Tattersalls Cheltenham Stars Shine In Festive Victories
The four days of racing after Christmas Day brought much success for Tattersalls Cheltenham graduates with 20 horses successful, including two Grade 1 winners over the Festive week.
The highlights came on either side of the Irish Sea with top level victories for the likeable POTTERS CHARM for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies and owner El Rincon in the Grade 1 Formby Novices Hurdle over 2m at Aintree, while the ever-impressive ROMEO COOLIO won his first race at the highest level, also over 2m, at Leopardstown on day two of the Christmas Irish racing festival
POTTERS CHARM, a five-year-old son of Valirann, had put a first Graded race success by his name at Cheltenham in November when winning the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle over 2m5f, and the gelding maintained his progression in fine style over the shorter trip on Boxing Day.
Assistant trainer William Twiston-Davies, who purchased the gelding at the 2023 Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale for £105,000 from Michael Mangan Racing, reported that a return to the 2m5f distance is likely in March.
“We'll go back up to two and a half now for the Festival and he won't have another run,” said Twiston-Davies to the Racing Post after the Aintree success, adding: “He's a Grade 1 winner now who's won a Grade 2 and has won well every time.”
ROMEO COOLIO is building up a fine resume with a Grade 1 win now on his CV adding to his top-level and close-up second placing in last season’s Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
The son of Kayf Tara had been a joint top lot at the previous year’s Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale when, as a four-year-old debut point-to-point winner, he was sold by Donnchadh Doyle’s Monbeg Stables for £420,000 to Gordon Elliott and Aidan O’Ryan.
ROMEO COOLIO was originally purchased as a store for €92,000 by Monbeg Stables from Clononeen Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.
Elliott was impressed with the five-year-old’s performance at Leopardstown and said: “Looking at that, I'd say a fast gallop is what he needs. He looked good there today. We said after the last day we were going to keep it simple. I'd imagine he'll probably go for the Supreme next.”
ROMEO COOLIO is now a best-priced 10/1 joint-favourite for the Festival’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, while POTTERS CHARM is generally the same price for the Grade 1 Turner Novices' Hurdle.
A Big Future Ahead
THE BIG WESTERNER changed hands at last spring’s Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale when bought for £120,000 from Matthew Flynn O’Connor’s Ballycrystal Stables as a once-raced winning point-to-pointer. Peter Molony of Rathmore Stud, who was buying on behalf of Coolmara Stud’s Mariga family, the successful purchaser.
The five-year-old daughter of Westerner has since made rapid progress on the racecourse.
Trainer Henry De Bromhead sent her straight over hurdles in November and, after she made that outing a winning one, on her second start on St Stephens Day she won the Grade 2 novice hurdle at Limerick.
"She has plenty more to offer. On soft ground I would say she will have no problem coming back in trip. She stays well but has plenty of gears," enthused De Bromhead after the victory.
Val Dancer Shines Out Of The Gloom To Triumph In The Welsh National
Although much of the Grade 3 Welsh National Handicap Chase over 3m6f, the feature race at Chepstow on December 27, could not be seen from either the stands or TV sets, it was the Tattersalls Cheltenham-sold VAL DANCER who emerged from the fog in the home straight going best of all.
The son of Valirann maintained his gallop to the line for a length and a half victory for trainer Mel Rowley, who proclaimed on ITV Racing that it was “a dream come true”.
David Minton of Highflyer Bloodstock and The Val Dancers syndicate spent £60,000 on the now seven-year-old at the Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale in 2022 following the gelding's second place finish in a point-to-point for trainer Michael Murphy of Redbridge Stables.
Promising Young Graduates Making Strides Towards Success
Away from the Festive graded race highlights, the British point-to-point winner KDEUX SAINT FRAY, the four-year-old son of Masked Marvel sold by Jack Teal’s Briardale Equestrian at the 2024 Tattersalls Cheltenham May Sale for £48,000, got his hurdling career off to the best possible start for trainer Anthony Honeyball with victory at Catterick, the success backing up a debut bumper victory in the autumn. He looks a very exciting prospect.
However, it is the Gordon Elliott-trained KOVANIS who has turned from a winning point-to-pointer to sales horse to winning bumper horse in the quickest possible time.
A pointing winner in October, he was sold just six weeks ago at the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale by Gerald Quinn’s Caherty Stables for owner Philip McBurney when fetching a sale-topping £330,000.
The Tunis four-year-old gelding took the step forward under Rules with ease winning his bumper at Leopardstown on December 28 for owner Gigginstown House Stud.
Next Sale
The next Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale is scheduled to take place at Cheltenham Racecourse on 25 January following the Festival Trials meeting. We are accepting entries for the sale now.