Phenomenal results at the best ever Cheltenham Festival Sale
Tonight's Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale recorded the best ever results on record producing a set of statistics unrivalled with any other edition. The aggregate resulted in £3,410,000 (+7%) the median finished on £150,000 (+2%) and the average concluded on £162,381 (+3%).
The star of the show was Patrick Turley's mare My Whirlwind. The four-year-old made a lasting impression between the flags when taking the Mares Maiden at Ballycahane. This followed through in the ring with with the horse being knocked down to Nicky Henderson as the highest priced point to point mare on record of £400,000 (Lot 9).
Donnchadh Doyle trained the aptly named Bravemansgame to win the four-year-old Maiden at Lingstown by an impressive eight length. A €48,000 Derby Sale purchase, agent Tom Malone and trainer Paul Nicholls recognised the potential in this son of Brave Mansonnien and resulted in them paying £370,000 to secure the gelding (Lot 12).
Another impressive pupil of Donnchadh Doyle, Farouk D'Alene destroyed opposition when winning the four-year-old Maiden at Belclare by 18 lengths just last weekend. A son of Racinger, the debut winner who is from the family of Triolo D'Alene was knocked down to Margaret O'Toole and Gordon Elliott for £260,000 (Lot 22).
At the conclusion of the sale, Director of Horses in Training Sales Richard Pugh commented;
"Tonight's trade was phenomenal. It was such a thrill to sell the highest priced point to point mare on record, but the rewards tonight just kept coming. 14 horses made £100,000 or more and produced an exceptional clearance rate of 91% with 21 of the 23 horses going through the ring selling. This sale's stage is second to none; the atmosphere, the excitement and adrenalin witnessed in this very winner's enclosure was magically mirrored at tonight's sale and we wish vendors and purchasers alike, the very best of luck."