WILLIE Mullins described academy hurdles as ‘a sales ploy’ in the past and, while he may still hold that belief, he went some way to endorsing the new series when buying John Nallen’s academy hurdle winner Minella Academy with Harold Kirk for £370,000.

The Sea The Moon gelding topped Saturday’s Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale at Newbury, where 17 of 18 horses offered sold and seven fetched six figures. The average price rose by 6% £114,353, while the median dipped by the same measure to £80,000.

Saturday’s price marked a fine return on the €52,000 Nallen paid for Minella Academy at the Goffs Orby Sale, where he was sold by breeder Yeomanstown Stud. The O’Callaghan family’s operation had bought him in utero, giving 92,000gns for Timely, a half-sister to Aussie Rules, at Tattersalls.

With his pedigree and Mullins’ dual-purpose record, options on the flat might be considered for Minella Academy, though it’s for his hurdling performance that he attracted attention. He was well-backed at Cork, where he made all and, although a challenger falling two out helped his chances, he always looked in command, going on to score by eight lengths under Daniel King.

Three for Malone

Tom Malone’s £240,000 buy, Red Acres Max, had a far more traditional National Hunt profile, being by Maxios, from the family of Ballyburn, and a winner of a point-to-point for Mick Goff.

Bred by Tommy Frisby and withdrawn from the Goffs December NH Sale as a foal, he won a four-year-old maiden at Dromahane by a head. The runner-up Soul Asylum, who finished 21 lengths clear of the remainder, subsequently sold to Gordon Elliott for £280,000.

Later that evening, Tom Malone combined with Jamie Snowden to purchase Rob James’ promising four-year-old A Real Banter for £165,000. The Jet Away half-brother to Belfast Banter previously made €20,000 when sold by Clonbonny Stud to Peter Nolan at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale.

Travelling well when falling four out on debut, the bay built on that effort when beaten a length at Moig South by Lord Du Gouet, who Malone and Snowden also bought on Saturday for £70,000.

Dan Skelton and Ryan Mahon made just one purchase on the night, going to £190,000 for six-length Lingstown winner A Sight To Sea. Handler Paul Pierce and Michael Doran had picked up the Affinisea gelding at the Tattersalls Ireland May Story Sale for €24,000.