Pictured: ROMEO COOLIO (nearside): the Festival Sale graduate and Supreme Novices Hurdle (G1) entry seen here jumping his way to Grade 1 success at Leopardstown at Christmas
The Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale will take place on Thursday, 13th March in the racecourse winners’ enclosure, following what promises to be a thrilling afternoon of racing on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival.
The initial entries, now available online at tattersallscheltenham.com, showcase exceptional quality. The first stage of selected entries features a high-calibre 12-lot catalogue, comprising 11 winners and one highly impressive runner-up. Notably, ten of the winners triumphed on debut, with seven scoring on their first four-year-old starts.
One entry sure to catch the eye is CLONDAW PARK, an eight-length debut winner of the four-year-old mares’ maiden at Lisronagh on February 23rd.
Trained by Mick Goff, she is by Walk In The Park and out of a Teofilo half-sister to the eight-time Grade 1 winner Nichols Canyon. Walk In The Park continues to sire top-class jumpers, including Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale top lot Heron In The Park, who recently made an impressive Newbury bumper debut for trainer Tom George and owner Damian Tiernan.
On the same Lisronagh card, CRISTAL D’ESTRUVAL, trained by Colin Bowe, became the first point-to-point winner for his young sire Crystal Ocean, landing the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. He is out of Listed winner and Grade 1-placed Aurore D’Estruval, adding further depth to his credentials.
At Farmacaffely, SKERRY HILL (Order Of St George) claimed the four-year-old maiden for trainer Cormac Abernethy and owner Wilson Dennison, followed swiftly by the Flemensfirth gelding BALLY FREE’s victory in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, securing a quick double for the team.
The other entries at this stage include:
ASH HOBBS (Jack Hobbs) – Four-year-old mares’ maiden winner at Ballycahane for Harley Dunne Racing.
LAZARE COMBO (Chanducoq) – Four-year-old winner at Tyrella for Warren Ewing’s Bernice Stables.
JENNY FRANCE (Walk In The Park) – Four-year-old winner for Jonathan Fogarty Racing, from the family of Grade 1 winners The Yellow Clay and Dedigou, and the Grade 2 winner Springwell Bay.
JET OF STARS (Jet Away) – Oldtown maiden winner for Denis Murphy, from the family of Grade 2 winner Crocodiles Rock and a half-brother to the Grade 3 winners The Game Changer & Johns Spirit.
KARAKA DE THAIX (Cokoriko) – Four-year-old winner of the Tattersalls Cheltenham-sponsored maiden at Charm Park, trained and ridden by Dale Peters.
KEEP HIM COMPANY (Walzertakt) – Five-year-old debut winner at Kildorrery for John Costello’s Fenloe House, from the family of the Grade 3 Sandown Gold Cup winner Quentin Collonge.
MISTER ST ELOI (Jeu St Eloi) – Runner-up by a head in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballycahane for Alan Ahern, out of the Listed-placed Mrs Frog.
PORT AUTHORITY (Doyen) – Eight-length debut winner at Borris House for “Matty" Flynn O’Connor’s Ballycrystal Stables, from the family of the Grade 1 Champion Bumper winner Mucklemeg.
Further entries will be taken from this weekend’s point-to-points in Ireland and the UK.
Busy Festival Week for Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale Graduates
Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale graduates have won 14 Grade 1 races, and that tally could rise at next week’s Cheltenham Festival.
The 2023 sale-topper ROMEO COOLIO, a Grade 1-winning hurdler and Champion Bumper runner-up, is a leading contender for the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, while TOUCH ME NOT, a Grade 2 chase winner and two-time Grade 1 runner-up, is entered in the Grade 1 Arkle Chase.
STELLAR STORY, last year’s Grade 1 Albert Bartlett winner, and BETTER DAYS AHEAD, a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 runner-up, will line up in the Grade 1 Browns Advisory Novices' Chase.
THE BIG WESTERNER, an unbeaten Grade 2 winner, heads for the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett, with Henry de Bromhead reporting her in top form.
In the Grade 1 Champion Bumper, NO DRAMA THIS END, a bumper winner and former British pointer, faces KALYPSO’CHANCE, a Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale graduate, whom Gordon Elliott recently highlighted as his pick for the race at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Preview Night.
With strong contenders throughout the week, Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale graduates could once again shine on jump racing’s biggest stage.
