Nicky Henderson has gained a very interesting new recruit in the shape of the three-year-old Fantasy World who was sold for 600,000gns at Tattersalls on Wednesday.

Bloodstock agent Harold Kirk, acting for Willie Mullins, was among the underbidders for the son of Make Believe who was trained this season by Andrew Balding for Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds.

Jamie McCalmont was another agent involved in the early skirmishes but bidding swiftly developed into a duel between agents Ryan Mahon and Jerry McGrath, with the latter offering the successful bid of 600,000gns.

"Fantasy World has been bought to go jumping, but also with a dual purpose career in mind," revealed McGrath. "He has been a horse on the radar and he is progressing, he ticks a lot of the boxes for us. He goes to Seven Barrows, is for an existing owner and hopefully he is lucky!

"This lad is very progressive, he has won over 10, 12 and 14 furlongs, goes on the slower ground and is a real hurdling type. He looked beaten at Ascot last time and battled back well, he is an exciting horse going forward. He is gelded, but he will have a break now as he has been busy this summer."

A three-time winner, Fantasy World won the Listed Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot by a neck on his most recent start from Nightwalker, who was bought for 320,000gns on Wednesday by Phil Cunningham and Sam Haggas’ Hurworth Bloodstock from the Juddmonte draft earlier in the session.

Underbidder on the day’s top lot, Ryan Mahon was not to be denied for Push The Limit who followed Fantasy World into the ring just four lots later. The agent successfully saw off the attentions of Matt Coleman to secure the former Ralph Beckett-trained three-year-old colt for 580,000gns.

"They were the two horses that we very much wanted tonight," recounted Mahon. "We missed the earlier horse so we were not going to miss this one! We loved him as a model, he is for a new owner with Dan [Skelton], hopefully he will make up into a really nice hurdler.

"The ones you really want are very difficult to get, and you have to go all out to get them. As a physical he fitted what we are after - myself and Dan have spoken about him a lot over the last couple of days. Potentially he could have a dual-purpose career, but that is for Dan to work out."

By Le Havre, Push The Limit was fifth in the Listed Noel Murless Stakes behind the session topper, and prior to that had won or been second in all five of his starts.

The sale continues on Thursday.