CORRENA Bowe, a former event rider who now works for trainer Sam Curling, hit the jackpot at Thursday evening's Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale when she sold recent point-to-point winner Echoing Silence for £420,000.

Bowe, daughter of J.J. Bowe and a niece of leading handler Colin Bowe, bought the Doyen filly as a store for just €28,000 at Tattersalls Ireland last July.

Trained by Curling, the four-year-old filly is a half-sister to Grade 2 novice hurdle winner Deafening Silence and made a winning debut at Ballycahane point-to-point in Co Limerick on March 3rd.

Echoing Silence was bought by Peter Molony of Rathmore Stud, who is racing manager for owner Kenny Alexander, in whose colours Honeysuckle raced.

Bowe, who was consigning to a sale for the first time, said: “I never imagined this could happen. I said to Mum a couple of months ago that if I was to ever own a horse and bring it to the Cheltenham Festival Sale that would be the dream – to do this on the very first time is absolutely amazing.

“Dad and I picked her out – she was unbelievable looking as a store horse, I don’t know how we managed to buy her for that money.”

She continued: “She has been so simple and easy to do. She has shown so much at home and was so ahead of her time always, we have had to keep a lid on her all the way through, we had to be so careful not to overcook her. And for a big filly to have run and won so early in the four-year-old season is amazing.”

The sale result was more than adequate consolation for Bowe, who had earlier led up Angels Dawn in the Kim Muir Chase. A winner of the race last year, Angels Dawn looked likely to finish second when slithering to the ground after the second last fence.

Successful purchaser Molony said: “I was there when she won at Ballycahane point-to-point as it is just 10 minutes away from home. I had been told about her about a month before she ran. She is just beautiful, just stunning, so we said that we will have to have a go. She is going to Henry de Bromhead."

Earlier Molony spent £120,000 on The Big Westerner, a five-year-old mare who won at the same Ballycahane point-to-point for Matty Flynn O'Connor. The daughter of Westerner is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Stay Away Fay and Molony said of her: “She is a lovely scopey mare and has been bought on spec, she will probably be turned away now.”

Highflyer was the session’s leading purchaser with three lots bought for a spend of £550,000.

Of the 29 lots offered for sale, only were unsold. The average price was £132,000 and the median £120,000.

Warren Greatrex to train £350,000 purchase

BALLYMENA, Co Antrim, trainer Gerald Quinn sold last Saturday's Kirkistown point-to-point winner Buckna for £350,000 to Tessa Greatrex of Highflyer Bloodstock. The four-year-old gelding by Order Of St George was a £55,000 store purchase at Doncaster last May.

Greatrex said: “He has been bought for Jim and Claire Bryce for whom we bought The Mighty Bandit at last month’s Tattersalls Ireland Andy and Gemma Brown Dispersal Sale – he is also by Order Of St George.

“Buckna just looked a super professional jumper in his point-to-point. We have no plans as yet, we just want to get him home. He is only a four-year-old and he probably won’t be seen until the autumn. He will be trained by Warren.”

Gerald Quinn has had nine winners between the flags this season, putting him in the top half-dozen handlers. One of his winners was the impressive Teeshan who was sold privately afterwards to Paul Nicholls and ran with credit in the Champion Bumper this week.

Matty Flynn O'Connor's Ballycrystal Stables sold the five-year-old Saint Des Saints gelding Pierrot Jaguen for £200,000. Like the evening's top lot, this one also won at Ballycahane point-to-point on March 3rd and was bought by trainer Olly Murphy and his father Aiden with one bid.

“He is a lovely big horse, a horse for next season,” said Murphy. “He has a good pedigree, he is a horse with a big engine, and he comes with a big reputation. He has been bought on spec.”

It was a big sales for Flynn O'Connor who sold last month's Punchestown point-to-point winner Additional Time for £160,000 to trainer John McConnell. The Milan four-year-old cost €82,000 as a store at the Derby Sale.

Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls paid £160,000 for British point-to-point winner No Drama This End. Consigned by Will Biddick, the Irish-bred Walk In The Park four-year-old was bought for €26,000 ar the Goffs Arkle Sale last summer.

Gordon Elliott bought Warren Ewing's Farmacaffley runner-up Whinney Hill for £140,000 and the in-form Dan Skelton spent £220,000 on two horses - Benny Walsh's Lisronagh winner Settle Down Jill (£120,000) and Pat Doyle's Ballycahane scorer In The Age (£100,000).

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