‘If you want the horse then you have to pay’ - £215,000 pointer Roadlesstravelled heads record day in Doncaster

Agents, owners and trainers certainly brought their bidding boots to the opening leg of the Goffs UK Spring Horses in Training and Point-to-Point Sale on Wednesday as 15 six-figure lots fuelled the highest grossing session of young form horse trade in history.

Topping the list was Roadlesstravelled, who pulled up on debut between the flags but highlighted his talent by winning a four-year-old maiden at Taylorstown by nearly ten lengths earlier in May.

As the bid board barrelled through rapidly increasing sums, auctioneer George Stanners faced the throng of interested parties and said “The race to 200 [thousand] is on, but who’s going to get there first?” 

Jonjo O'Neill: 'You never want to pay that much but if you want the horse then you have to pay'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

David Minton was the man to bid £200,000 but it transpired that Stanners hadn’t aimed high enough. After a few more £5,000 increases it was Jonjo O’Neill who secured Donnchadh Doyle’s sought after youngster at £215,000.

“He’s a grand horse and I’ve bought him for myself to have a bit of fun with,” O’Neill said with a broad grin. “He’ll be in my colours, at least until someone offers to buy him. He stood out to me and he’s done everything right. We loved him. We’ve bought plenty of good ones from Donnchadh and he came very well recommended. You never want to pay that much but if you want the horse then you have to pay. It’s a great market. Amazing.” 

Roadlesstravelled is by the somewhat unheralded Lauro and out of a winning Presenting half-sister to Grade 1 scorer Abbyssial. He joined the Monbeg fold at €44,000 at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale. 

The session generated turnover of £6,053,750, a record for the type of stock on offer and a 19 per cent gain on the corresponding day in 2022, when seven lots made £100,000 or more. 

A significantly expanded offering meant the average price was clipped in two per cent at £30,886, while the median dipped by nine per cent to £20,000. The clearance rate was a solid 84 per cent as 196 sold from 234 offered.

Surfs up

Saunton Surf brought even more recent form to the table having bolted up in a point-to-point bumper at Aintree on Friday evening. O’Neill was also involved in the bidding on Bradley Gibbs’ daughter of Sea Moon but ultimately it was Highflyer Bloodstock’s Tessa Greatrex, wife of leading trainer Warren Greatrex, who proved most determined at £175,000. 

That Aintree victory was the four-year-old filly’s second success having previously won a Maisemore Park maiden point. She was offered at the Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale after her win between the flags but went unsold at £95,000. 

“She’ll be trained by my husband for our landlord, Jim and Claire Bryce,” said Greatrex. “What was not to love about her performance at Aintree? We really liked her at the previous sale she was at so I’m delighted to be able to get her here. They wanted £100,000 for her after her first race but I didn’t feel I had that much for a filly from an English point-to-point, but then when she went to Aintree she looked worth every bit of it.” 

Saunton Surf: 'When she went to Aintree she looked worth every bit of it'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

The six-figure transaction continued a fine spell for rider-trainer Gibbs, who hit the headlines when partnering Premier Magic to victory in the St. James's Place Hunters' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Gibbs signed for Saunton Surf, who ran in the colours of Ratkatcha Racing, for €45,000 at last year’s Goffs Land Rover Sale. 

He said: “I always thought she was special from before we ran her. Obviously there were only four runners in her first race and that effort just didn’t do her any justice. We had no choice but to keep hold of her and go to the Aintree bumper, but everyone saw how impressive she was on Friday night. Hopefully she'll go on to bigger and better things now and it was great to get her away at such a good price.”

Morgan on the mark

The Loughanmore Farms draft was responsible for three six-figure lots, headed by the £160,000 Ballymackie. The son of Califet won two of his three outings for Colin McKeever, the latest of which was at Loughanmore in early April. 

Trainer Laura Morgan signed the docket on behalf of owner Ashley Brooks. She said: “I thought he looked very progressive in his point-to-points and Derek O’Connor spoke very highly of him. A newish owner in the yard, Ashley Brooks, has Loughderg Rocco, who had a small setback unfortunately, so he wanted a nice staying chaser to look forward to. That’s definitely what we’ve got with this horse.” 

Colin McKeever's dual winner Ballymackie heads the way of Ashley Brooks for £160,000Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

The five-year-old was another who had previously been offered at Tattersalls Cheltenham having gone unsold at £90,000 back in February following his maiden success at Punchestown. 

Emotion result for O’Connor 

Three lots hit the £150,000 mark, including Paurick O'Connor’s Primoz, a sizeable son of Westerner who finished runner-up in maidens at Loughrea and Dromahane with the vendor’s brother, Derek, in the saddle. 

The five-year-old was signed for by dual Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell and the yard’s race planner and talent scout Paul McIvor. O’Connor, who was overcome with emotion in the aftermath of the sale, reflected on the transaction by saying: “I don’t know what came over me but I got awfully emotional. 

“I was involved with a very good horse Lucinda had a few years ago called Brindisi Breeze. There was obviously an emotional story with him too. I’ve always said I wanted to get another nice horse back to Lucinda and he’s the perfect one. He’s a big, strapping chaser she’ll give him all the time he needs so it’s the ideal home for him. As the day was going on I knew he was very popular.” 

Paurick O'Connor is overcome with emotion after his Primoz sold to Lucinda Russell for £150,000Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

The star-crossed Brindisi Breeze looked to have the world at his feet when he won the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle on his final outing, where he was partnered by the much-missed Campbell Gillies. 

Primoz, whose dam is a half-sister to black type jumpers Badgerlaw and Master Ofthe Chase, was making his third sales ring appearance. He was bought as a foal by Sean Grassick at €33,000 before O’Connor signed for the youngster at €45,000 at the Derby Sale. 

Expanding on his Galway-based operation, O’Connor said: “We’re only a small outfit and we wouldn’t have these horses galloped so they’re still big babies. That’s why people buy off me because they know they haven’t been galloped. The biggest problem we’ve got is trying to remember how many times we’ve hacked around the gallop because it's only a one-furlong circle!"  

Big signing for Boultbee-Brooks

Another to bring £150,000 was Sam Curling’s Della Casa Lunga. The five-year-old daughter of Champs Elysees has won one of her nine starts under rules, with victory coming in a Leopardstown novice hurdle. She was last seen running a fine second at Punchestown, which earned her a career-high Racing Post Rating of 133.

Matt Coleman just had time to strike the winning bid for dashing for Goresbridge. He said:“She’s been bought for Clive and Charmaine Boultbee-Brooks. Clive trains himself and he wanted a horse with some proven track form and I think she’s been very progressive all season. 

“She’s run better with each race and she probably put in a lifetime best when she was second to Sandor Clegane, who was placed in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham. When she went up in trip at Punchestown she seemed to improve again and I think she’s a filly who’ll get three miles in time, like a lot of the Champs Elysees do. Hopefully she’ll keep progressing and can run in those mares’ black type hurdles next season.” 

Curling’s Skehanagh Stables also sold the £115,000 Western Harmony, a son of Champs Elysees who broke his maiden at the second time of asking in a four-year-old maiden at Ballindenisk. The name Jerry McGrath Bloodstock appeared on the docket after the youngster was knocked down to Noel Fehily, who runs his eponymous syndicate with fellow retired rider David Crosse. 

The third lot to fetch £150,000 was Kelso bumper winner St Cuthbert's Cave, who is set to switch from Rose Dobbin to Gordon Elliott after the Irish trainer struck the winning bid for the five-year-old son of Court Cave. 

St Cuthbert's Cave was another to make his third sales ring appearance his most fruitful, having previously brought €15,000 as a foal from Richard Rohan before Dobbin and Gerry Hogan picked the youngster up for £22,000 at the Spring Store Sale in 2021. 

Grey day for Ross

The first lot to break into six-figure territory was Silver Jet, a strapping grey son of Jet Away who advertised his credentials with a promise-filled runner-up effort in a competitive Borris House maiden back in March. 

Tessa Greatrex, standing with Ben Pauling, tried hard to land the Crossgales Stables-consigned offering but had to give best to Kevin Ross and Harry Fry when the bidding reached £125,000. 

Benny Walsh's Silver Jet in the Goffs UK sales ring before selling to Kevin Ross and Harry Fry for £125,000Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

“We thought he’s a lovely individual,” said Ross. “He’s a great mover and for a horse of his size to run as well as he did around Borris, which is a sharp track, he has to have a fair amount of ability. He looks like a future chaser, which is what we’re looking for. Plus he’s come from a very good vendor, they always do a great job.”

Silver Jet was prepped and sold by Benny Walsh on behalf of Douglas Taylor, the owner of Jet Away, who sourced the five-year-old for €12,000 at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale back in 2018 when he signed under his Ridgewood Stud banner. 

“We’ve had him since he was two and he’s done hunter trials and lots of schooling,” said Walsh’s partner Jenny. “You can see why he didn’t run until he was five, he’s a beautiful big model. It was a helluva result but he’s a gorgeous horse, he’s probably the nicest-looking horse here.”

Transatlantic formline catches Malone’s eye

Tom Malone got the better of Jerry McGrath, standing with Alastair Ralph, when he held five digits aloft to signal a bid of £115,000 for Loughanmore Farms’ Necarne winner Kerryhill. 

The five-year-old son of Soldier Of Fortune was making a swift return to the ring having been offered at Cheltenham in January following his debut effort when second to The Hero Next Door. He went unsold at £95,000 on that occasion but Malone was keen not to leave the youngster behind for a second time. 

“He’s been bought for a partnership between Drew and Ailsa Russell and Lynne McLennan to go to Ruth Jefferson,” said Malone. “He’s a lovely horse who’s taken two runs because he’s a big, backward type of animal. He came highly recommended and I’m delighted he was that price too. We had a good few quid more to spend on him so it’s good to get a bit of value.” 

Tom Malone: 'He’s a lovely horse who’s taken two runs because he’s a big, backward type of animal'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

He continued: “We like to see them put another run in and then the form of his debut worked out well. I was actually in Nashville two weeks ago when the horse who beat him first time out, The Hero Next Door, won. When I saw that I thought maybe this horse wasn’t as slow as I first thought!” 

Kerryhill is the third foal out of Highland Flower, an Oscar half-sister to Cheltenham Festival winner Golden Chieftain and the dual Grade 2 novice chase scorer Boychuk. He joined Colin McKeever’s academy after selling to Ian Ferguson for €65,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale. 

“He’s a nice horse going the right way,” said McKeever. “He was only beaten a length in his first point-to-point. Nobody wanted to buy him on the day [at Cheltenham] but it all fell into place since. I can see him being a Graded horse someday, without a doubt. He’s up there with the good ones I’ve sold before.” 

Hannon switches role

Ger Hannon is more accustomed to commentating on point-to-pointers than he is buying them, but he switched roles during the early stages of the session when he bid £100,000 for Dream Shadow, a daughter of My Dream Boat who won a Stowlin maiden for Ciaran Murphy. 

As well as an impressive debut success, the four-year-old also boasts a big pedigree as she is a half-sister to four black type performers, including the Grade 2-winning pair Shadow Eile and Corskeagh Royale, the latter of whom was also third to Cousin Vinny in the Champion Bumper. 

“She’s been bought for the Doocey family,” said Hannon. “She’s going to go to Fergal O’Brien to be trained. I was actually commentating when she won and it’s a brilliant pedigree, there’s one dam on the page. I was mad about her. I actually saw her as a foal as I’ve bought stock off the breeder Sean Reilly, so I know the pedigree inside out. 

“She’s got residual value too so hopefully she’ll be lucky now. She’s a lovely individual with a great mindset, and then you’ve got Ciaran Murphy, he's brilliant to buy off because they’re so well produced. Ciaran is at the top of his game so that was another contributing factor. He would’ve broken all the horses for Gigginstown and I’ve bought off him before and the horses always go on." 

He added: “The Dooceys are new owners and they have horses with Nicky Richards as well and will have one with Henry de Bromhead so they’re spreading them around.” 

The Spring Sale concludes on Thursday, with the fourth and final session beginning at 10am. 

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