TATTERSALLS Ireland brought the curtain down on their Cheltenham ‘sales season’ on Thursday when they held a one-day sale. A reduced catalogue contributed to a fall in turnover, but a relatively healthy clearance rate of 82% and solid trade led to a small increase in the median, while the average was fractionally behind last year’s figure.

Formerly assistant to Gordon Elliott, new trainer Ollie Murphy will take charge of one of the two sale topping lots on the day, his bloodstock agent father Aiden giving £130,000 for the maiden point-to-pointer Rio Quinto. Placed on both his outings, the four-year-old son of Loup Breton will be given time by his new handler.

Donnchadh Doyle’s Monbeg Stables sold Rio Quinto and earlier in the day received the same amount for the September Storm four-year-old Storm Control. This 20-length winner of his only start at Lisronagh in April is an exciting prospect and was purchased by trainer Kerry Lee. These two lots were among a draft of seven sold from Monbeg and they ended up as the day’s leading consignor with takings of £485,000.

Denis Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables also enjoyed a good sale. Best of their trio was the imposing four-year-old Milan gelding Moonshine Bay who was a comprehensive winner of a Loughrea maiden on just his second start. From the family of Le Prezien, he cost agent Tom Malone £120,000 and will be trained by Colin Tizzard.

Another smart performer from Ballyboy was the Westerner filly Ifyoucatchmenow. She won a four-year-old maiden on her second start and is a granddaughter of the Grade 2 winning hurdler Sallie’s Girl. Harold Kirk gave £100,000 for her on behalf of Willie Mullins.

The enhanced racing programme for fillies and mares has led to an improved trade for their sex and Tom Malone was acting for Grand National winning trainer Lucinda Russell when he paid £105,000 for the Punchestown bumper winner Simone. This five-year-old Presenting mare is a half-sister to the Grade 1 winning hurdler and chaser Simonsig and she sold from Shane Nolan’s yard.

The third lot from Ballyboy also made it on the top 10 list for the day, though in this case it was the result of a private transaction.

Highflyer Bloodstock combined with trainer Ben Pauling and gave £75,000 for Gowiththeflow. Jamie Codd partnered this four-year-old son of Westerner when he landed a debut success in a five-runner maiden at Rathcannon. The gelding’s third dam bred the Champion Hurdle winner Celtic Shot.

Ted Walsh’s Greenhills Farm sent Carefully Selected to the sale and came home with £100,000 after the five-year-old son of Well Chosen was bought by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins. Runner-up on his debut at Oldtown in February, he made amends the following month at Monksgrange and won by a distance. He comes from the immediate family of Lord Sam and Misty Lady.

Highflyer Bloodstock was very active as always and their most expensive purchase was Ronnie O’Leary’s recent bumper runner-up Peculiar Places. A five-year-old by Presenting, he is a three-parts brother to Dunguib, winner of the Cheltenham Festival Bumper and a dual Grade 1 winning hurdler. He cost the agency’s Tessa Greatrex £100,000.

Shortly afterwards the same agency signed for Jerry Cosgrave’s Desirable Court, a four-year-old daughter of Court Cave. She won a maiden on her debut by eight lengths at Necarne and she comes from the family of leading American hurdler Bob Le Beau.

Jessica Harrington will have an addition to her stable for this season after her daughter Kate paid £85,000 for Another Barney. Following an eye-catching debut when fourth at Bartlemy, he won his maiden at Tralee last weekend. He will not actually be four until next week and is obviously a horse with huge potential. He was sold by Bernadette Murphy, sister of Denis, on behalf of her mother and the son of Scorpion was a bargain buy originally for €8,500.

Richard Pugh, director of horses-in-training Sales at Tattersalls Ireland, was very happy with the sales season at the venue.

“The sales season here has been truly exceptional. To sell the highest-priced point-to-pointer ever when Flemenshill fetched £480,000 at the January Sale and then breaking more records when Maire Banrigh became the most expensive point-to-pointer of her sex when sold at the Festival Sale for £320,000, cemented the justifiable sentiment that Cheltenham is the industry leader for selling point-to-pointers and form horses. Today’s sale has yet again produced pleasing figures, with seven horses exchanging hands for £100,000 or more and a considerable rise in the median.

“As ever, we are extremely grateful to our loyal and committed vendors who continue to support sales conducted by Tattersalls Ireland at Cheltenham, and justifiably have reaped the rewards during the year.

“We would also like to thank the National Hunt trainers and agents who, sale after sale, support and place confidence in our selection of horses and this has faith continues to be repaid to them in spades with track successes coming from graduates such as dual Grade 1 winner Fayonagh and Finian’s Oscar.”