Knight back in action as son of Gris De Gris tops Spring Store Sale at £155,000

Fresh from securing the record-breaking son of Adlerflug on day one of the Goffs UK Spring Store Sale, Henrietta Knight returned to her position besides the Doncaster ring on Tuesday and went to £155,000 for a Gris De Gris gelding from Brown Island Stables.

As with the £200,000 top lot on Monday, the well-related individual out of Dearly Des Places is now set to carry the colours of owner Michael Grech.

"It’s the same as yesterday," said Knight. "This horse has action and so much quality, he just looks like a real racehorse. I don’t know an awful lot about Gris De Gris but I know he’s had some quite useful offspring in France and a few have run over in Ireland, but basically I went on the individual, which is magnificent.

"There’s some nice winners in the pedigree too so I’m looking forward to getting him home."

Gris De Gris won the Group 2 Prix du Muguet during his time on the track for owner-breeder Jean-Claude Seroul and has plied his trade at stud at Haras de la Hetraie in 2022. Among his best runners on the British side of the Channel are smart performers such as Campeador and Demi Sang, as well as this year’s Kim Muir Handicap Chase scorer Chambard.

The son of Gris De Gris made £155,000Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

Expanding on her and Grech’s approach to restocking at the sales, Knight continued: "Mike likes the idea of buying young horses who we can develop, rather than the point-to-pointers who have already been broken in, so we’re going with the system of buying youngsters.

"I love young horses and studying their conformation; it’s all about the potential of what they look like at this stage. I put a lot of emphasis on temperament at the sales. I like to see the horses we buy a number of times and view them in different places around the sales ring to see how they react to the different environments. I really enjoy the process."

Already named Jingle Des Places, the three-year-old is the first foal out of Dearly Des Places, an unraced Laverock half-sister to the Listed-winning hurdler and Grade 1-placed chaser Queen Des Places.

Explaining how he came to consign the youngster, Brown Island Stables’ Johnny Collins said: "He’s a lovely horse and a great mover. I bought him privately in France and he’s always been a beautiful horse.

"He’s been very busy since he got here and never put a foot wrong. I’ve been busy too as I was at Arqana last week and I’m rushing to catch a ferry now because I’m on the way to Goresbridge!"

Gordon sweet on biggest ever buy

Plenty of the usual suspects were among the buyers in Doncaster on Tuesday, but the likes of Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls and the Tizzards didn’t have things all their own way at the top of the market as a new name emerged to snare one of the session’s most eye-catching acquisitions.

Trainer Chris Gordon was forced all the way to £140,000 for the Getaway gelding out of Through The Lens, with the well-related youngster now set to carry the colours of Richard Cheshire, whose day job is as chief executive of Krispy Kreme UK and Ireland.

Once Oak Tree Farm’s offering had entered the Doncaster ring it didn’t take long for the bid board to enter six-figure territory, and it was Tom Malone, in his usual position outside his office on the top tier of the auditorium, who raised four fingers and a thumb to signal an offer of £135,000.

Gordon later admitted he was in uncharted territory bidding such sums, but after a brief pause for thought he matched Malone’s increase with a decisive raise to £140,000.

Chris Gordon (left) speaks with Norman Williamson after signing for his stable's most expensive purchaseCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

"He’s been bought for Richard Cheshire, who’s been an owner with us for the last five years now,” said Gordon. "He’s a proper quality horse so fingers crossed for the future. It’s the usual old story, he’s got a nice temperament and moves very well and he’s a nice athletic type of horse.

"I’ll send him down to Claire Bonner, who breaks in all of ours, so I’ll get the lorry to take him straight there."

Gordon saddled 43 British winners during the 2021-22 season and has already supplied Cheshire with plenty of successes, including with the likes of Leave Of Absence, a dual bumper winner who was a close third in an Aintree Grade 2 when last seen, Presenting A Queen, who also won a brace of bumpers, and Betfair Hurdle fourth Lord Baddesley.

Lot 184 is from the family of BinocularCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

"That is the most expensive horse I’ve ever bought, we’ve never spent over a hundred thousand before," added Gordon. "He was €62,000 as a foal though so we knew we’d have to spend a fair old bit to get him. The really nice ones are hard to buy, they’re expensive horses because they stand out, but Richard wanted a nice one so we’ve had to go for it."

The Getaway’s dam is an unraced Hurricane Run half-sister to four-time Grade 1 winner Binocular, who is best remembered for landing the 2010 Champion Hurdle. The youngster had made one previous appearance at public auction, when signed for by Ballygriffin at €62,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale.

McGrath mad about Kapgarde filly

The third six-figure lot of the session came later in the day when Jerry McGrath went to £110,000 for Goldford Stud’s Kapgarde filly out of Brise Vendeenne, a Listed-placed Dom Alco half-sister to Vroum Vroum Mag.

"I absolutely loved her and she’s for a new partnership to race her and then breed from her later on," said McGrath. "I don’t know where she’s going to be trained yet, it’ll probably be in Britain but nothing has been decided."

Brise Vendeenne didn’t get her head in front during her time on the track but she gained black type when third in a Listed fillies’ juvenile hurdle at Aintree. She has bred one runner to date and McGrath said he was hopeful that filly would provide the pedigree with an update in the not too distant future.

Jerry McGrath signed for a smart Kapgarde fillyCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

"The half-sister Walk In The Brise has been a bit unlucky and could almost be a dual bumper winner, she was beaten only a length at Wexford last time out," said the agent.

"I actually bought the mare who beat her [Bombay Sapphire] the day she was second at Gowran, so I know a bit about the family and this filly just ticked all the boxes.

"I was mad about her and thought she was nearly the nicest filly in the sale. I love the fact she’s 50 per cent GBB-registered too, that’s a big thing. There’s a couple of lads who already own horses involved and there might be some new owners coming in too."

Skelton sees breeding potential in Blue Bresil filly

Ryan Mahon and Dan Skelton saw racing and breeding potential in the Blue Bresil filly out of Alegralil offered by Mill House Stud, and went to £88,000 to ensure the youngster’s future lay at the trainer’s Warwickshire base.

Alegralil was a smart performer herself, winning a Listed contest at Wetherby while with Donald McCain, while she has already bred three winners, including the Grade 3-placed Tedham. The mare is also a daughter of King’s Theatre, meaning her Blue Bresil filly is bred on the same cross as Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero Constitution Hill.

"We have one out of the mare already, her four-year-old by Soldier Of Fortune who’ll debut in the autumn," said Skelton. "We think he’s nice and Alegralil is actually at the stud [Alne Park] and will be covered by Dink soon.

"We like the family and obviously Alegralil was a good racemare. Everyone is very excited about Blue Bresil and I think this is a great cross, Blue Bresil out of a King’s Theatre mare."

As well as training a substantial string of racehorses, Skelton and his wife Grace also run Alne Park Stud, which is home to the stallion Dink, best known as the sire of the trainer’s high-class two-mile chaser Nube Negra.

"These mares have good residual value and she’s a big, strong individual who looks like she’ll carry a foal and jump a fence," continued Skelton. "We’ll try to find an owner for her but it’ll be someone who’s looking to breed.

"With the evolution of the stud we’re starting to get people on board who are buying to race, then breed, which is a really exciting position to be in. It’s getting harder and harder to buy the top-end horses so you’ve got to think outside of the box, and breeding is one potential option."

Doyle doubles up on £80,000 buys

The Doyle and Tizzard axis spent £286,000 on five lots during the two-day sale, with the £80,000 Affinisea gelding picked up on day one joined by a son of Kayf Tara from Little Lodge Farm for the same price on Tuesday.

"He’s a lovely, big athlete and he comes from a very good home," said agent Ross Doyle. "We liked him down at the stables and myself, Colin and Joe thought he looked even better walking around the parade ring. He’s a good size and very well balanced so if he’s got the engine to go with the looks then we’ll be in good shape.

"Kayf Tara is a fantastic sire and the lads have been very lucky with him over the years. Robin Des Champs looks a good broodmare sire going forward too, so hopefully this horse goes the right way."

Ross Doyle: 'Hopefully this horse goes the right way'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

Bred by the late Robert Chugg and his wife Jackie, the youngster is out of Susie Sheep, a winning daughter of Robin Des Champs.

Minton snares sibling to The New One

Few pages in the catalogue stood out like Lulham Bloodstock’s half-brother to The New One, and the son of Champs Elysees duly brought a winning bid of £78,000 from David Minton of Highflyer Bloodstock.

"I bought The New One and he’s a considerably nicer horse than he was at this stage of his life," said Minton, who indicated the horse would be trained by Nicky Henderson.

"I loved him the first time I saw him down in the yard and luckily Nicky saw him yesterday and we were very much in agreement. I’ve always been sweet on Champs Elysees, his stock seem very tough."

The youngster was pinhooked by Hamish MacAuley for €40,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland February National Hunt Sale in 2020. Lulham Bloodstock, which is run by father-daughter duo George and Libby Snell, had another good result to toast later on when the Blue Bresil half-sister to Cresswell Breeze fetched £75,000 from Jerry McGrath and Ed James.

Kent secures the Buck’s

Trainer Nick Kent got among the early action when going to £72,000 for the Buck’s Boum gelding out of Speedgirl offered by John Bleahen’s Lakefield Farm.

The three-year-old is a sibling to six winners, including the Listed-placed hurdler Speedy Blue Girl and Speedy Dancer, who was Listed-placed on the level. The dam is a Monsun sister to the classy stayer Speedmaster, whose biggest victory came in the Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier.

"He’s been bought for the Crossed Fingers Partnership," said Kent. "He’ll be broken in and we’ll see how we can go but we like the sire, there’s plenty of winners in the pedigree and he’s a lovely walker with a great attitude.

"We’re in the market for some stores but we’ll buy them wherever the right horse comes up. The owners have had some good horses over the years, horses like God’s Own, Double Shuffle and Bun Doran, so let's hope this one gets to that sort of level!"

The son of Buck’s Boum, already named Speed Buck’s, was making his second appearance at public auction having been sourced through Peter Vaughan’s Moanmore Stables for €21,000 at last year’s Arqana Lumet Show.

Buck’s Boum, who stands at Haras d’Enki at a fee of €7,000, is best known as the sire of dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo, while his stud record includes other noteworthy talents such as Duc Des Genievres, Dynamite Dollars and Enrilo.

Final figures

The second session of the Spring Store Sale generated turnover of £3,739,000, a two per cent increase on the corresponding day in 2021. The average was down two per cent at £31,420, while the median slipped by eight per cent to £23,000.

Those returns contributed to a whole-sale aggregate of £7,147,500, which was down marginally on 2021’s record total. The average was down one per cent at £31,767 and the median dropped by four per cent to £25,000. The clearance rate was 83 per cent as 225 of 272 offered lots found a buyer.

Tim Kent: 'We have invested a lot into the sale'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs UK

"We have added another successful chapter to the Spring Store Sale’s 60-year history and it seems fitting that it was this year that we set a new record top price for a British store with yesterday’s £200,000 top price," said Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent.

"Last year we ambitiously expanded this sale to two top-class days, set new records across the board, and, on the back of that, we doubled the prize fund of our bumper to £100,000, making it the richest bumper in the world.

"We have invested a lot into the sale, it holds an important place on the calendar being Britain’s only elite store sale, so to see it maintain the ground it gained last year, whilst setting more new records, is very gratifying and we can look back over the last 12 months and be very pleased with what it has achieved."

He added: "We are obviously only halfway through the Spring Sale with two days of horses-in-training and pointers to come, but we would like to extend our thanks to everyone who has supported us for the Store Sale and we look forward to another big two days of selling."

The action at Goffs UK continues on Wednesday with day one of the Spring Horses in Training and Point-to-Point Sale, which begins at 10am.

More news:

Emotions run high as Henrietta Knight secures £200,000 Doncaster record breaker

Honeysuckle, Constitution Hill and Mac Tottie among NH Breeders' Awards winners

British trainers set to profit as Bahrain buying power soars past €1m at Arqana