WITH a smaller but more select offering this year the Brightwells Cheltenham May Sale recorded a substantial increase in average of 32%, while the aggregate rose by 2%. The median remained unchanged at Thursday’s sale.

It was a racemare that stole the show when the Damian Murphy-handled Theatre Territory sold to Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley for £200,000. She had been purchased from her breeder Neil Walsh by Murphy for €14,500 as a foal and the Cork-based handler rode her to land a mare’s maiden at Ballindenisk earlier in the month.

Bromley revealed that the daughter of King’s Theatre would join Nicky Henderson and carry the colours of Robert Waley-Cohen. Theatre Territory is a half-sister to the Grade 1 winning hurdler Glencove Marina and out of a half-sister to the Ascot Gold Cup winner Mr Dinos.

The listed bumper winner Modus, runner-up in the Cheltenham Bumper and third at Punchestown, leaves Robert Stephens’ yard to join Paul Nicholls following his sale for £190,000 to agent Tom Malone. This was another successful day for owner John Deer who landed the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the weekend with Al Kazeem. The five-year-old son of Motivator is one of half a dozen successful progeny of his dam Alessandra, a daughter of Generous.

Ronnie O’Leary had a good sale and the best of his offerings was the Martaline gelding Baden, winner of a maiden at Bartlemy on his only start under Derek O’Connor. He realised £160,000 and will go to Nicky Henderson. David Minton made the winning bid for Highflyer Bloodstock.

Later in the day the same vendor sold Western Cape, a four-year-old son of Westerner, for £85,000 to trainer Seamus Mullins. The gelding was runner-up to Monbeg Notorious at Tralee last weekend.

The aforementioned Monbeg Notorious was one of the highlights of the sale when he changed hands for £155,000. The four-year-old son of Milan was trained by Donnchadh Doyle and will now join Gordon Elliott after Mags O’Toole beat off all-comers for him in the ring. He comes from the family of Royal Dipper, GVA Ireland and Dines.

Doyle’s Monbeg Stables had another good sale when a private purchaser, acting through Grange Clare Paddocks, acquired Grey Storm for £100,000. The son of September Storm had been sold for €20,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale and ran out a highly impressive four-length winner of a 15-runner point-to-point at Dawstown.

The same purchaser, again acting through Grange Clare, also bought the Oscar gelding Minella Suite from John Nallen for £80,000, exactly half of what his Bartlemy conqueror Baden made a little earlier. Minella Suite was only beaten three-parts of a length on his only start.

Sabrina Harty’s Fairyhouse bumper winner Peter The Mayo Man left the ring unsold but Michael Moore purchased him for £120,000 in a private transaction. He had earlier shown promise in two previous bumper starts at the same track. The son of Dylan Thomas is from a leading flat family, his dam being a half-sister to 1000 Guineas winner Ameerat and from the family of The Irish Field St Leger winner Collier Hill.

Mags O’Toole made her presence felt again, this time for Noel Meade, when she paid £95,000 for Black Ace. Trained by Denis Murphy, the four-year-old son of Yeats was runner-up on his only outing to date at Bartlemy.

Highflyer Bloodstock’s list of purchases also included Fly Du Charmil, a French-bred son of Saint Des Saints from the family of German Derby winner Sea The Moon. He won his point-to-point for Tom Lacey at Woodford and cost Highflyer £80,000, well ahead of his €40,000 Derby Sale price last year.

Michael Goff handled the Richard Frisby-owned Bun Doran to run out a hugely impressive winner of his maiden point-to-point at Necarne. The son of Shantou is the second produce of a King’s Theatre mare and the first is his full-brother Shantou Village, a point-to-point and bumper winner already. Alex Elliott gave £76,000 for him on behalf of Tom George.