Records broken as Irish Pointers in big demand at Cheltenham sale

Lingstown maiden winner Monster Truck shone in the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure as the four-year-old by Goliath Du Berlais became the highest-priced horse ever sold in a Tattersalls Cheltenham sale ring when fetching £530,000, bought by Gordon Elliott Racing. He was sold by Cormac Doyle of Monbeg Stables.

It was a brilliant evening’s trade with a record four horses sold for £400,000 and above, the results leading to a best-ever turnover for the sale of £4,425,000 as well as a record average of £175,192.

Eddie O’Leary was in charge of bidding for the top lot, a debut winner at last weekend’s Lingstown point-to-point, and was involved in the early exchanges, but then took a step back as Willie Twiston-Davies and Jerry McGrath went head-to-head, pushing the price into the higher echelons. 

O’Leary returned at £510,000, but still had to see off Jerry McGrath, who was with trainer Ben Pauling, but eventually McGrath shook his head when offered the opportunity to better O’Leary’s record-breaking bid.

After the bidding concluded, Elliott said: “We saw him six to eight weeks ago at Cormac’s. We did not think he would make that sort of money, but to get to the top, these are the horses you need. 

“Mouse [O’Ryan] was at Lingstown when the horse ran, but the horse came highly recommended anyway. You won’t see him on a racetrack until next season.”

Monster Truck was a Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale store horse purchase at €90,000 from Castledillon Stud, and Cormac Doyle said: “He was the dearest horse I have ever bought and now the most expensive we have sold as well!”

The gelding ran and was sold under Cormac Doyle’s Monbeg Stables banner, but was owned in partnership between Cormac and brother Sean, who added: “He is a fabulous-looking horse, and the day we bought him off Timmy Hillman at the Derby Sale, he promoted him strongly to us. 

“We gave him a good price, but to get a return like that tonight is unbelievable. Everyone at home has done a brilliant job.”

Cormac Doyle also sold Lot 5, the filly Palinca, for £400,000. She was also a four-year-old debut winner at the Lingstown meeting and is also by Goliath Du Berlais.

“We love the Lingstown track, and we always support it, and some great horses have come out of it – we were lucky to get our timing spot on with the two,” said Cormac Doyle. 

“We bought her at the Derby Sale for €32,000, and we loved her then, she is racy and we think a lot of the stallion.”

A half-sister to Shokdor, a Listed chase winner in France, she was purchased by Coolmara Stables to join the Mariga family’s growing broodmare band, father Kieran and son Cathal bidding in the winners’ enclosure and standing with trainer Henry De Bromhead.

Mariga Jnr said: “We were hoping to spend a lot less, but when they are this good, you have to pay a lot for them. The sire is all the rage now in France, and we have heard about the filly a long time before today, so we hope she is very lucky.

“We are delighted, and Henry will do a good job with her next year; hopefully, we will be back in this winners’ enclosure again with her!”

A second filly also made £400,000 – Jezebel Eyes, sold by Sam Curling to Walters Plant Hire. The four-year-old daughter of Motivator was a debut winner at Ballycahane, a race won before by Curling with previous Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale top lot Echoing Silence.

Curling said: “She has always been very nice, and I am delighted and surprised that she made that. I think she and Palinca are two very good fillies.”

Palinca has been purchased by Dai Walters as a long-term breeding project, and, in time, she will visit Cracksman.

“We bought into the stallion, and I want to buy him some quality mares,” said Walters.

In the meantime, Jezebel Eyes will be trained by Walters’ private trainer Sam Thomas, who said: “She is a lovely filly, we will take our time with her. It is exciting to have a filly like this coming to us.

“She came highly recommended by Derek O’Connor, who rode her when she won. It is very exciting to have this sort of filly come through the door. There will be no rush, and we will take our time with her.”

The third lot to make £400,000 was the four-year-old Monzon Sport, another by Goliath Du Berlais, and a 20-length debut winner of the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale-sponsored maiden at Borris House for handler Pat Doyle.

Out of the French-bred winning mare Australia Sport (Ultimately Lucky), he is a half-brother to Leader Sport, a Grade 1-winning chaser as a four-year-old in France last November.

Sold by Pat Doyle’s Suirview Stables, he was bought by Harold Kirk for Willie Mullins. Underbidder was Paul Nicholls, who was standing with Anthony Bromley.

Kirk said: “He is by the best sire in France, he has a very good pedigree, he looks a quick horse and he has come highly recommended by Pat Doyle. He goes to Willie Mullins, and a lot of good horses come out of this sale.”

Tattersalls Cheltenham Sales Manager Shirley Anderson-Jolag commented: “The Tattersalls Cheltenham team have put together a fantastic catalogue, arguably the best we have had for the Festival Sale, and this record-breaking evening is a superb testament to those horses, this unique sale at this brilliant location and to the trust placed in us by these brilliant consignors, and we thank them for that.

“To have two record Festival Sales in successive years, as well as a record-breaking top lot, is a brilliant achievement. We wish the new connections all the very best for the future.

“Our last sale of this winter season is our April Sale on 16th April.”