LAST Saturday's Cheltenham Sale recorded solid results throughout all levels of the market, with the median increasing by 33%, a 79% clearance rate and a record average price of £58,179 for a January Sale since its introduction in 2008.

Five lots achieved over £100,000, headed by Hawkhurst, the five-year-old son of Flemensfirth and an own-brother to Muirhead. He was always going to create plenty of interest after his impressive 12-length win at Boulta for trainer Denis Leahy. With the bidding opening at £50,000 there followed a solid duel between Bryan Drew, whose previous Cheltenham Sales acquisition, the smart bumper horse Moon Racer, is currently 12/1 for the Wetherbys Champion Bumper in March, and Kieran McManus, who had the final say when the gavel was knocked down at £200,000.

The next two highest prices came from the previous weekend’s Killeagh point-to-point, with the Michael Winters-trained winner Knocknanuss, a son of Beneficial, being sold to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for £180,000. The second placed horse from Paul Cashman’s Glenview Stables was Go Long, a son of Hurricane Run and a half-brother to Rhinestone Cowboy and Wichita Lineman. He was purchased by Evan Williams for £150,000.

The first four-year-old bumper of 2015 in Ireland, run at Naas, was won by the Harry Kelly-trained Sir Will. This son of Yeats came from the same vendors who sold Moyle Park at the Cheltenham Sales, and Sir Will was secured for a price of £135,000 by West Coast Haulage and will go into training with Peter Bowen.

Tom Malone Bloodstock signed the docket for Brise Vendeenne at £100,000. This Dom Alco half-sister to Willie Mullins' exciting racemare Vroum Vroum Mag had already shown ability having been placed third in a listed mares' hurdle at Aintree in December.

Matt Mitchell, head of bloodstock at Brightwells, said: "Trade was strong throughout with plenty of buyers at different levels of the market, which helped achieved a 79% clearance rate. We can look forward to the Cheltenham Festival Sale in March, which will once again be limited in numbers."