'We've come halfway around the world!' - Doncaster top lot set for 16,775km trip

Australians plundering European shores for staying prospects is not a new phenomenon, but it is an enterprise much more commonly associated with the Flat side of the bloodstock business. However, on day two of the Goffs UK Spring Horses in Training and Point-to-Point Sale it was an antipodean jumps trainer who made the biggest impact.

Aaron Purcell, who is based at Warrnambool on the south west coast of Victoria, partnered with Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley to secure the dual hurdle winner Crosshill from Ian Ferguson’s Mount Davy's Stables at £85,000.

The seven-year-old son of Sholokhov will now make the 16,775km journey from Doncaster to Purcell’s yard and be prepared for a tilt at the 2023 Warrnambool May Racing Carnival.

The trainer said: “There’s a race meeting at Warrnambool every May and the feature race is a three-mile-three steeplechase worth pretty good money. It’s a hard race to win and a hard race to find the right horse for, so we’ve come half way around the world hoping to get the right one!

“Hopefully he’ll be running in that race in 12 months’ time. The horse cost us a fair bit, he’s got to be successful to come out in front, but the race is worth A$300,000 (£170,000/€200,000). The going at the meeting is generally on the softer side but it’ll be firm leading into the race so he’s got to be able to get fit on quick ground. Being one-dimensional would make life hard but he looks like a versatile horse and he gets a trip.”

Purcell landed his first winner with Gold Rose in 2001 and has subsequently saddled a further 420 successful runners, including three at Group 1 level.

Expanding on his association with Bromley, Purcell said: “We’ve dealt with Anthony Bromley since 2009 and when we have owners who want a horse we generally contact him and see what he can find. This is our first time in Doncaster though, we didn’t really know what to expect but we’ve had a good trip and obviously the sales are very similar.”

Crosshill ran 11 times while with Jessica Harrington and was last seen carrying Ronnie Bartlett’s familiar colours to victory in a Punchestown handicap hurdle, earning a career-best Racing Post Rating of 143 in the process.

That transaction topped the market on a day when £2,089,300 changed hands, a 20 per cent increase on the corresponding session 12 months ago. The average price went in the opposite direction, down ten per cent to £12,218, while the median slid by 11 per cent to £8,000. The clearance rate was 90 per cent as 171 of 190 offered lots found a buyer.

The two-day Spring Horses in Training and Point-to-Point Sale saw turnover increase to a record level, with the aggregate up 13 per cent year-on-year to £7,163,000. The combined average was down seven per cent at £21,510 but the median rose by six per cent to £13,000. The clearance rate across the two days was 90 per cent, with 333 lots moved on from a 370-strong offering.

Million In Mind marks 30th year

The centrepiece of Thursday’s catalogue was the annual Million In Mind Partnership dispersal, which was celebrating its 30th anniversary. The leading light from the five-strong draft was two-time winner Guerlain De Vaux, who went the way of Jerry McGrath and Alastair Ralph at £75,000.

The strapping son of Tiger Groom won novice hurdles at Market Rasen and Catterick while under the care of Oliver Sherwood, who filled the role of underbidder, but the six-year-old’s new trainer sees his future being over the larger obstacles.

“I loved him,” said Ralph. “He’s a chaser in the making, that’s what he looks like and what we’ve bought him to do. We had a good order from some existing owners and we’re pleased to have bought him as he was the only one left on the list.

"We had a go at a point-to-pointer yesterday but we didn’t get him. It’s tough at the top when you’re bidding those sorts of numbers!”

Guerlain De Vaux catches the eye of Alastair Ralph to the tune of £75,000Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

Guerlain De Vaux had made two previous appearances at public auction, first when sold to Timmy Hillman for €24,000 as a yearling before the Crawford brothers gave €21,000 for him at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in 2019.

Ralph and McGrath also went to £20,000 for Iconic Rock, who was offered by Warren Greatrex on behalf of Million In Mind.

The daughter of Yeats fell on her second start over hurdles and failed to trouble the judge on her first, but was second in a Kirkistown mares' maiden point earlier in her career.

Ralph said: “We bought her on spec as I just liked the look of her and thought she might give a syndicate a bit of fun. We’ll get her home and get her sold.”

Looking ahead to the 2022-23 National Hunt season, the Shropshire-based trainer added: “We’re buying better horses now, which makes our life easier, and we’ve got some nice owners so things are going the right way. We’re growing slowly but we’re very happy with how things are going and we’ve probably got 50 horses for next winter.”

Bromley reflects on 'huge highs'

Major talents such as Grand Roi, Le Prezien, Uxizandre and Voy Por Ustedes have graduated from past Million In Mind dispersals, while prolific cross-country chaser Garde Champetre set a world record price for a National Hunt horse at public auction when selling to JP McManus through Timmy Hyde for 530,000gns during the 2004 renewal.

Reflecting on the partnership’s 30-year history, Bromley said: “I had a lot of dark hair and was very youthful back when we started! We’ve had some huge highs over the years, both on the racetrack and in the sales ring with champions and world record prices. We’ve also sold champions too, which is great as we can have them for only one season.

Anthony Bromley was in the thick of things on Thursday, as the annual Million In Mind dispersal took placeCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

“There were probably 20-odd members here today, which was nice, and they can see all the horses go through consecutively. Auctioneer Michael White sold the Million In Mind horses for 20-odd years before he retired. George Stanners took over but he’s moved on too so now we have the top man Henry Beeby selling for us. Michael White is actually a member of the syndicate now so I’m sure he’ll tell Henry how he thought he did!”

The draft also saw David Pipe go to £55,000 for dual-purpose runner Oceanline, Harry Hogarth gave £26,000 for bumper winner Largy Train, and Rathmacknee, who broke his maiden by 33 lengths after the catalogue’s publication, was knocked down to Highflyer at £45,000 and is set to join the horses in next year’s Million In Mind partnership. The five-strong draft generated receipts of £221,000, which was 11 per cent of the session's turnover.

Pauling gets in early

Ben Pauling was quick out of the blocks as he secured the very first lot into the ring, the promising Aintree winner Henry's Friend, with a bid of £60,000. The five-year-old son of Shirocco was saddled by Pauling for that debut success and will now head back to the trainer’s Naunton base for a new partnership.

“Obviously we trained him and he was owned by a syndicate of guys and girls who wanted to buy one to resell,” explained Pauling. “He was a horse we liked at home, he wasn’t the flashiest but he went to Aintree and did it very nicely. I didn’t think he’d win a bumper before the race but he probably could have done in hindsight.

“The [previous owners] bought two horses to be sold on after their first runs and they’ve both been moved on now. This horse has helped them out as we bought the two of them for 25 grand so they’ve washed their faces and hopefully the owners can go again.”

Ben Pauling: “I thought he might make a bit more'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

Henry's Friend, a €7,000 foal purchase by Beech Farm in 2017, was catalogued as unraced but made a successful debut just six days before the sale and proceeded to win by no fewer than 20 lengths despite showing his inexperience.

Pauling said he hopes there is plenty more to come from the youngster, adding: “I thought he might make a bit more but I’m delighted to have him back as he’s a horse with a bright future who’ll hopefully be grabbing some headlines.

"He’ll be owned by a syndicate, some of whom were involved in him already and a few others as well. He’ll go out now and come back in in the autumn and we can aim him at something half decent now he’s won his maiden.”

Spring Sale lives up to billing

Reflecting on four busy days of selling in Doncaster, Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said: “This week always shaped as a significant one for the Spring Sale as it celebrated its 60-year diamond anniversary on the traditional dates that launched DBS, now Goffs UK, back in 1962.

“Such is the significance of the event, the Racing Post wrote in the build-up that ‘with the small exception of the Cheltenham Festival, the Goffs UK Spring Sale can lay claim to being the most significant four-day event in the British National Hunt calendar’ – a mighty accolade for this time-honoured event.

“The last four days have certainly lived up to that billing as it once again was the focus of the bloodstock world – attracting huge crowds across both sections of the sale, which generated a new British record top price for a store, a record turnover for a session of jumping horses at Doncaster, and the highest total aggregate for the sale since its inception.

“None of this would have been possible without the help of our vendors, who have once again sent us some outstanding horses, and we are indebted to them for their continued support. The Spring Sale continues to forge ahead and through new schemes like next year’s £100,000 Spring Sale Bumper, we will continue to invest in its growth. We wish all our buyers the very best of luck with their purchases and we look forward to the Goffs Land Rover Sale on June 7-9.”

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