IRISH Cesarewitch winner Waterville has been sold by Coolmore to race in Australia.

The three-year-old son of Camelot was the top lot on the opening day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale when sold to Guy Mulcaster and Chris Waller Racing for 410,000gns.

When trained by Aidan O'Brien, Waterville was held in the highest regard at the start of the season and talked about as a classic contender. However, he ran below expectations in three maidens and missed the classics before winning a modest staying handicap.

He reappeared last month as bottom weight in the €600,000 Irish Cesarewitch and started favourite. Last of all turning into the home straight, Waterville produced a flying finish to win in the final strides.

He was then thrown into Group 2 company on Champions Day at Ascot but finished down the field behind Trueshan.

"We saw him when we saw him in June when we were at Aidan's and his form has gone on since," said Mulcaster. "I spoke to Chris this morning and he was keen to get the horse, so fingers crossed he works out for us.

"He is a well-bred horse, he has been looked after, he has not had many runs, he has got a high profile, he looks obvious for us. We have not had many by Camelot ourselves, but he has done well in Australia."

Waterville is likely to be aimed at the 2023 Melbourne Cup.

The day's second highest priced lot is also bound for Australia. Aussie trainer Ciaron Maher paid 400,000gns for the the three-year-old Chairman, twice a winner this season for trainers Freddie and Martyn Meade.

Co Tyrone trainer Andy Oliver landed a nice touch when he sold his recent Leopardstown maiden winner Rare Middleton for 215,000gns to agent Tom Malone and trainer Paul Nicholls.

Malone said: "All that has happened since his runs is that the form has got stronger and stronger. The horse he beat at Leopardstown won yesterday at the Curragh [Imaginarium], the horse that beat him first time out won the November Handicap [Zoffman], the fifth came out and made 120,000gns this morning [Fawkner Park]. It is proper, proper form.

"I am delighted to get him. Aclaim has not had a hurdler yet, his oldest are three-year-olds. This is lovely horse and Andy always buys this sort of horse."

Malone, Nicholls and consignor Oliver have previous form together – Malone purchased the top-class and subsequent Nicholls-trained Dodging Bullets from Oliver in 2011.

Oliver, who bought the horse as a yearling for 6,500gns at Tattersalls Ireland, was delighted with the sale: "He is a lovely horse, he did everything well. He never left the farm prior to his first run, the form of that race is improving all the time. He then went to Leopardstown and did it very nicely, and the form of that race is improving as we speak.

"He is a lovely horse, he has done his job and I am delighted to see him going to a good home. He was entered in the sale as an unraced horse, but we were planning to run him before he came to the sale. He is a big horse so we have had to take our time."

The sale continues on Tuesday and ends on Thursday.