FERGAL O'Brien spent more than he had ever done before on a horse at public auction when bidding £250,000 to secure the top lot at Thursday's Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale.

The horse in question was Oak Grove, a winning point-to-pointer for handler Rob James earlier this month. A son of Soldier Of Fortune, the four-year-old Oak Grove is from the family of Voler La Vedette, Hennessy and Shishkin. He was a €75,000 purchase at the Goffs Land Rover Sale last year.