Promising wildcard LArme De Bonheur headlines ThoroughBids May Sale

Pictured: L’Arme De Bonheur, Lot 25, has a big future after a fine second on bumper debut on Sunday at Uttoxeter

Tom George’s talented 4YO second on bumper debut on Sunday; catalogue also boasts £5k P2R bonus-eligible pointers and Paul Nicholls entry.

 Tuesday 27th May 2025 – Bidding will get underway at 9am on Wednesday 28 April for ThoroughBid’s May Sale, which features the promising L’Arme De Bonheur (Lot 25), a talented four-year-old son on Manatee who caught the eye when second on bumper debut for Tom George at Uttoxeter on Sunday.

The wildcard entrant was running a huge race on his first start for George only two days ago and looked to have sealed the deal, only for the flashy grey to be unluckily caught in the shadows of the post. However, he showed his clear ability and will likely prove a popular lot in Wednesday’s sale.

Tom George, consigner of L’Arme De Bonheur, said: “L’Arme De Bonheur is a lovely, scopey French bred four-year-old bred who stands nice and tall at 16.3hh. We’d initially planned to run him in a point-to-point in the spring, but the ground dried up, so we then decided to run him in a bumper. He ran really well to be second on his debut at Uttoxeter on Sunday, shaping as a lovely prospect for the future and he was probably a bit unlucky to be caught in the closing stages.

“We had initially thought to sell him at auction later in the summer, but with ThoroughBid’s May Sale falling when it does, we thought this was the best option and we hope he’ll sell really well. He’s a horse who can only improve, has already schooled well over fences and has lots of potential.”

Other lots that can be expected to pique bidders’ interests are those consigned by Henry de Bromhead. The top Irish trainer is responsible for the popular Gabbys Cross (Lot 9) who has turned up at the Cheltenham, Aintree Grand National, Punchestown and Galway Festivals, and looks to be well-set to go again for new connections. De Bromhead also consigns Aslukwoodhavit (Lot 16), who has been to the last three Punchestown Festivals, retains all of his ability, and looks one to have lots of fun with.

Paul Nicholls is no stranger to selling through ThoroughBid, having consigned the talented Rouge Vif through the online platform in 2022, and consigns Dino Magic (Lot 11), a six-year-old son of Doctor Dino who is yet to win for the Ditcheat handler, but is lightly raced and has plenty of upside.

There are a host of eligible lots for ThoroughBid’s well-received £5k Point2Rules bonus, including Roger Du Berlais (Lot 8), son of the G1-winning Gitane Du Berlais, River Fergus (Lot 18) and Miss Chipley (Lot 23), with £5k to head the way of their new connections should any of them oblige on debut Under Rules. Buyers’ eyes will also be drawn to some attractive-looking stores, such as Lots 4 and 5, by Telescope, and Lot 6, by Ocovango, who all hold nice jumping pedigrees.

CEO for ThoroughBid, James Richardson, said: “We’re delighted to be able to accommodate L’Arme De Bonheur into our May Sale catalogue. He looked to run a mighty race on debut for Tom George at the weekend, and the fact that he can do that and then be entered for our sale within hours of his run shows the versatility and adaptability of ThoroughBid’s platform. He looks a lovely horse for the future, and we expect the attractive grey to be popular.

“Elsewhere, there’s a real mix of everything in this month’s sale, and we’re thrilled to have Henry de Bromhead and Paul Nicholls consigning lots in the catalogue. Their entries look to have plenty left under the bonnet and should give their new connections plenty of fun.

“We’re also excited to see Roger Du Berlais (Lot 8), River Fergus (Lot 18) and wildcard Miss Chipley (Lot 23) entered, as all three are eligible for our popular £5k Point2Rules bonus. Should any of them win on their first start Under Rules for their new connections, they’ll be receiving a valuable bonus, so we expect them to catch many buyers’ eyes on Wednesday. We’re really looking forward to seeing bidding begin at 9am on Wednesday morning.”

Check out the full catalogue here, with bidding going live at 9am on Wednesday 28 April: https://thoroughbid.co.uk/collection/60