GERRY Aherne is a familiar name at the top of the list of leading buyers at National Hunt sales and he set the early pace once more at Tuesday's Tattersalls Ireland Winter Flat & NH Sale when paying €42,000 for a Santiago half-brother to leading novice hurdler Kazansky.

However, on this occasion Aherne was acting on behalf of his own Prospect Stables rather than for his Coolmore Stud employers.