DREAMS of future Cheltenham Festival glory spurred on bidders after racing on Thursday, as they contributed to a record-breaking renewal of the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale.

Somewhat surprisingly, trainers already on the scoresheet at this year’s Festival were not the strongest in the sales ring, with the two top lots destined for Harry Derham’s yard, while five lots totalling £935,000 were secured by Gordon Elliott.

Harry Derham, working in tandem with bloodstock agent Ed Bailey, set a top price when stretching to £320,000 for Mick Goff’s exciting four-year-old mare Clondaw Park. The daughter of Walk In The Park created quite the impression when easing clear on debut at Lisronagh last month.

Bought back for €30,000 at the Goffs Arkle Sale, she became the first winner out of her dam, a half-sister to the top-class Nichols Canyon.

From show ponies to racehorses

“She has been bought for Nick and Ceri Fell, who are new owners to the sport,” Derham reported. “They have been breeders of show ponies for a long time and have a nice Galiway filly called Matwana with me this year, who is doing well for them. We wanted to try and add to the team.”

Two lots later, a new high was set as Bailey and Derham went to £400,000 for Cristal d’Estruval, who clocked a smart time when winning at the same Lisronagh fixture for Colin Bowe. Originally bought at the store sales for €67,000, he provided sire Crystal Ocean with his first winner between the flags.

“He is for an existing client in the yard,” Derham later revealed. “When I am at the sales, I like to be critical of a horse, try and think what I don’t like about them – I could not find anything wrong with him. He is just my kind of horse; I just love him.

“He is very athletic, and you are not going to see a better four-year-old model than him and one who has gone and done the job already. He is out of a Nickname mare, which is very attractive – being out of a high-class National Hunt mare from a jumping family gives you confidence.”

Bailey celebrated his first top-flight success when Good Land landed the Nathaniel Lacy Novice Hurdle for Barry Connell at last year’s Dublin Racing Festival. Soon after, he joined forces with Derham at the Caldwell Dispersal Sale, spending £320,000 on Imagine and £170,000 on Mollys Mango. Neither have won yet for new connections.

Derham has had two runners at this year’s Festival, both well-beaten at big odds. His best horse, Brentford Hope, which he bought with Bailey for 90,000gns, has won five times over hurdles and placed in two Grade 2s.

Bowe has previously sold the likes of Gerri Colombe at this sale, and on Thursday’s top lot, he said: “He was always a lovely horse, he has been very easy to train, very straightforward, and gives the sire a good start.

“He has gone to a very good trainer, so hopefully he can kick on now. They don’t all work out, but he has always had a good walk, and he went down well here.”

Proven source of success

Gordon Elliott hadn’t enjoyed much luck up to this point of the week, with seven horses placing, but was undeterred as he restocked on Thursday evening. Under his own name, he spent £470,000 on two lots, and secured another three worth a total of £465,000 with Aidan O’Ryan.

Elliott has previously enjoyed success at this sale, buying Grade 1 winner Stellar Story at the 2022 renewal from Donnchadh Doyle. He returned to the same draft on Thursday, outbidding Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for Donnchadh Doyle’s sole offering, Generous Risk for £250,000.

The No Risk At All gelding was, ironically, a risky pinhook for Monbeg Stables, costing €100,000 at the Derby Sale. He justified that outlay with a 15-length romp on his second start in a five-year-old maiden at Belclare last weekend.

Denis Murphy’s Ballyboy Stakes gained a sizeable return on their €60,000 investment at the Arkle Sale, as debut winner Jet Of Stars sold to Jimmy Fyffe, Lucinda Russell and Paul McIvor for £230,000.

Smart statistics

In total, 17 lots sold for six-figure sums, with 23 selling for an average price of £158,696.

The median price of £150,000 equalled the sale’s previous record, while turnover of £3,650,000 was a new high.

Tattersalls Cheltenham Sales Manager, Shirley Anderson-Jolag, commented: “The Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale has once again delivered, producing the highest-priced point-to-pointer sold in the sale ring this winter season.

“I am delighted our consignors have once again been so well rewarded, and a record aggregate proves that the sale continues to keep pushing forward.

“The Festival Sale is truly unique – staged at the home of jump racing, during the biggest week in the jumps racing calendar, and held in the winners’ enclosure itself.”