Multiple Records Broken at Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale

The well-bred DAWN OF LIGHT (Lot 23), a Mahler four-year-old half-sister to the high-class, multiple Grade 1 winner and Tattersalls Cheltenham graduate Bravemansgame, was bought by Mags O’Toole for £370,000, the top lot at an exceptional Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale.

The record-breaking evening sale saw seven horses sell for £200,000 and above, a median price of £80,000 and a turnover of £4,627,000 – all new records for the November Sale, with the turnover the second-best ever achieved by a Tattersalls Cheltenham sale.

The average price of £98,447 is an increase of five per cent on 2024, while the clearance rate was an exemplary 96 per cent.

A winner on her second start at Quakerstown last weekend, DAWN OF LIGHT was sold by her breeder Richard Busher of Busher Bloodstock, who also bred and sold her Grade 1-winning half-brother.

“That is a great price, she is a good mare,” said Busher. “I was going to keep her and breed from her, but she is too good for me! She has always gone well in her work at home.”

Purchaser Mags O’Toole said: “She is a gorgeous mare. She won very well, she’s got a great pedigree, and I hope that she is lucky. She’s going back to Ireland, but I don’t know who’s going to train her yet.”

MINELLA YOGA (Lot 52), the impressive November debut winner of an academy hurdle at Fairyhouse for trainer John Nallen of Minella Racing was bought for £360,000 by Highflyer Bloodstock and Paul Nicholls on behalf of owner Michael Geoghegan.

“This horse was very impressive, he is a big raw-boned horse with size and scope and could be anything,” said Nicholls after purchasing the three-year-old gelding by Study Of Man. “We were determined to try and buy him if we could. Micheal wanted a hurdler, he is one we can run over Christmas, and I see him as a chaser down the line”

It was a good day at Cheltenham for Nicholls – he also bought STICK TO THE BOARD (Lot 3) for £215,000, while, on the racecourse, his 2024 Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale purchase NO DRAMA THIS END won the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle on hurdles debut.

By the dual champion jumps’ sire Walk In The Park, the four-year-old SOUL ASYLUM (Lot 38), a Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale €80,000 store horse purchase and a head second on debut at last weekend’s Dromhane meeting for Colin Bowe’s Milestone Bloodstock, will be continuing his career with trainer Gordon Elliott, purchased for £280,000.

“He is a lovely horse, he was unlucky not to win his race, he is by a great sire and we have been very lucky before when buying off Colin,” said Elliott. “He looked like a stand-out here.”

Tattersalls Cheltenham Sales Manager Shirley Anderson-Jolag commented: “It has been great to be back at Cheltenham selling top-class point-to-pointers and form horses today, and seeing vendors so well rewarded in the ring.

“It was amazing to see Richard Busher with his lovely four-year-old mare DAWN OF LIGHT and John Nallen of Minella Racing with the three-year-old MINELLA YOGA, a debut winner of one of the new academy races in Ireland, achieve such great prices.

“I must give a massive thank you to the Tattersalls Cheltenham team, the Cheltenham staff as well as those with the horses today who had to work through such difficult weather conditions.

“There has been some top point-to-point action and smart horses seen out already in Ireland, and, with the British point-to-point season now getting properly underway, we will have some exciting months ahead.

“We are looking forward to this season’s Tattersalls Cheltenham-sponsored four-year-old only young horse maiden series, which, as usual, is scheduled to kick off at the Chaddesley Corbett meeting on 7th December.

“Our next sale is the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale on 12th December, entries are being taken now.”