There’s nowhere like Cheltenham to stoke dreams of big-race success, as was apparent at Thursday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale, which saw four horses reach the £400,000 mark, one of which set a new record price of £530,000.

Determined buyers drove turnover to an all-time high of £4,425,000 – a huge jump of 21% from last year’s previous record of £3,650,000. Of the 28 lots offered, 26 sold, with 18 of those fetching six-figure prices.

The average price of £170,192 was also a new high for the Festival Sale, while the median price of £145,000 matched the third-highest since the sale began in 2016. A diversity of bidders was another indication of a booming market, with the top five lots destined for different yards, while eight different buyers signed for the top 10 lots.

Jerry McGrath, who was accompanied by Ben Pauling, and Willy Twiston Davies were among those who made a strong play for top lot Monster Park, but the hammer eventually fell in favour of Eddie O’Leary, who left signing and press duties to Gordon Elliott.

It marked a massive return on the €90,000 paid by Monbeg Stables for the bay at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale. Bought by Cormac Doyle in partnership with his brother Sean, the Goliath Du Berlais gelding was trained by the former and justified even-money favouritism in a four-year-old maiden at Lingstown, which he won by two and a half lengths.

Elliott had his high on Monster Truck before then, he later told the press. “We saw him six to eight weeks ago at Cormac’s,” he said. “We did not think he would make that sort of money, but to get to the top, these are the horses you need.

“Mouse [O’Ryan] was at Lingstown when the horse ran, but the horse came highly recommended anyway. You won’t see him on a racetrack until next season.”

Elliott bought a total of three lots on the night, combining with Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan to buy Harzand four-year-old Profit In Pocket for £160,000, and worked out a private deal to purchase Blue Bresil gelding Blue Rebel for £100,000.

All-time high

The sale of Monster Truck marked a new career highlight for Cormac Doyle, he explained. “He was the dearest horse I have ever bought and now the most expensive we have sold as well!”

Sean Doyle added: “He is a fabulous-looking horse, and the day we bought him off Timmy Hillman at the Derby Sale, he promoted him strongly to us. We gave him a good price, but to get a return like that tonight is unbelievable. Everyone at home has done a brilliant job.”

The sales topper was one of three lots catalogued by Goliath Du Berlais; the other two both fetched £400,000. The Grade 1-winning son of Saint Des Saints has gone from strength to strength for Haras de la Tuilerie, where his first crop – now five-year-olds – were bred off a fee of €7,500, which rose to €20,000 this season.

Cormac Doyle must be one of the young sire’s biggest fans, as he also sold one of his daughters, Palinca, for £400,000 on Thursday evening. Like Monster Truck, she made a smart debut at Lingstown and produced a huge profit on her store sale price, having been sourced from Brown Island Stables’ draft at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale for £32,000.

The Mariga family’s Coolmara Stables bought the half-sister to two blacktype winners and are sending their new recruit to join The Big Westerner at Henry De Bromhead’s. “We were hoping to spend a lot less, but when they are this good, you have to pay a lot for them,” said Cathal Mariga, who was joined by father Kieran.

“The sire is all the rage now in France, and we have heard about the filly a long time before today, so we hope she is very lucky.”

Long-term investment

Palinka will, no doubt, join the Mariga family’s broodmare band after her racing career, and Dai Walters has the same plan for his sole purchase of the sale, Jezebel Eyes. Walters entered the stallion market when buying into Cracksman, who now stands at Yorton Farm, and it’s he that Jezebel Eyes will eventually visit.

Before then, the £400,000 buy will be trained by Sam Thomas, who said: “She is a lovely filly, we will take our time with her. It is exciting to have a filly like this coming to us. She came highly recommended by Derek O’Connor, who rode her when she won.”

The daughter of Motivator won the same mares’ maiden at Ballycahane previously won by Echoing Silence, who was also trained by Sam Curling. On the mare, who he picked up for €25,000 at the Goffs Arkle Sale, Curling said: ““She has always been very nice and I am delighted and surprised that she made that. I think she and Palinca are two very good fillies.”

Profit maker

Last summer, Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley revealed that Simon Munir and Isaac Souede had set up a new trading venture, Jet Bloodstock, that would send horses to Irish point-to-point handlers.

Their ‘double blue’ colours were carried by the Pat Doyle-trained Monzon Sport to a 20-length win at Borris House earlier this month, and on Thursday, the €67,000 Derby Sale buy resold for a whopping £400,000.

Bromley, who knows the Goliath Du Berlais gelding better than most, underbid the exciting prospect on behalf of Paul Nicholls, with the hammer falling in favour of Willie Mullins and Harold Kirk.

The half-brother to Grade 1 winner Leader Sport ticked all the boxes, according to Kirk, who said: “He is by the best sire in France, he has a very good pedigree, he looks a quick horse and he has come highly recommended by Pat Doyle.”

Earlier that evening, Kirk and Mullins gave £180,000 for Berkshire four-year-old Cleverfox, who looked a sure-fire winner on debut before unseating on the flat between the final two fences. Consigned by Kedrah House Stud and handler Adam Leahy, the four-year-old was the sixth highest-priced lot of the sale, but the top lot bred in Ireland or by an Irish sire.

Reflecting on a terrific night, Tattersalls Cheltenham Sales Manager Shirley Anderson-Jolag commented: “The Tattersalls Cheltenham team have put together a fantastic catalogue, arguably the best we have had for the Festival Sale, and this record-breaking evening is a superb testament to those horses, this unique sale at this brilliant location and to the trust placed in us by these brilliant consignors, and we thank them for that.

“To have two record Festival Sales in successive years, as well as a record-breaking top lot, is a brilliant achievement. We wish the new connections all the very best for the future.”