THERE was a thoroughly British theme to the top lot at Friday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale, as the British-bred Edith Pelham became the highest-priced British-trained point-to-point mare at £180,000.
It marked a terrific result for Gina Andrews and Tom Ellis’ G&T Racing, with Ellis having bought the daughter of Blue Bresil for £40,000, while Andrews trained the five-year-old to win on debut, ridden to victory by her brother, Jack.
Ellis said: “We have always loved this mare and we have given her time. Last year, none of mine were running that well and so we made a conscious decision to stop for that season, and we turned them all away, it was the best thing we could have done for these young horses.”
The mare’s new trainer, Fergal O’Brien commented: “We loved the way she ran, she is coming from a good producer, she has been very well-schooled, very well looked after, and is by a good sire in Blue Bresil. We loved everything about her, and she vetted very clean.”
Edith Pelham was bought on behalf of Jane May, who explained: “We have bred our own horses for a long time, but we are getting too old for that now, so we thought we’d come and buy something nice! We have been in the game for 67 years, so we hope we have an idea now!”
Plenty to celebrate
Despite failing to match last year’s high of £240,000, Friday’s sale was successful in terms of its clearance rate of 86% and record median of £80,000. Figures were helped by a reduced catalogue, which came about due to last Sunday’s Irish point-to-points being cancelled.
Tattersalls Cheltenham sales manager, Shirley Anderson-Jolag expressed the company’s delight at Edith Pelham’s landmark price, the clearance rate and median price, before adding: “However, our thoughts this week have very much been with Michael O’Sullivan’s family and friends, as well as with our marketing manager, Richard Botterill, who is not in the best of health at present and was much missed by us all today.”
While Mick Goff’s Kanzler came close, but failed to take the top spot on Friday, he undoubtedly earned the title of the most impressive pinhook. Bought by J.D. Moore at the Arqana February Sale as a yearling for €4,000, the impressive debut winner brought £165,000 from Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins on Friday.
Kirk and Mullins are no strangers to purchasing rather obscurely-bred proven horses, and their new recruit is by the German-based Group 1 performer Tai Chi. On the Boulta four-year-old maiden winner, Kirk said: “He is a beautiful horse with loads of quality.
“When he won his point-to-point, he showed he’s got loads of speed. I could see him dropping back and being a very good two-mile hurdler. He jumped very well and he can definitely make a chaser long-term as well.
“He’s got loads of quality and the sire’s good in Germany. I know of him, but this is the first I’ve bought. This horse has speed and looks to have a lot of class. He’s just the type of horse I like to buy.”
The perfect number
Two lots sold for £155,000 in quick succession, beginning with Denis Murphy’s Taurus Bay, who overcame a penultimate-fence error to win on debut at Comea. Jerry McGrath and Ben Pauling combined to secure the bay, who was a first point-to-point runner for Boardsmill Stud sire Poet’s Word.
“Taurus Bay is a gorgeous individual, he has loads of size and scope,” Pauling commented. “He is a shell of what he will be, next year you will see a big strong horse, but he has still taken his training this season well. It was a very good performance when he won, he looked green, but he picked up nicely.”
A.J. O’Neill matched that price for Sam Curling’s Belharbour victor, Vanderflier, the young co-trainer signing as O’Neill Racing/Stroud Coleman Bloodstock. “He is a lovely big horse, and is a very free-moving type,” O’Neill said of the Milan five-year-old.
“I liked the way the penny seemed to drop as he was coming up the straight when he won – he really galloped on and jumped the last lovely, and won well. I am a fan of the horse, he seems to be learning the job nicely. He has been bought on spec.”