THE first horse sold by Eamonn Doyle under the banner of Mossy Fen Stables topped Thursday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale at £205,000. Smart debut winner Crystal Island will head to Nicky Henderson, after agent Jerry McGrath bought the four-year-old on behalf of owner Tony Barney and a group of friends.

Barney’s red and white silks have twice been carried to Grade 1 glory by Jango Baie, who McGrath bought from Mick Goff at the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale for £170,000. On their latest acquisition, McGrath said: “We saw this horse at the end of January, and this horse stood out then. He is a very likeable sort and the sire is doing well.”

On the €60,000 Goffs Arkle Sale buy, the handler added: “He is a beautiful horse, by a very good up-and-coming sire and has a very bright future ahead of him. He has gone to a good home.”

Bred by Nick Rockett’s breeder Kieran Cotter, the bay hails from the first crop of Crystal Ocean. The Beeches Stud recruit was also responsible for last month’s top lot at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale; Cristal d’Estruval, who sold to Harry Derham and Ed Bailey for £400,000. Jerry McGrath went to £200,000 for Crystal Ocean’s Monksgrange winner She’s A Fair Maiden at the Goffs Aintree Sale.

Poet’s Word can do no wrong

Poet’s Word has also made a bright start between the flags and came close to siring Thursday’s top lot, as Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins went to £200,000 for The Irish Avatar.

Bowe had given €100,000 for the son of dual graded winner Dinaria Des Obeaux, so his first comments on Thursday evening came as little surprise. “He has been a lovely horse right from the first day we bought him,” he said.

“He is out of a very good race mare and the stallion can do no wrong – he got the winner of the bumper here today and his stats are very good. There is loads of improvement in him, he is a big scopey sort - he was beaten by a very sharp horse on his debut.”

Harold Kirk echoed Bowe’s comments, saying: “The sire’s on fire. He’s had a fantastic point-to-point season and he had the winner of the bumper here today. This horse is out of a very good racemare by Saddler Maker, whom I love. He’s a beautiful individual and was highly recommended for the long term by Colin Bowe.

“He ran well on debut, but he’s a big backward horse. Colin thinks he’ll improve plenty into next year. It’s enough [money] for a horse that finished second but he’s a lovely individual so I knew he’d make good money.”

Poet's Word had one previous crop when standing in the UK, but this year’s four-year-olds are significantly greater in numbers and are his first conceived at Boardsmill Stud. Kirk and Mullins gave £135,000 for another of his four-year-olds at the Goffs Aintree Sale, which was topped by the sire’s Largo Go, knocked down to Jonjo O’Neill for £305,000.

Nicky Stokes’ impressive debut winner Jet To Monte Carlo was another expected highlight, but was bought back by connections for £200,000. That left the third spot to Colin Bowe’s Unflinching, who was sold to Gordon Elliott for £150,000.

The five-year-old justified favouritism on debut at Dromahane, but the impression he made suffered due to Follow My Order falling at the second last when in front. The French-bred Montmartre gelding was bought by JM Bloodstock at the Derby Sale for €95,000.

British pointer proves popular

Dale Peters and Toby Hunt made an impressive return on their £13,000 buy Karaka de Thaix, who had justified strong market support on debut at Charm Park last month. Peters, who owned and trained the five-year-old, also led up his charge, who brought £135,000 from Highflyer Bloodstock and Paul Nicholls.

“I would love to keep him but can't afford him!” Peters said after the sale. “He is a lovely horse, he has done everything well all the way through, he has been a dream to do. I think he is very good, I hope he goes to the top now.”

Highflyer’s Anthony Bromley added: “I have known Dale and Toby for years. They have been telling me about this horse for a few weeks- we were interested in the horse at the Festival Sale but he was withdrawn, so we kept an eye on him

“I think he has done well for the couple of weeks and a break after the race. He looked magnificent today.”

The combination of Highflyer and Nicholls topped the buyers’ table with three lots costing £335,000, following by Jerry McGrath’s trio worth £285,000. Lucinda Russell and Paul McIvor bought the most lots at four.

Thursday’s clearance rate of 78% marked a slight improvement on last year, but the remaining statistics posted greater gains. The turnover rose by 55% to £2,597,000, while the median price rose by 14% to £50,000 and the average rose by 11% to £66,590.