Team Bailey & Nicholls buy Cheltenham Festival-entered Hillberry Hill

Image © ThoroughBid

Hillberry Hill looks to have a very bright future after the Mat Nicholls-Kim Bailey team went to £70,000 to purchase him in Wednesday’s ThoroughBid January Sale.

The smart five-year-old son of Kingston Hill, who holds entries in all three Grade 1 novice hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival, was sold by Mags Mullins after a taking victory over hurdles at Thurles on only his second start. He is also qualified for the 2026 Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final worth €75,000.

Successful bidder, Mat Nicholls, said: “We’re delighted to have picked up Hillberry Hill. The man he’s been bought for, John Perris, actually spotted him in the sale as he has a very good Kingston Hill mare called White Noise, who’s won three on the bounce, so he’s a fan of the stallion. We liked the look of him when we saw him in the catalogue and he’s just the type of horse we like to buy. He’s 16.3hh, he’ll jump a fence and get a trip in time. We thought he was very eye-catching.

“He obviously holds the Grade 1 novice hurdle entries at Cheltenham, which is something lofty to aim at, but we’ll get him home first before we make any decisions on where he’ll be targeted. Having qualified for the Red Mills Final at Punchestown, that could be a nice pot to look at with him this season, but we’ll know more once we get him home and settled in. Buying through ThoroughBid was straightforward and easy and hopefully this guy can be lucky for John.”

Commenting on her successful consignment, Mags Mullins said: “It’s lovely to sell a lovely horse and hopefully he’ll be very lucky for his new connections. I hope he goes and wins a load of races and I think he will. He’s made a fantastic price, so I hope he can fulfil his potential in the UK, and I think he will. It was great selling through ThoroughBid too – I didn’t even have to leave the yard!

The purchase of Broken Vow for £50,000 added a real international flavour to the online sale. Sold by Olly Murphy, the highly promising Decorated Knight four-year-old filly has been bought by agent Darren O’Dwyer to race on in the United States, set to be trained by Leslie Young for owner Bonnie Hamilton, who achieved Group 1 glory on the Flat in 2024 with Jessie Harrington’s Hotazhell.

Reacting to the purchase, O’Dwyer said: “It’s really pleasing to have purchased Broken Vow on behalf of Bonnie Hamilton. She will go out to Leslie Young in the US and we’re excited to see how her career goes in the States. She came highly recommended by Olly Murphy, and she did it really well in her bumper at Lingfield. She’s young and progressing and we think she’s the type who ought to suit American racing well. The whole process with ThoroughBid couldn’t have been easier, and James [Richardson, CEO] and the team were very helpful every step of the way.”

Olly Murphy, Broken Vow’s consignor, commented on the sale: “I’m delighted to have sold Broken Vow to some really good connections in America. Fingers crossed she will win plenty of races and be a real success out there. She should handle the conditions across the pond, and we’ll follow her career closely. Once again, it was a pleasure selling through ThoroughBid.”

Very strong start to 2026 bodes well for racing’s online auction house

James Richardson, CEO of ThoroughBid, gave his thoughts on the sale as a whole: “The January Sale has been a cracking start to the year. It was fantastic to see two horses make £50,000 or above, with Hillberry Hill topping the sale at £70,000. He looks a lovely, quality young horse for the future who’s been well-bought by Ed Bailey for Mat Nicholls and Kim Bailey. The pair look to have some nice decisions ahead given his exciting options at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals. Broken Vow is set to follow in the footsteps of fellow ThoroughBid graduate Grade 1 winner Belfast Banter as she’s been picked up by shrewd judge Darren O’Dwyer to continue racing in the US. Olly Murphy really likes this filly and hopefully she can make her mark stateside for some top-drawer connections.

“Overall, the sale’s figures are really positive too. With Hillberry Hill and Broken Vow both sold for £50,000 or above, an average of over £9,000 and a strong clearance rate of 66%, we couldn’t have asked for a stronger start to 2026. We’re already looking forward to February’s sale and have the 26th February date firmly circled in the calendar.”

For more information on the January Sale results, plus how to enter and register for the February Sale, visit: https://thoroughbid.co.uk/home