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.

O'Brien said: "He needs bit of time and from here will probably go to Jason Maguire's for some 'r and r' through the summer. Sally [Randell] and I watched his video and thought he won a very competitive point-to-point – he was the one we came for and we loved him when we saw him.”

"He is for Chris and Deborah Giles, who have a half share in Crambo, who has done well for us this year. We are very grateful for the opportunity to come and buy a horse such as this. He is the most expensive horse we have bought in the ring – usually we buy four for this sort of money!"

The second-best price of the session was jointly shared by a mare and gelding at £120,000.

Florencethemachine, a five-year-old daughter of Malinas, was purchased by agent Tom Malone from trainer Alan Donoghue and partner Danielle Deveney's Treehouse Stables, a fine return on the bay’s three-year-old pinhook price of €7,000.

Malone said: "The vendor has been telling me for some time just how good she was. She came highly recommended by him. She won her point-to-point really well, I Iike her and she is going to Ditcheat [Paul Nicholls]. I bought her year younger half-brother Siam Park."

Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock spent the same amount on the Oldcastle winner Grand Albert, a Jet Away five-year-old sold by consignor Virginia Considine.

He reported: "We bought Shishkin from the consignor at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale in 2018 and, while it is a huge leap of faith to think this horse could be another like him, we really love this horse. He won his point-to-point well and is by Jet Away, who we like. Grand Albert has been bought for a syndicate and will be turned away for the summer before any plans are made."

Highflyer Bloodstock, the session’s leading purchaser, bought five horses through the session, including the promising Jasmin Bellvue for £110,000. "We saw this horse and fell in love with him,” enthused Bromley of the four-year-old. “He is by Jeu St Eloi, who is a young French sire getting a few results and getting noticed. This is a lovely big horse, and we have had luck before with Denis Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables. The horse has been bought for Nicky Henderson and is for sale."

Russell purchase

"Whistle Stop Tour looks exactly our type, a real staying chaser,” confirmed last weekend’s Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell after spending £115,000 on the five-year-old gelding by Saddex out of the Presenting mare For A While. “I loved his attitude in his race, and he is an improving horse. We have not got an owner as such but have a few clients in mind."

Consigned by Tom Keating, Whistle Stop Tour has run twice and won last time out when successful at Loughrea at the end of March.

Fortified Fortune, another well-regarded four-year-old gelding by Soldier Of Fortune, was bought Christian Williams Racing and Chris Trembath for £115,000. He has run once when second at Liscarroll in March for trainer Ellen Doyle.

He is a dual Tattersalls Ireland graduate having been bought as a foal at the 2019 November Sale for €25,000 by Roxborough Stud, a valuation that upgraded to €50,000 at last year’s Derby Sale when bought by Ellen's brother James Doyle.

The day's clearance rate of 83% was close to last year's 85% figure but the average price dipped by 10% to £60,592.

Matt Prior, Tattersalls’ head of sales, said: “The Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale has enjoyed a fabulous spring season on the racecourse through the exploits of Apple Away, purchased for just £35,000 at the Cheltenham April Sale last year, winner of last week's Sefton Novices’ Hurdle for trainer Lucinda Russell.

“Today’s broad buying bench reflected the demand for the ‘Tattersalls Cheltenham horse’ with 49 lots sold at a healthy 83% clearance rate, eight fetching £100,000 and over, a top price of £250,000 and a turnover just shy of £3 million."