Thursday nights Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale recorded the best ever results on record producing, a set of statistics unrivalled with any other edition, as one again Irish point-to-point form horses took top billing.
The aggregate resulted in £3,410,000 ( 7%), the median finished on £150,000 ( 2%) and the average concluded on £162,381 ( 3%).
The star of the show was Patrick Turley's mare My Whirlwind. The four-year-old made a lasting impression between the flags when taking the mares’ maiden at Ballycahane in Co. Limerick a fortnight ago.
This followed through in the ring with trainer Nicky Henderson signing the docket for the highest priced point-to-point mare on record of £400,000 (Lot 9).
Donnchadh Doyle trained the aptly named Bravemansgame to win the four-year-old maiden at Lingstown by an impressive eight lengths just five days prior to the sale.
A €48,000 Derby Sale purchase, agent Tom Malone, who had been present at the Killinick Harriers fixture to witness the success, and trainer Paul Nicholls, recognised the potential in this son of Brave Mansonnien and resulted in them paying £370,000 to secure the gelding (Lot 12).
Another impressive pupil of Donnchadh Doyle, Farouk D'Alene destroyed the opposition when winning the four-year-old Maiden at Belclare by 18 lengths on the same afternoon that being the same race Doyle had unleashed Wednesday’s RSA Chase winner Topofthegame to win three years earlier.
A son of Racinger, the debut winner who is from the family of Triolo D'Alene, was knocked down to Margaret O'Toole and Gordon Elliott for £260,000 (Lot 22).
Irish point-to-point horses accounted for eight of the top ten lots on the night, with Denis Murphy’s Turtulla maiden winner Hold The Taught going to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for £220,000, Turley had further success when his Punchestown winner Power Of Pause went to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for £180,000.
Jamie Codd, who has already enjoyed a Festival double in the saddle, signed for the purchase of Colin Bowe’s Giants Table for £160,000, whilst Matthew Flynn O’Connor’s Borris House winner Sporting John was knocked down to Kieran McManus for £160,000, the same price Aiden and Olly Murphy paid for Bowe’s Tinahely winner Linelee King.
At the conclusion of the sale, Director of Horses in Training Sales Richard Pugh commented:
"Tonight's trade was phenomenal. It was such a thrill to sell the highest priced point to point mare on record, but the rewards tonight just kept coming.
“Fourteen horses made £100,000 or more and produced an exceptional clearance rate of 91% with 21 of the 23 horses going through the ring selling.
“This sale's stage is second to none; the atmosphere, the excitement and adrenalin witnessed in this very winner's enclosure was magically mirrored at tonight's sale and we wish vendors and purchasers alike, the very best of luck."
Big night for #IrishPointers in the #CheltenhamFestival sales ring!
— p2p.ie (@irishp2p) March 14, 2019
18 sold
Top Price Mare: £400,000
Top Price Gelding: £370,000
Average: £162,500
Total: £2.9 million
Congratulations to Paddy Turley whose Ballycahane P2P winner topped the night! pic.twitter.com/6IZHDRMdnH
