DISGUISEDLIMIT, a five-year-old son of Mahler, realised the top price at the Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale on Thursday, selling to bloodstock agent Tom Malone for £150,000.

This was the highlight of a much-reduced catalogue, largely on account of the spate of cancellations due to the continuing poor weather.

Produced to win on his debut and sold by Donnchadh Doyle’s Monbeg Stables, the sale-topper landed a competitive maiden at Curraghmore last weekend. A half-brother to two winners, Disguisedlimit is out of Blessingindiguise, a Luso half-sister to the Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth, and was purchased by Malone on behalf of an existing owner with Philip Hobbs and Johnson White.

Afterwards, the agent said: “He is a lovely, big, scopey chaser. Rob James won on him and rode him like a proper stayer. I have had luck with Mahlers and this horse has a bit of a pace; in every stage of his race he travelled well. He won and did his job well.”

Disguisedlimit was originally purchased as a store by Monbeg Stables for €70,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

Doyle’s brother Sean was responsible for the second highest price of the day, selling On The Bayou for £140,000 to Kevin Ross.

A four-year-old son of Affinisea and an eight-length debut winner at Castletown-Geoghegan in mid-April, On The Bayou is out of Inis Ceithleann (Desert Sun) who was a versatile sort, winning twice over hurdles and once on the flat. On The Bayou is her first winner, and he was purchased as a three-year-old at the Derby Sale for €55,000.

Ross reported: “He is for trainer Harry Fry. I really like the individual. He won well and has been highly recommended. We have been lucky before with the sire for Harry and we were keen to get this horse. He is a nice, quality type and I really liked the way he jumped the last, he jumped like a fresh horse. We had to push the boat out a little more than we had originally planned.”

Skelton recruit

Having lost out on the day’s top lot, Ryan Mahon, on behalf of Dan Skelton, went to £105,000 in a private sale for the Denis Murphy-consigned Fortune De Mer, a four-year-old by Doyen who was placed second at Loughanmore last weekend to Keops Des Bordes, having unseated his rider on his debut in March. The gelding was unsold at £98,000 in the ring.

“He has been bought on spec,” said Mahon. “We really like the horse. He hit a lot of traffic in his race, but stayed on and ran well in the end. We have done well with Doyen, and there are a lot of reasons to like this horse.”

Last year’s edition of this sale saw a top price of £250,000 and eight lots realising six-figure sums. Just three did so this time. Among those falling short of that benchmark were a trio that all sold for £92,000.

The five-year-old Malinas gelding Rucker Road was the first to reach that plateau, being sold by Matty Flynn O’Connor’s Ballycrystal Stables to Hamish Macauley. The agent was buying on behalf of the US-based trainer Leslie Young.

Rucker Road sold for €30,000 at the Goffs Land Rover Sale as a store.

“Leslie wanted to buy Rucker Road after he finished third first time out, and then was keen after he absolutely bolted up last weekend,” reported Macauley of the gelding who is out of a half-sister to the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle and Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Countrywide Flame.

“Progeny by Malinas go very well in the US. This horse is a very good-moving sort and will start off over hurdles. He should have enough pace and will go on fast ground, and could end up timber racing.”

Curling sells

Bloodstock agent Jerry McGrath spent the same amount on Giantsgrave, a Walk In The Park four-year-old out of Poppy Baloo (Oscar), and that mare is an own-sister to the Grade 1 hurdle and chase winner Oscar Whisky. The gelding, from Sam Curling’s Skehanagh Stables, finished second on his debut earlier this month at Dromahane.

Completing the group of lots realising £92,000 was the four-year-old Doyen gelding Moon Rocket, another sold by Monbeg Stables’ Sean Doyle. Bought at the Goffs Arkle Sale last year for €37,000, he won at the second time of asking at Curraghmore last weekend. From the family of Ballyburn, he was acquired by bloodstock agent Ed Bailey on behalf of Matt Nicholls.

Tattersalls’ associate director Mathew Prior commented: “It has been a tricky spring and we have been hostage to the vagaries of the wet weather but, as ever, our vendors have produced fantastically talented horses who have been turned out to perfection.”