HALF of the 14 lots to sell at the inaugural Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Festival Sale brought six-figure sums and it was bloodstock agent Gerry Hogan who signed for the best lot on the night, Colin Bowe’s Tinahely point-to-point winner Timewaitsfornoone.

Costing £225,000, the four-year-old son of Oscar was placed over two and a half miles at Punchestown on his debut before landing the three-mile maiden in February.

Hogan purchased him for owner Barry Connell and the youngster comes from the immediate family of Grade 1 winning chaser Glenelly Gale and the leading hurdler and chaser Cab On Target. He will be trained by Alan Fleming.

Fresh from another memorable day at the festival, Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins made a pair of notable purchases. Donnchadh Doyle’s Monbeg Stables consigned Monbeg Chit Chat who just over 10 days earlier won his maiden at Lismore by six lengths, having finished second on his first outing.

He cost £200,000 and he is a son of Kayf Tara who has been enjoying a special Cheltenham with three top-class winners in Ballyandy, Blaklion and Thistlecrack.

WESTERNER

Westerner was another sire with a winner at the meeting in Empire of Dirt and his five-year-old daughter Three Swallowsnick was another Kirk/Mullins purchase when she cost the duo £110,000.

Winner of both her starts to date, at Borris House and Durrow for Ivan Walker, she will hopefully be another star mare for Mullins who won this week with Annie Power, Vroum Vroum Mag and Limini.

On Thursday afternoon John Snook’s Thistlecrack earned some £170,000 for his victory in the Grade 1 Ryanair World Hurdle and the owner splashed out £165,000 for Thistlecrack’s Kayf Tara three-year-old full-sister sent to the sale by her breeders Robin and Scarlett Knipe.

The filly, who will eventually join Colin Tizzard to be trained, was the only store in the sale.

David Pipe was another trainer to take delivery of two lots from the post-race sale. He paid £140,000 for Daklondike on behalf of owner Professor Caroline Tisdall and this four-year-old son of Gold Well, a half-brother to Great Endeavour who won both the Paddy Power Chase and the Byrne Group Chase at Cheltenham, won his only point-to-point at Lingstown by three lengths.

Pipe’s second purchase was another star from Donnchadh Doyle’s stables and this was Orchard Thieves, beaten just half a length at Durrow on his only start.

FAMILY OF STARS

The four-year-old son of Ask is from the family of stars such as Briar Hill, Boston Bob and Jadanli and cost Pipe £115,000.

Sales executive Matt Mitchell signed for the Doncaster bumper winner Midnight Maestro offered from Alan King’s Barbury Castle Stables who offered him on behalf of Pitchell Farm Stud. The four-year-old Midnight Legend gelding is a full-brother to five winners including Tiqris.

Donald McCain Racing paid £82,000 for the five-year-old Flemensfirth mare Molly The Dolly who made amends for falling on her debut by running out a six-length winner of a mares’ maiden at Cragmore. She is from the family of the Irish Grand National winner Flashing Steel.

Bloodstock agent Tom Malone with trainer Lucy Wadham made two purchases. The four-year-old Winged Love maiden point-to-pointer Mr Love cost £72,000, while for £38,000 they bought the Tyrella debut winner Newtown Craig, a four-year-old son of Craigsteel from Colin Bowe’s yard.

Seamus Durack gave £60,000 for the French-bred Cirano De Sivola who won a pint-to-point this year at Larkhill for Tom Lacey, and earlier he paid £50,000 for the Cragmore point-to-point winner Kilfilum Cross, a five-year-old Beneficial gelding.

Sideways won a point-to-point at Borris House and the five-year-old Gamut gelding cost Davis Dennis Racing £45,000, while Kevin Ross with Ben Case secured Stuart Crawford’s First Drift, a winner at Kirkistown, also for £45,000.

The 14 lots sold for £1,447,000 and an average of £103,357, with a median of £91,000. A total of 20 lots were offered.