TATTERSALLS Cheltenham have revealed the initial entries for their December Sale, which takes place after racing on Friday, December 13th.

The 15 horses currently catalogued are expected to be joined by further entries from this weekend’s Irish point-to-point meetings at Boulta, Ballycrystal and Tattersalls, as well as Wadesbridge and Chaddesley Corbett in the UK.

Three British point-to-point winners feature in the initial entries, all of them four-year-olds who scored on the first attempt on Sunday. Lesley Coltherd’s well-backed Soldier Of Fortune gelding Carlenrig won a Hexham maiden by 15 lengths, while John Dawson’s Jack The Lad won the closing maiden by 25 lengths, unchallenged. Over at Larkhill, the Eamon O’Donovan-trained favourite Sinchi Roca obliged by five lengths.

Well-related entries include the Colin Bowe-trained Delta Blues Belle, a four-year-old half-sister to Ballycasey. Stablemate Bobbi With An I scored by 40 lengths at Lingstown on her second start- the greatest winning margin by a mare so far this season.

Sire power

Another exciting mare is Donnchadh Doyle’s impressive newcomer Heron In The Park. The Walk In The Park half-sister to Grade 1 performer Glory And Fortune clocked the quickest time at Borris on Sunday. Stablemate Catchintsavo finished a game second in the card’s four-year-old maiden.

Walk Tall, who continued Jonathan Fogarty’s super run with a stylish debut victory at Ballindenisk, and Denis Hogan’s 11-length Boulta winner Frankie John complete Walk In The Park’s catalogued quartet. The latter stands connections €115,000 from last year’s store sales.

Cosmos D’Ainey cost €85,000 as a two-year-old and the son of Muhtathir repaid Sam Curling with a well-deserved win in the four-year-old maiden at Borris House. Shane Roche’s Sage Green is another progressive type, producing a taking performance in last month’s four-year-old maiden at Knockmullen House.

Completing the current line-up of four-year-old winners is Luke Murphy’s Rouban, who dead-heated at Moig South. Two and a half lengths back in third was the Brian Hassett-trained Plains Drifter, who will also be offered on Friday.

Garrett Murphy’s promising Lisronagh runner-up Shanagolden Girl and Benny Walsh’s twice-placed Crossgales King complete the initial entries.

Proven source of talent

Last year’s superb renewal was topped by Matthew Flynn O’Connor’s impressive debutant Tumuch, with Aidan O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott’s £335,000 purchase one of 15 six-figure sales on the night. The top lot has since proven disappointing, but the sale has already produced a Grade 1 prospect in Potters Charm, a leading contender for the Challow Novices’ Hurdle following an 11-length romp in a Grade 2 last month.

Unbeaten over hurdles, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ charge was bought by the trainer’s son Willy for £105,000 from Michael Mangan, for whom he had finished a promising second on debut in a four-year-old maiden at Boulta.

The December Sale has produced eight Grade 1 winners to date: Chantry House, Fayonagh, Hermes Allen, Inthepocket, Poetic Rhythm, Shishkin, Sir Gerhard and Stay Away Fay. They cost up to £400,000, but you couldn’t put a price on Sir Gerhard’s two Cheltenham Festival victories.

Value buys

The ill-fated Shishkin even repaid his £170,000 price tag with almost £800,000 in prize money and 13 wins, six of them Grade 1s. Despite being lost as a six-year-old, Fayonagh also recouped Maura Gittins’ spend of £64,000, the daughter of Kalanisi winning all her starts for new connections, led by two Grade 1 victories.

The brilliant mare was sold by Richard Rath after winning a mares’ bumper at Naas, but Thomond O’Mara’s offering Poetic Rhythm had less obvious appeal. Third on all four of his starts between the flags, the Flemensfirth gelding subsequently sold to Chris Coley for £35,000.

Sent to Fergal O’Brien, he looked the winner when unseating at the last on stable debut, before winning his maiden at Andoversford by all of 25 lengths. He returned the following season to win his first two starts, including a listed bumper at Cheltenham, but his career peaked the following year. He landed a Grade 2 on his seasonal return and went on to land the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle.

Another notable bargain buy from previous renewals was Aintree Grand National hero Noble Yeats, bought by Emmet Mullins from Donal Hassett for £75,000. His earnings now stand at over 10 times that price, with three graded wins and a listed success to his name.