The Gordon Elliott team were the big buyers of those horses with recent point-to-point form who featured at Friday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale in Newmarket signing for three of the top lots on the afternoon.
Honour of top lot goes to Sean Doyle’s American Mike, who attracted a price tag of £195,000 after running out a wide-margin winner of a division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Cork Racecourse on the opening day of the resumption of pointing action.
Bought for €20,000 at last year’s rescheduled Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, the Mahler gelding is the fifth produce of the talented staying chaser American Jennie who herself won a Grade 3 contest, finishing third in the 2007 Irish National before ending her career on a high with success in the Grade B Pat Taaffe at that year’s Cheltenham Festival.
He made the perfect start to his racing career when winning by 20 lengths and now moves to Elliott’s Cullentra House Stables to embark on his track career in the colours of Noel and Valarie Moran where he will be joined in his new yard by the winner of the second division of that Cork four-year-old geldings’ maiden, Cool Survivor, who incidentally was trained to success by Doyle’s younger brother Cormac.
That son of Westerner realised the afternoon’s second largest sum when sold to Elliott for £175,000 having defeated Serious Charges by four lengths.
Elliott didn’t leave out the third of the Doyle brothers from his spending his spree when buying Ash Tree Meadow from Donnchadh Doyle alongside Bloodstock Agent Mouse O’Ryan.
The pair having to go to £135,000 to secure the French-bred son of Bonbon Rose after he thrived on the Good ground in Fairyhouse last Saturday to win a division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden by 12 lengths.
Denis Murphy’s Coachman denied the Doyle brothers a clean sweep of the top three-priced horses at the sale when his Tipperary winner Coachman was knocked down to Marcus Collie and Oliver Signy Racing for £140,000.
That sale completes a notable couple of weeks in the Newmarket sales ring for the family, with his half-brother Au Fleuron having topped the Tattersalls Cheltenham March Sale when snapped up by Elliott and Noel Moran’s Bective Stud after winning a point-to-point bumper at the Limerick Junction course.
Continuing the good sale for Wexford handlers, Colin Bowe’s Tipperary winner Chianti Classico was bought by Aiden Murphy and Kim Bailey for £105,000, whilst Sean Doyle, who was responsible for the top lot also sold Cork runner-up Serious Charges to Anthony Honeyball for £85,000.
Paul Pierce’s impressive Tipperary winner Gaia Du Gouet was the top-priced mare at the sale after Ryan Mahon signed for the daughter of Saddler Maker at £85,000.
