NINE debut four-year-old winners feature in the initial entries for the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale, which takes place after racing on the opening day of the Cheltenham November Meeting on Friday, November 14th.

Jonathan Fogarty sold two of the top three lots 12 months ago and returns with a strong chance of repeating the feat, having entered a quartet of promising four-year-olds. Golden Heart’s successful debut last month came in a Loughanmore maiden previously won by the likes of Ballyburn and Hartur D’Arc, while Our Peggy showed her class with a 10-length win at Tattersalls.

The appeal of Denis Murphy’s successful newcomers Britway Belle and Eskylady is enhanced by the four-year-old mares’ pedigrees, with the former being a full-sister to a Grade 1-placed chaser, and the latter a half-sister to a graded winner. The Loughrea maiden won by Britway Belle has already produced a subsequent winner.

Murphy’s previous offerings at the Cheltenham November Sale included Finian’s Oscar, while the sale’s latest Grade 1 winner, Handstands, was sold by Patrick Turley’s Kingsfield Stud. The Co Down handler has entered two promising four-year-old fillies next week, including debut scorer Walkinthemournes, a well-related daughter of Walk In The Park.

Cormac Doyle has made an impressive start in four-year-old maidens at this early stage of the season and brings two of the obliging winners to Cheltenham. Majestic Horizon’s debut at Rathcannon looked particularly smart, with the Wings Of Eagles gelding winning what appeared to be a competitive contest by two lengths.

Rine Yeats was another to impress at Rathcannon, with Brian Hassett’s charge jumping fluently and drawing six lengths clear in the five-year-old geldings maiden. Fellow five-year-old Elusive Dreams emerged as a smart prospect at Loughrea, where he bolted up by seven lengths for Enda Bolger.

Progressive

Of those to have run under rules, State Pension is an expected highlight following last month’s 11-length win in a Tipperary bumper. Trained by Harry Kelly, the Diamond Boy gelding was beaten a nose on his sole previous start.

Our Guide provided owner/rider/trainer James Conheady with a memorable victory at Galway last month, as the Soldier Of Fortune gelding defied odds of 33/1 in the bumper. His future looks particularly bright considering the short prices of the second, third and fourth horses.

After Governors Rock’s second consecutive bumper win, Mark Fahey said: “We think this lad’s a very good horse.” The Joshua Tree four-year-old joined Fahey after winning a Wexford bumper in July and took well to the softer surface on return at Ballinrobe, pulling five and a half lengths clear.

While the top of the market generally focuses on the point-to-point graduates, the track proper supplied Verdana Blue, a Grade 1-winning graduate of the November Sale. The Christmas Hurdle heroine was sold by Edmund Kent to Highflyer Bloodstock for £65,000.

At £45,000, Feronily was the cheapest of six graduates to win eight Grade 1s. Last year’s sale was topped by Gordon Elliott’s £330,000 buy Kovanis, who ran out an impressive winner of a Clonmel maiden hurdle on Thursday. Ger Quinn’s offering previously won a bumper at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

A limited number of entries for the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale will be open through to Monday, November 10th, with point-to-points due to take place in Ireland this weekend at Quakerstown, Dromahane and Knockmullen House.