'He’s really put me on the map' - rags to riches Mostly Cloudy brings 150,000gns

A new chapter in the rags-to-riches story of Mostly Cloudy was written at the Tattersalls August Sale on Wednesday, as the progressive three-year-old was bought by Mulcaster Bloodstock for 150,000gns to continue his career in Australia.

The prolific youngster has been a great advertisement for the talents of rookie trainer Gemma Tutty, who signed for the son of Harzand at just 23,000gns at last year’s Autumn Horses in Training Sale when sold out of the Andrew Balding yard.

Mostly Cloudy proceeded to rattle off a five-timer this summer, which saw his official rating skyrocket fully 38 lbs, having begun his winning streak off 60 and changing hands with a mark of 98. The three-year-old was last seen finishing fifth in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup won by runaway winner Quickthorn.

Despite landing a handsome profit with the Barton Sales-consigned colt, who is out of a Montjeu half-sister to Clodovil, Tutty admitted to having mixed emotions about the six-figure sale, saying: “Bittersweet is probably the right word because that’s my best horse gone.

"It’s an amazing return though and hopefully the owners can reinvest because it couldn’t have gone any better on the financial front.

“He’s really helped put me on the map, he’s done wonders for the profile of myself and Kings Bloodstock for finding him and buying him. And with all these sales coming up it’s the right time of year to be getting returns like this.”

Mostly Cloudy takes to the Tattersalls ringCredit: Laura Green

Expanding on what appealed about the colt when he was purchased as a once-raced juvenile, Tutty said: “It was the way he raced so green in the early stages but the penny seemed to drop late on. His sectionals for the last three furlongs were really impressive and you could see he was learning on the job.

“With a bit of time and a trip we were hoping he’d be rated in the 80s, so he’s exceeded our expectations. York could’ve worked out a little better but he didn’t disgrace himself and if you’d told us at the start of his journey that we’d end up in Group races we’d have been absolutely thrilled. It’s been a hell of a journey and I’m sorry to see him go but I hope he has a wonderful career in Australia.”

Tutty is based in Osmotherley in North Yorkshire but has been taken on quite the journey by Mostly Cloudy, who landed races at Redcar, Sandown, Nottingham, Doncaster and Ascot, where he won the Brown Jack Handicap.

Mostly Cloudy wins the Brown Jack Handicap at AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker

The trainer, who said connections had resisted a flurry of private offers for their star, added: “He was bought to trade but obviously it’s hard to enjoy the moment when it comes around. He wasn’t meant to be a long term project so I’ve never dreamt of his four-year-old career.

“At one stage he could’ve been sold even earlier and it was only because he kept on winning that we’ve come this far. After his Sandown victory was when everyone really perked up but he was only rated 65 so people couldn’t go too mad with the offers, as impressive as he was. Ascot was an amazing day and all the owners were there. We were all together on the day we bought him and to enjoy that together was amazing.

“We’ve the horses-in-training sales coming up and all these yearling sales too, so it’s a good time of year to have money in our pockets. The owners had a lot of faith in me as I didn’t even have a trainer’s licence the day we bought him. For them to join me on this journey in my first season has been amazing and I’m so grateful for the opportunity and glad I’ve been able to repay their faith in me.”

More to read:

'This stuff kills foals quicker than you can say Jack Robinson - it's lethal'

Could this year's first-season sire race be heading for a photo finish?

'It seems to be a recession-proof market' - Premier Sale ends on £240,000 high