THE French-bred Hermes Allen, who won a four-year-old maiden at Kirkistown in November having placed third on his only other start in similar company at Rathcannon the previous month, comfortably headed the list northern-trained horses sold at last Friday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale.

The Poligate gelding was consigned by Caroline McCaldin who had trained the son of Poligote to win in the colours of her father, Wilson Dennison.

He was led up at the sale by Tom McMahon who has worked for Caroline eight years and is very much her right-hand man around the yard.

Tom’s fitness levels were tested as potential purchases inspected the horse prior to the sale and as the price kept going up until he was finally knocked down for £350,000 to Aiden Murphy and Paul Nicholls.

Other horses to have carried Dennison’s quartered colours this season to find new homes at last week’s sale were the Kapgarde gelding Spirit Of Legend, who finished second in a four-year-old Loughbrickland maiden on his only start, and the Presenting bay Ballykeel who also filled the runner-up slot in a five-year-old geldings maiden at Corbeagh House just five days earlier.

Spirit Of Legend was purchased by Kevin Ross Bloodstock for £100,000 while Aidan O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott gave £48,000 for Ballykeel.

The three Dennison horses were transported over by Paul Ferguson while Caroline travelled over in the company of Robyn McCluskey and Cara McGoldrick who did the plaiting. Event rider Robyn, daughter of trainer Neil, was ‘festooned’ in yellow as the group was also there to attend the day’s launch of Tiggy’s Trust.

“I should have taken a photo of Robyn but, I have to tell you, I was too emotional about everything to take photos,” said Caroline whose own daughter, Anna, events. “The whole day for me was gobsmacking.”

The very many yellow scarves seen worn by the Trust’s supporters at the meeting were sponsored by Wilson under the JCB Dennison banner.

He didn’t go the sale himself but can be seen here wearing one of the scarves at the schooling races held at Moira on Tuesday. We wait to hear if there was another Hermes Allen among the McCaldin runners!

Kevin Ross Bloodstock paid £52,000 for Paul McAleese’s Ask bay Hymac, who has finished second in two five-year-old geldings’ maidens, most recently at Loughbrickland, while Twiston Davies Equine/Adie Gilman signed the £100,000 chit for the Robin Des Champs by Blackcauseway who won a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Kirkistown last month.

Noel McParlan, who rode both Hermes Allen and Spirit Of Legend to victory, also attended the sale on Friday but he and his father Sean failed to sell their Getaway gelding Getaway Drumlee who, on his only start, finished second to Blackcauseway at Kirkistown.

Harold Kirk/Willie Mullins purchased six lots, giving their highest price of £310,000 for the Ellen Doyle-trained The Gunner Yeats who, on his only start, won a four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Dromahane early last month.