WILLIE Mullins described academy hurdles as ‘a sales ploy’ in the past and, while he may still hold that belief, he went some way to endorsing the new series when buying John Nallen’s academy hurdle winner Minella Academy with Harold Kirk for £370,000.

The Sea The Moon gelding topped Saturday’s Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale at Newbury, where 17 of 18 horses offered sold and seven fetched six figures. The average price rose by 6% £114,353, while the median dipped by the same measure to £80,000.