Henrietta Knight stuns Cheltenham as £450,000 buy gives new trainer dream start

Henrietta Knight is no stranger to success at Prestbury Park, having rewritten the record books with three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate.

On Friday, Knight landed a different kind of prize as she stunned the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale crowd when a bid of £450,000 brought the gavel down on the winning point-to-pointer Gallyhill.

The £400,000 mark had been reached earlier in the session, but after an opening bid of £100,000 it soon became clear that Gallyhill would be claiming top lot honours, as Knight and Ross Doyle traded bids from opposite sides of the Cheltenham pavilion.

View full Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale results and stats

"This is the one to buy, lads," quipped auctioneer Alastair Pim, as he spun 180 degrees to take another in a series of rapid-fire increases. However, after Knight struck the decisive raise, Doyle, stood by the entrance, hung up his phone and shook his head, and the gavel came down with a resounding crack.

"He's a lovely horse, an outstanding horse," enthused Knight. "I can't say who he's been bought for or who might train him, but he'll stay here in England. I've known all about this horse for a long time, I've followed him right the way through. He's a big horse but he's so athletic, so light on his feet. He's a very good jumper too, though he won't do much this year."

Gallyhill brings £450,000 in the Tattersalls Cheltenham ringCredit: Debbie Burt

Remarkably, given the eye-watering sum the four-year-old son of Getaway fetched, Gallyhill was the first horse to be offered by Jamie Sloan under the Loughanmore Farm banner, with the young trainer having recently taken over the reins at Ian Ferguson's County Antrim stable.

"We have to put a lot of work into these horses, so for a horse to go and do that is just magic," said a visibly emotional Sloan, for whom Gallyhill was also a first runner between the flags when winning a Kirkistown maiden in convincing fashion.

Bred by Sean Gorman, Gallyhill is out of Tanit, a daughter of Xaar who has bred three successful runners from as many racecourse representatives, having also produced minor winners Nortonthorpelegend and the point-to-point scorer Avoid De Master.

"I'm a believer in Irish point-to-points, that's where we started off buying horses, and that's where we got Best Mate from," added Knight. "They get a good education there."

Gallyhill, who was bred at a fee of just €3,500, becomes the most expensive offspring of Getaway to change hands at public auction, surpassing the 370,000gns given by Tom Goff on behalf of Michael Tabor for Christmas Hurdle heroine Verdana Blue during the Tattersalls December Sale.

Gordon goes again

Few have shown the hunger for bright point-to-point prospects that Gordon Elliott has in recent times, and the leading trainer was back in action as he saw off Roger Brookhouse at £400,000 to secure the highly touted Sir Gerhard, who was offered by Coolmeen Stables.

The four-year-old son of Jeremy provided Ellmarie Holden with an almighty touch, having been picked up by the handler for €72,000 at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in 2018.

"It's amazing, just amazing," said a stunned-looking Holden shortly after the hammer came down. "From day one he was always very forward going, an easy horse to do anything with. Michael Shefflin bought him for us at the store sales."

There had been some big whispers for Sir Gerhard, who made a winning debut in a four-year-old maiden at Boulta late last month, and Holden, who was joined by her father Paul, said she had always held the horse in the highest regard.

Sir Gerhard in the ring before selling for £400,000Credit: Debbie Burt

"There was an awful lot of talk about him, but we knew ourselves - myself, Dad and Derek O'Connor - that he was a good horse, we've been mad about him at home," she said. "We've had a crazy day with people coming and looking at him."

Despite such a big reputation, Holden, who trains around 40 horses in County Kilkenny, seemed understandably bowled over with the six-figure sum the horse fetched. "You don't see that kind of money for a horse every day," she said. "It's brilliant."

Sir Gerhard was making his third appearance at public auction, having first been offered by Keatingstown House Stud at the Goffs November Sale in 2015, where Peter Molony's Rathmore Stud signed the docket at €17,000.

"He looks a nice horse and has a good rating," said Elliott. "We're delighted to have him. He looked like he's got a bit of class and a bit of speed, exactly the kind of horse you want. Jeremy's very fashionable too. He's been bought for an existing owner in the yard."

Gordon Elliott: 'He's exactly the kind of horse you want'Credit: Debbie Burt

He is the first foal out of the placed Authorized mare Faanan Aldaar, a half-sister to Listed-winning Flat performer Prince Of All, while other classy performers on the level also appear further down the page, including Zafeen and Aljazzi, the winner of the Duke of Cambridge Stakes who subsequently joined the Newsells Park Stud broodmare band when purchased for 1,000,000gns.

French connection

There was a distinctly French flavour to the catalogue, and among the offerings from across the Channel was Kalkas, a three-year-old who ran a promise-filled third on debut for Francois Nicolle at Fontainebleau.

The son of Kapgarde drew plenty of interest from British and Irish buyers, but was eventually knocked down to Bertrand Le Metayer at £210,000.

Bertrand Le Metayer: buyer of the promising KalkasCredit: Debbie Burt

"The plan is for the horse to come back to France," said Le Metayer. "No firm plans have been made about who will train him yet, but he will certainly be trained in Royan.

"I thought he was unlucky not to win on debut, but I liked the way he finished and I thought he enjoyed the challenge. His pedigree, his attitude, everything about him was right."

Breakthrough result for Fitzsimmons

A number of young consignors enjoyed a notable result during the session, and Danny Fitzsimmons of Ballyvic Stables got in on the action when he sold Rose Of Arcadia, a winner at Tattersalls Farm on Sunday, to Ross Doyle, stood with Colin Tizzard, for £170,000.

"We're delighted as we think the world of her," said the 34-year-old Fitzsimmons, who has eight horses in training at his County Down base. "She's gone to a good home so we hope she'll have a big future."

Fitzsimmons was effusive in his praise for the four-year-old daughter of Arcadio, who supplied the trainer with his biggest sales ring result to date.

He said: "You're always hopeful but we thought she could make eighty to a hundred [thousand], so we're delighted she made that price. The owner bought her as a foal off a friend of his, he kept her then I broke her in as a three-year-old. She's a beautiful mare, you show her anything once and she learns straight away."

Bromley gets ready to roll

The £170,000 mark was hit earlier in the session when Highflyer Bloodstock's Anthony Bromley secured Es Perfecto, who will now head to Alan King's Barbury Castle yard having broken his maiden at the third time of asking at Tattersalls Farm just five days earlier.

Offered by Colm Murphy's Ballinadrummin Stables, the four-year-old son of Shirocco was making his third sales ring appearance, having sold to Tomgar Bloodstock for €15,000 as a foal, before he failed to find a buyer at €19,000 at last year's Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

Anthony Bromley is all smiles as he signs for Es PerfectoCredit: Debbie Burt

"He's a really athletic, bonny horse who's ready for action," said Bromley from his regular position among the bidders' dining area.

"That was the type of horse we were looking for, something that would be ready to run in bumpers in the New Year. He was very impressive on Sunday and the race didn't take a lot out of him so he's ready to roll."

Dower House team in clover

The first lot to break the six-figure barrier was another by Jeremy, with Dower House Stables' Upton Road going the way of Tom Malone at a round £100,000. The five-year-old landed a Boulta maiden on debut for trainer Matt Collins, who was joined at the sale by his son - who is also the horse's owner - Pat Collins.

"He's by the sire of the moment," said Pat Collins, who picked Upton Road up for €20,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale. "He looked a fine big chaser with a pedigree."

Upton Road, who shares his page with the Grade 2-winning hurdler Creepy, was one of seven point-to-pointers prepared by the Collinses at Dower House Stables in Cork, and Pat added: "Myself and my father do the horses ourselves, he's the trainer and I'm the owner. We've a few more nice horses to come in the spring too."

Final figures

After a frenetic session of selling, 38 of 54 offered lots had sold for a clearance rate of 70 per cent and turnover of £3,429,000 - down four per cent year-on-year.

The average rose by eight per cent to £90,235, while the median fell by eight per cent to £60,000.

More National Hunt sales news:

Interesting recruits to the Irish jumps sire ranks change hands at Arqana

'Standout colt' by Soldier Of Fortune steals the show at €72,000

Walk In The Park colt catches the eye of Gerry Aherne at €64,000