Sensational results at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham December Sale

The final sale of 2017, the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham December Sale, produced sensational prices including the second highest price paid for a Point to Pointer of £400,000. The overall aggregate on the night finished at £ 3,777,500, with the aggregate for the Horses in Training section producing a considerably increased figure of £3,209,000 (+30%) with the median and average concluding on £65,000 and £97,242. The National Hunt Breeze-Up section produced an aggregate of £493,500 at an average of £37,962 and a median of £30,000. 

 

The star of the sale was undoubtedly Trevelyn's Corn (Lot 40) who made a winning debut performance taking his maiden at Borris by seven lengths. The Oscar gelding, who was purchased as a store at the Derby Sale by his handler Colin Bowe for €45,000 made a considerable return when knocked down to Tom Malone standing with Paul Nicholls for £400,000, outbidding Jonjo O'Neill.

 The highly regarded Downtown Getaway (Lot 25) impressed connections and gained favouritism for the 2018 Cheltenham Champion Bumper from his winning Fairyhouse Bumper performance for trainer Mags Mullins. Landing the race by 12 lengths, the Getaway gelding from the family of Chomba Womba and Down In Neworleans fetched the impressive price of £350,000 and now heads to Nicky Henderson having been secured on one bid by Highflyer Bloodstock's Anthony Bromley.

 

Lot 16, Straight Red made his debut a winning one when taking his maiden at Mainstown in December and in doing so produced the joint fastest time of the day. This was well noted by Jonjo O'Neill who secured the son of Westerner also consigned by Colin Bowe's Milestone Stables for £300,000. 

 

The National Hunt Breeze Up section was topped by Lot 60, a Germany filly who's from the immediate family of Supreme Serenade. Consigned by Meadowview Stables, trainer Neil Mulholland outbid agent Tom Malone to secure the classy filly for £115,000. The next top lot in the Breeze Up section was knocked down to Aiden Murphy. By Stowaway (Lot 64), the three-year-old gelding, related to the useful Seven Is My Number and consigned by Knockanglass Stables was sold for £65,000. 

 At the conclusion of the sale, Director of Horses in Training Sales at Tattersalls Ireland Richard Pugh commented on the impressive trade;

"Trade today and throughout the entire year at Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham has been phenomenal. Yet again here we have witnessed jaw-dropping sales and a staggering number of horses selling for £100,000 or more not to mention the sale of Trevelyn's Corn for £400,000, the second highest price for a Point to Pointer. 2017 saw a number of records being smashed in this very sales arena; a recording breaking price of £480,000 for a Point to Pointer, a record-breaking price for a Point to Point mare of £320,000 and a record number of 65 horses realising £100,000 or more, 32 more than 2016 which emphatically endorses the reputation of Cheltenham as the market leading venue for quality form horses. As ever, we are sincerely grateful to our loyal vendors and purchasers who have supported our sales this year. Our February Sale, which is on Thursday 15 February is now our next focus and we look forward to working with our vendors to try and mirror today's results in 2018."