TATTERSALLS Cheltenham 2019 sales season opened with strong results at the Cheltenham February Sale, and the joint second highest price for a point-to-pointer was recorded at £410,000.

The sale concluded with an increased median of £66,000 (+2%), an exceptional average of £101,680 and an aggregate of £2,542,000. The clearance rate concluded on 71%.

The star of the show was Cormac Farrell's Sholokhov four-year-old Wide Receiver (lot 36). The gelding impressed at Cragmore when taking the four-year-old maiden by eight-lengths and this was duly noted by his audience.

Bidding was between agents Tom Malone and Harold Kirk and it was Malone, who was determined to land the winner, who signed the docket along with trainer Gordon Elliott for £410,000.

Wide Receiver made a tidy profit for his connections as he was bought at the Derby Sale just eight months before for €25,000.

WILD CARD

Kirk however did not leave the sales arena empty handed as, earlier in the sale, he was successful in purchasing the next two highest priced lots.

Entered as a wild card after his 15-length winning performance at Knockanard, Colin Bowe's Ferny Hollow (lot 34), a four-year-old by Westerner was knocked down to Kirk and Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins for €300,000.

Kirk and Mullins also secured Donnchadh Doyle's Deploy The Getaway (lot 17) for £200,000. The four-year-old by Getaway was a 20-length winner at Tallow.

Trainer Evan Williams had to go to £200,000 to secure Lot 31, Pat Doyle's Fado Des Brosses, a Balko four-year-old who took a four-year-old maiden at Belharbour by 15 lengths.

At the conclusion of the sale, Director of Horses in Training Sales Richard Pugh commented" "It is a true testament to this sale that for the second year running it sells the joint second highest priced point-to-pointer on record.

"But these results don't come without the success on the track, which has been evident by recent graduates. Just 12 months previous, the current Cheltenham Champion Bumper favourite Envoi Allen was purchased at this sale.

"We look forward to returning here in three weeks where we host the Cheltenham Festival Sale on Thursday, March 14th and offering further future Champions."

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