TATTERSALLS Cheltenham made a successful return last weekend, when the average, median and top price rose at the November Sale.

The sale was no doubt boosted by the large number of four-year-old maidens staged this autumn, a consequence of the rain-affected spring season.

Ger Quinn’s impressive debut winner Kovanis came with a big reputation, and lived up to expectations when knocked down to Gordon Elliott for a sale-topping £330,000.

The son of Polish-bred and French-based sire Tunis had been bought by Ian Ferguson and Philip McBurney last year for £50,000.

“We are delighted,” consignor and handler Quinn commented. “He showed himself well all week, he is a class act. He has always been a very relaxed horse, whenever you asked a question he always showed.”

Kovanis’s new trainer, Elliott said: “He is a nice horse, he has come well-recommended, he travelled in his race like a good horse. I will imagine he will go for a bumper in the spring, he looks a nice big horse and one to go forward.”

In-form Fogarty

Jonathan Fogarty sold the next two most expensive lots of a sale, with Reckless Spending bringing £200,000 from Jerry McGrath and Nicky Henderson, while Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins stretched to £195,000 for Hank West.

“He’s for owner Martin George,” said McGrath of Reckless Spening, who finished second to Skylight Hustle at Umma House. “The winner of that race and this horse pulled 10 lengths clear of the third. Nicky Henderson has had brilliant luck with the sire; he can get you a Champion Chaser or a Gold Cup horse. Hopefully, this will be a nice horse, going forward.”

Hank West is a four-year-old Westerner gelding and winner of his maiden on debut at Lisronagh for Fogarty. Kirk said: “Westerner has been very lucky for us. We bought the Grade 1 winner Ferny Hollow from here,” said Kirk. “This gelding is out of a Montjeu mare, and he is another sire we have been lucky with via Hurricane Fly.

“We loved this horse as an individual, and he won his race well. This is the first we have bought from Jonathan.”

The connections of that afternoon’s Grade 2 winner Potter’s Charm, who was bought at the venue’s December Sale last year, reinvested in Denis Murphy’s four-year-old maiden winner Un Sens A La Vie.

After providing the winning bid of £180,000 for the son of Muhtathir, Willie Twiston-Davies said: “The sire speaks for himself and we loved him when we saw him, he is a real Nigel Twiston-Davies type of horse, a real future stayer.”

There were 10 lots sold for six-figure sums on the night, with 32 of the 39 lots offered finding a buyer. The average price increased by 26% year-on-year to £93,485 and median rose by 24% to £72,000.

Shirley Anderson-Jolag, Tattersalls Cheltenham sales manager said: “We wanted to ensure that this first catalogue of our sales year was select and we concentrated on cataloguing only the very best young jumps horses. I think that goal has been achieved with a top lot of £330,000, seven sold for £150,000 and above and 10 six-figure lots.

“With a growth of 34% in turnover and increases of 24% and 26% in median and average, the figures prove once again that Tattersalls Cheltenham sales are a source of top-quality jumps horses.”

The next Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale is on December 13th.