BRITISH trainers will take charge of all three lots sold for six-figure sums at last Saturday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale, with Philip Hobbs and Johnson White set to train the £230,000 top lot Starzand.

The sale followed a card featuring the Cotswold Chase, which provided Richard Johnson with his final blacktype win in the saddle aboard Native River three years ago, and the former champion jockey was responsible for securing Starzand on behalf of David Lewis’s Gwent Holdings.

After signing the docket for Mary Doyle’s impressive four-year-old maiden winner, Johnson commented: “He is an exciting horse to go forward with.

“We will get him home and assess him, I would love to give him a run in the spring to keep things rolling on for next season. We will see how he comes out of this, it can be tough for them to win their point-to-point and then travel here – it takes a bit to get over it.

“Dave is keen to have a few more, we bought last year, they have run well and he is keen to move forward again. Everyone wants winners at Cheltenham and that is where we want to get. This looks a lovely horse, and will be one for the future, he is a proper long-term three-mile chaser and it might take him two years for him to reach his potential.”

The bay’s new co-trainer Johnson White added: “Gwent Holdings has five horses with us and they have been running great. I wanted this horse since the moment I saw him, Richard saw him yesterday and liked him too, he was on both of our short lists.”

Buyer’s background

Gwent Holdings has made significant investments at the sales in recent years, through different bidders, but has yet to own a blacktype winner.

The 125-rated chaser Montgomery is the best of his current string, he one of four horses with Venetia Williams that cost a total of £585,000. Philip Hobbs and Johnson White train his winning-most horse this term, dual Taunton hurdle winner Tom Doniphon, who was a notably cheaper purchase at £55,000.

Back in 2003, Welsh businessman David Lewis faced prosecution for defrauding a bank of more than £88,000 in respect of gambling debts. He was sentenced to a community rehabilitation order for three years and ordered to pay costs of £32,000.

Starzand was consigned by James Doyle’s Baltimore Stables, whose sole other offering Modern Man sold to Gerry Hogan Bloodstock for £60,000. The top lot marked an impressive return on the €21,000 Baltimore Stables paid for him at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, where he was sold by Springmount Stud.

He is the first winner and third foal bred by Geraldine Regan out of the Kalanisi mare Phoenix Twist, herself out of a listed performer. His sale continued a fine day for his sire’s base of Kilbarry Lodge Stud, whose resident Diamond Boy sired L’Homme Presse, winner of the Cotswold Chase.

Private purchase

Step Ahead looked like becoming the first six-figure sale of the night, but £145,000 didn’t meet the reserve for Don Cantillon’s listed-placed bumper horse. The eventual second-highest price of the night wasn’t straightforward either, as Kilwaughter was led out unsold, only to be purchased by Tom Malone outside the ring for £120,000.

After explaining that Kilwaughter was bought on spec, the agent noted: “He might go for one of the decent late-spring bumpers, and I thought he had a lovely level of form. He is a beautiful horse with a lovely winning pedigree, and he came highly recommended.”

Kilwaughter made a perfect start for Stuart Crawford in a bumper at Down Royal on St Stephen’s Day, beating the short-priced favourite TheflyingKing, the pair finished 14 lengths clear of the remainder. Bred by Miss Jackie O’Flynn, the Milan gelding was bought by the Crawford brothers at the Goffs Arkle Sale for €30,000.

The other Irish bumper winner offered, Leopardstown Christmas Festival victor Karate Kid, was knocked down to Highflyer Bloodstock’s Tessa Greatrex for £100,000. The John Hayes-owned chesnut provided Colm Ryan with his first winner as a trainer, but will continue his career with Warren Greatrex, having been purchased on behalf of his landlords Jim and Claire Bryce.

The couple have previously made a splash with their expensive purchases, having given €420,000 for Mighty Bandit at the Tattersalls Ireland Andy and Gemma Brown Dispersal, and £350,000 for Buckna at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale. Neither have lived up to expectations as of yet, though Tessa Greatrex have enjoyed a fine season with £70,000 buy The Jukebox Man.

Of her latest purchase, the agent said: “Jim and Clare had a runner here today, and I don’t think they were initially intending to buy, but I saw the horse yesterday and recommended him,” said Greatrex. “We were impressed with his bumper win, he beat some nice horses and he looks a smart horse for the future.”

Comparisons

Tom Ellis fared best of the British consignors, selling Panjandrum to Gordon Elliott for £95,000. Elliott and Aidan O’Ryan also purchased Sam Curling’s four-year-old maiden winner Cinnamon Roll, a son of No Risk At All, for £80,000.

Twenty-four horses sold at a clearance rate of 80% and generated a turnover of £1,667,000.

A significant increase in turnover year-on-year isn’t a true measure of demand, given that more horses were offered, but the average price increased by 27% to £69,458, while the median price rose by 102% to £62,500.

That said, the average and median prices remain significantly lower compared to 2023 (average of £80,200 and median of £67,500) and 2022 (average of £78,588 and median of £69,000). From ten more horses offered in 2023, seven horses sold for six-figure sums 2023, while an extra seven lots in 2022 produced a total of 10 six-figure lots.