This week’s Goffs December National Hunt Sale got a further boost at the weekend as foal graduate DEFINITLY RED put in a brilliant round of jumping to land the Grade 2 Many Clouds Chase at Aintree by seven lengths. Trained by Brian Ellison for P J Martin, Definitly Red was third on his previous start in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby behind subsequent Grade 1 Betfair Chase winner Bristol De Mai and Blaklion, also a winner on Saturday’s Aintree card when taking the Grade 3 Randox Health Becher Chase.
Definitly Red was sold at the December National Hunt Sale in 2009 by Mr James Keegan to GH Bloodstock for €3,200 and was later sold as a store at the Land Rover Sale in 2012 by Rathvin Stud to Brian Hamilton for €13,500.
Two more winning Land Rover graduates this weekend were Tombstone and Fabulous Saga. TOMBSTONE showed real class when winning the Grade 3 Klairon Davis Novice Chase at Navan for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud. The seven year old son of Robin Des Champs was sold by Rathmore Stud to Paul Nolan for €100,000 at the 2013 Land Rover Sale. FABULOUS SAGA also landed the Grade 3 Kerry Group Stayers Novice Hurdle at Cork for Willie Mullins. Fabulous Saga has won or been placed in all his starts and this is his first Grade win. He was offered in the 2015 Land Rover by Glenwood Stud.
Another classy prospect for Willie Mullins is the Punchestown Sales topper GETABIRD. He is unbeaten since the 2016 sale, winning two bumpers and Saturday’s hugely impressive hurdle debut at Punchestown. Getabird was sold by Colin Bowe’s Milestone Stables to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for €200,000 at the 2016 Goffs Punchestown Sale.
