Ask For Glory lives up to expectations as Malone snaps up £280,000 sale-topper

As the biggest talking horse ahead of the Goffs UK Spring Horses in Training and Point-to-Point Sale, Ask For Glory lived up to expectations when he sold to Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls for £280,000 in Doncaster on Wednesday.

The son of the late Fame And Glory gained many admirers with his debut point-to-point victory at Bartlemy earlier this month, when an impressive display of bold jumping and relentless galloping saw him run out a ten-length winner.

Consigned by Donal Coffey's Gurtacrue Stables, the four-year-old was bred by Coffey out of the Pistolet Bleu mare Ask Helen and is from the family of the Grade 3-winning novice hurdler Montroe.

View sale results

Malone said: "He's been bought to go to Paul Nicholls for Colm Donlon. I couldn't have been more impressed with the way he won for a big, raw four-year-old and I hope he's a star of the future.

"Fame And Glory has got some very good stock on the ground. He'll get some good summer grass now and we'll see him as a novice hurdler next year."

There is still plenty for Coffey to look forward to as he has a yearling sister to Ask For Glory on his farm in County Cork and Ask Helen was scanned in foal to Rule Of Law on Monday morning.

Coffey is no stranger to offering exciting National Hunt prospects, with previous graduates of his including Give Me A Copper, Presenting Copper and Cloudy Copper.

Three lots prior to securing Ask For Glory, Malone went to £130,000 to purchase the Poliglote gelding Alnadam.

The five-year-old made his first start at Dromahane one to remember when running out an eight-length winner of a maiden point-to-point for five-year-old geldings. He was offered by Paurick O’Connor Racing on Wednesday.

Malone said: "It was a good performance when he won at Dromahane and I've had good luck off his consignors before. He's a nice young horse going forward and he has a grand pedigree too. He'll be going to Dan Skelton."

Another star for Brookhouse?

Roger Brookhouse sourced his Cheltenham Festival hero Summerville Boy for £130,000 at last year's Spring Sale, and the owner made a return to the ring on Wednesday when going to £150,000 for bumper scorer Raya Time.

Raya Time was offered by Sam Curling - who consigned Roger Brookhouse's Summerville Boy at last year's edition of the saleCredit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs UK

The son of Al Namix - who was offered by Sam Curling's Skehanagh Stables, the same vendor that produced Summerville Boy - only made his debut last week at Killarney when contesting a 2m1f bumper, a race he won by an impressive 14 lengths.

Time will tell if Raya Time can be another star for Brookhouse, as the owner said: "He's a nice horse and the only one I had marked down to look at. There's no plans for him as yet and he'll go home in the field for now."

McManus makes his mark

Kieran McManus continued where he left off on Tuesday as he added two more six-figure purchases during Wednesday's session, with the more expensive of the pair being the Ballyboy Stables-consigned Gameface bought for £145,000.

The son of Oscar has had two starts in point-to-points, finishing in the frame on both occasions, and is from the family of the winners Silver Knight and Jackson Park.

McManus also dipped into a draft that has provided his father, champion owner JP McManus, with much success over the years when he snapped up Canelo from the annual Million In Mind dispersal for £115,000.

Under Alan King's care the five-year-old has won two races over hurdles, and also finished second to subsequent Grade 2 winner Blackbow when running in points for Tom Weston.

Other Million In Mind horses that were sold to McManus include this year's Cheltenham Festival hero Le Prezien, bought for £290,000 at this sale two years ago, Uxizandre and Garde Champetre - the most expensive jumper sold at auction when bought for 530,000gns in 2004.

Highflyer Bloodstock's Anthony Bromley, who manages the Million In Mind syndicates, said: "It's very satisfying that JP McManus has bought Canelo and he'll be going back to Alan King's. They've had success buying from us previously and have been big supporters of ours.

"I'm pleased to see repeat business and he's a really nice prospect for three mile novice chasing next year."

Four other horses comprised the Million In Mind dispersal lots alongside Canelo, namely The Vocalist who was bought by Malone for £42,000, Ryan Mahon bought Peter The Mayo Man for £26,000, Clash Of D Titans sold to Gavin Cromwell for £20,000 and Mahon also secured Woodfort for £14,000.

Family delight for Hamiltons

Away from the top prices of the day, the Hamilton family were busy celebrating a superb result when their point-to-pointer Diamond Brig was bought by Highflyer Bloodstock for £80,000.

Trained by Wendy Hamilton and offered through her Birnieknowe Farm, her sons Jamie and Tom were on hand to see the result. Tom had been in the saddle when the son of Black Sam Bellamy won a hunter chase at Kelso last month.

The family connection continues throughout his page as Tom's grandfather, Billy, bred the talented Earls Brig who is out of Diamond Brig's third dam Naughty Tara.

Tom said: "He's a lovely horse and his dam, Lady Brig, is going back to be covered by Black Sam Bellamy this year."

Wendy added: "It'll be nice to just sit and watch him run now. I'm delighted with the result and we have a Court Cave three-year-old out of Lady Brig. I'm hoping that we get a filly from her with this mating from Black Sam Bellamy."

Day one figures

At the end of Wednesday's session, 131 lots sold from 148 offered for turnover of £3,802,850 - down five per cent on last year's figure of £3,988,000. The average saw an increase of five per cent from £27,888 to £29,029, while the median saw a reduction of 11 per cent from £18,000 to £16,000.

The second and final day of the Spring Horses in Training and Point-Point Sale continues on Thursday from 10am.

If you liked this, you should read...

Kayf Tara gelding goes the way of Elliott and O'Toole at Spring Store Sale

Special award for Cue Card breeder as best of British jumps breeding is toasted