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DUAL bumper winner Regent's Stroll changed hands for £660,000 at the Goffs Summer Sale in Doncaster on Monday. The price sets a new record for a National Hunt horse in training.
The five-year-old Walk In The Park gelding was sold today by owner Chris Giles but will stay with trainer Paul Nicholls who, with bloodstock agent Tom Malone, signed for the top lot. Nicholls later revealed the horse will race for a syndicate headed by leading owners John Hales, Ged Mason and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Earlier this year that trio of owners bought Caldwell Potter out of Gordon Elliott's yard for €740,000, which at the time was a record price itself for a jumps horse in training.
Unbeaten in two starts including the £100,000 Goffs Spring Sale Bumper, Regent’s Stroll was expected to top the sale.
Bidding was kicked off by Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent, who was bidding for a client on the phone, at £400,000 and it was Malone, standing with Nicholls and Hales, who traded bids across the ring until Malone landed the winning blow.
The Chris Giles Dispersal, all offered by Mill House Stud, saw all 11 horses sold for a total of £1.9 million with Nicholls and Malone securing eight of the lots, all for new owners.
The pair also went to £200,000 to secure last year’s Grade 2 Scottish Champion Hurdle winner Rubaud, as well as the unraced Blue Bresil four-year-old Rocket Scientist. They also partnered with Dave Staddon to land the Cheltenham Festival’s Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle winner Stay Away Fay for £325,000.
Trainer Henry de Bromhead bought one of the top lots in the shape of French Grade 1 winning mare July Flower, who was also offered by Mill House Stud.
Winner of the Grade 1 Prix Jacques de Vienne, she placed third in her most recent outing in the Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil and was knocked down to Goffs representative Harry Fowler on behalf of de Bromhead for £350,000.
July Flower raced for owner Caolan Woods and was at one time trained for him by de Bromhead.
At the conclusion of the sale, Tim Kent commented: "What an incredible day in Doncaster and we must start by thanking Chris Giles for entrusting Goffs to handle such a prestigious dispersal of quality horses.
"It has been a pleasure to work for Chris and we hope to see his colours back in the winners’ enclosure in the not-too-distant future. It has also been a pleasure to work with Juliet Minton and the Mill House Stud team who did such a fantastic job of presenting the horses for sale."
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