Insatiable trade at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sale as top lot sells for £305,000

The 2016 Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sale witnessed voracious trade from the start of the sale and right through to the Breeze-Up section with top honours going to Cool Getaway selling for the venue's record price for a Point to Point horse of £305,000. A record number of six-figure lots were sold for the first time since Tattersalls Ireland started hosting auctions at the venue with nine lots selling for £100,000 or more. The overall aggregate on the night finished at £3,178,300 with the aggregate for the Horses in Training section producing a considerably increased figure of £2,454,500 (up 85%) with the median and average concluding on £68,000 and £87,661 (up 94% and 85% respectively). The National Hunt Breeze-Up section produced an aggregate of £723,800 (up 152%) at an average of £40,211 (up 40%) and a median of £34,000 (up 100%).

The outstanding lot at the final sale of 2016 at Cheltenham was Cool Getaway (Lot 15), a Getaway gelding who was the highly impressive winner of a four-year-old Maiden at Tattersalls Farm.  Closely related to SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR and STRONG PROJECT, the Newlands Farm consigned debut winner was the subject of ravenous bidding and was eventually knocked down to agent Margaret O'Toole for a record-breaking price at the venue of £305,000.   

Just three lots earlier, Poker Play (Lot 12) surpassed the quarter of a million-pound mark when being knocked down to Horse Racing Advisory and David Pipe for £280,000. Pipe, who has experienced numerous successes with Cheltenham Sale graduates including 2017 Champion Hurdle contender MOON RACER, purchased the four and a half-length French winner from Yannick Fouin.

Among the other record-breaking six-figure lots was Arnaud Chaille Chaille's Blue Bresil gelding Max Do Brazil (Lot 37). The four-year-old was second on his most recent start in a Listed Hurdle at Auteuil and was knocked down to Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sale regular patron David Pipe for £160,000.  In total, five French consigned horses generated a total of £778,000 at an average of £155,600.

Closely following in the list of top priced lots was Lot 24, King Of Kilmeague. The King's Theatre gelding who was second to the sale topper at Tattersalls Farm and was knocked down to Kieran McManus for £150,000 when sold by Denis Murphy's Ballyboy Stables.

The Breeze-Up section was headed by Lot 66. Cap St Vincent, a Muhtahir half-brother to Listed Performer Wakeboard and was knocked down to Tom Malone after some persistent bidding for £105,000. He was consigned by Johnny Collins' Brown Island Stables.The next top lot in the Breeze-Up Section was a gelding by leading sire Kayf Tara, Lot 57 consigned by Nicholastown Stud was knocked down to determined bidder Aiden Murphy for £95,000.

At the conclusion of the sale, Director of Horses in Training Sales at Tattersalls Ireland Richard Pugh commented on the fantastic trade;

"Demand for horses today at Cheltenham was phenomenal. To sell a record price for a point to point horse at this venue of £305,000 topped off with a staggering number of horses making £100,000 or more has truly capped off a wonderful year at Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sales. In total, 33 horses sold for £100,000 or more at Cheltenham in 2016 which emphatically cements its reputation as venue of choice for quality form horses. Sincere gratitude must go to all our loyal vendors and purchasers and we now look forward to our next sale at Cheltenham on 28 January 2017."