leader for selling Point to Pointers and form horses. Today's sale has yet again produced pleasing figures with seven horses exchanging hands for £100,000 or more and a considerable rise in the median.
As ever, we are extremely grateful to our loyal and committed vendors who continue to support sales conducted by Tattersalls Ireland at Cheltenham and justifiably have reaped the rewards during the year. We would also like to thank the National Hunt trainers and agents, who sale after sale, support and place confidence in our selection of horses and this has faith continues to be repaid to them in spades with track successes coming from graduates such as dual Grade 1 winner FAYONAGHand FINIAN'S OSCAR.
We now look forward to welcoming vendors and purchasers back to Cheltenham for the November Sale on Friday 17th November 2017."