MINELLA Academy looks sure to top Saturday’s Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale at Newbury Racecourse.

A son of Sea The Moon, the three-year-old produced an impressive performance on debut for John Nallen when winning an academy hurdle at Cork on Sunday by eight lengths. He is one of two three-year-old winners to be offered for sale after racing, alongside 18 pointers.

A few weeks ago, Nallen sold a similar type named Minella Yoga for £360,000 to Nicky Henderson. Both horses were bought by Nallen at the Goffs Orby Sale for approximately €50,000 each.

Nallen told The Irish Field this week: “I bought them originally to run on the flat, to support my nephew Sean Bowen (apprentice jockey). When Sean moved to England and the academy hurdles were introduced here, I decided to aim them at those races.

“Minella Yoga was always a great jumper. ‘Academy’ wasn’t as good to jump, but he has some engine and a touch of class. He’s a soft ground horse and, on what we’ve seen, he could reach a rating of 100 on the flat.

We have an honest 100-rated horse, Cristal Cleere, and if you have a bumper horse or point-to-pointer who can lie up with him then you know you are going places. I don’t want to guess what price he might make on Saturday, but I suppose it will be close to what the other horse made or maybe more.”

Minella Academy was backed from 25/1 into odds-on last Sunday before winning by over eight lengths. Nallen said: “I didn’t back him. My late father Jack was the man for that. We had to check the graveyard last Sunday to see if he had jumped out and backed it. He would have been on that one, for sure. We worked the horse in Tipperary recently and if he had been wearing one of those speed sensors he would have bust the clock.

“Traditionally, juvenile hurdlers are a bit like Penney’s knickers, they’re disposable. But you’d like to think these academy hurdle winners will train on.

“My nephew Conor Bowen and Corky Carroll are doing a great job with our horses. We don’t have any more three-year-old hurdlers but we have a scatter of more National Hunt-bred point-to-pointers for the spring, including a nice Crystal Ocean and a couple of Harzands.”

Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said: “The Coral Gold Cup Sale has quickly become an established event on the autumn sale calendar and we have another very strong line-up of horses this year, which look sure to attract plenty of attention at Newbury.

“The sale has now sold two boutique catalogues and is starting to see its horses hit the track, which makes for an exciting season ahead. Leading the graduates thus far is Ol Man Dingle, who is unbeaten over fences and was last seen winning a Grade 3 novice chase.

“Others to show early promise include the multiple winner Vanderpoel, who will go chasing this season, along with debut winners Bold Action, Home Made Hero and Real Quartz, so there are plenty of talented graduates who look primed to place the sale in headlights in the coming months.”

Selected lots

Lot 5: Baron du Brizais (4yo g by Nirvana Du Berlais), the six-length winner of his debut PTP for Luca Morgan at Lower Machen. He is qualified for the new GB Pointing Bonus Scheme, which can see horses win up to £25,000.

Lot 8: Blue To You (4yo g by Blue Bresil), the winner of his debut PTP for Robert Tector at Lingstown.

Lot 9: Old Coast Road (4yo g by Crystal Ocean), the winner of his debut PTP for John Murphy at Boulta.

Lot 10: Kamille Au Kanada (5yo m by Tiger Groom), winner of both her PTP starts for Donnchadh Doyle, her most recent by 10 lengths at Tinahely.

Lot 11: A Sight To Sea (4yo g by Affinisea), the six-length winner of his debut PTP for Paul Pierce at Lingstown.

Lot 12: Vivre Le Reve (3yo g by Pether’s Moon), the winner of his hurdle debut for Hugo Merienne at Lyon-Parilly.

Lot 13: Locker Boum (4yo g by Buck’s Boum), the 18-length winner of his most recent PTP for Michael Goff at Kirkistown.

Lot 17: Diamant Dore (4yo g by Martinborough), fell at the last when producing a bold showing alongside the eventual winner Locker Boum on his PTP debut for Gerald Quinn at Kirkistown.