‘We’ve had only one Gold Cup horse and we’d like another’ - Elliott outbids Malone at £335,000 to secure highly touted Tumuch

Ballycrystal Stables’ wide-margin Lingstown winner Tumuch brought a tall reputation to the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale on Friday and lived up to the hype when selling for £335,000. 

Robbie Power helped force the early running but matters eventually boiled down to Tom Malone, besides Paul Nicholls in his usual position at the back of the bidders’ area, and Gordon Elliott, flanked by Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan and Eddie O’Leary away to the left of the auditorium. 

Malone made a determined play but Elliott persistently flashed five digits in the auctioneer’s direction and when he nudged the price to £335,000 the gavel fell in favour of the Cullentra House Stables man. 

The son of Buck’s Boum created a huge impression with a bloodless debut victory for Matthew Flynn O'Connor. The four-year-old was always up with the pace under Brian Lawless and, having taken up the running before three out, proceeded to power clear without so much as coming off the bridle. The eventual margin of victory was an eased-down 12 lengths.

Aidan O'Ryan in action after buying top lot Tumuch with Gordon Elliott Credit: Debbie Burt

“He’s a lovely horse and he won very well on his debut,” said O’Ryan, who stated the purchase was made on behalf of an existing owner. 

“He was very eyecatching and Matty’s been very fond of him all along. His horses were sick in the spring so he didn’t get to run him until now. We saw them all in January though so we’ve been waiting for him to come out and run, and he’s gone and done the business.”

O’Ryan expanded on the policy of recruiting from the pointing field, adding: “You can get Gold Cup horses out of point-to-points. We’ve had only one but we’d like another! 

"I thought he might make a bit more, to be honest. He was very popular though and we’re glad to get him. We’re building up a big team of young horses for the future and there’s plenty more to come.” 

Tumuch has been to the sales on two previous occasions. He was signed for by Five Star Bloodstock at €32,000 when he was offered by Elevage de Lessiguet as a foal at Arqana in 2019. He was then reoffered through Kilminfoyle House Stud at last year’s Derby Sale, where Ger O’Connor brought the hammer down at €65,000. 

Tumuch takes his turn in the sales ring at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December SaleCredit: Debbie Burt

There was plenty of chat surrounding Tumuch before he came under the hammer again, but Flynn O’Connor said that far from ramping up the pressure, the hype made his job easier. 

“You can come here and don’t have to try to sell the horse because everyone’s already done their homework and seen what he can do,” he said. “At the end of the day, he sells himself. All his work at home has been very good and I’ve had him in a couple of schooling hurdles and everything he’s done has been nice. It was good to see him back that up when he went to his point-to-point.” 

He added: “He’s always been a big, fine horse. If you wanted to be critical he was a bit raw when we bought him so we’d always planned that he wouldn’t run until the autumn. We thought there was a bit of value at €65,000 and it’s worked out. He’ll only improve for a summer’s grass, there’s loads more to come from him. He’s right up there with the best we’ve had.” 

Bred by Mickael Angee, Tumuch is out of Pistol Girl, a winning daughter of the Pistolet Bleu stallion Maille Pistol. The dam, who has also bred one winner under rules, is a sibling to the Listed-winning chaser Cold March and to the dam of eight-time scorer and Desert Orchid Chase runner-up Sir Valentino. 

Elliott and O’Ryan later went to £150,000 for Going Live, a son of Doyen also offered by Flynn O'Connor. The four-year-old, a €70,000 store sale signing by Mikie Doyle, won at Lingstown at the third time of asking. 

Kirk a big fan of Cokoriko

The second-top lot will also head back across the Irish Sea after Harold Kirk bid £300,000 for Denis Murphy’s Borris House scorer Port Joulain. Tattersalls’ Shirley Anderson-Jolag, taking instructions on the phone at the top of the stairs opposite the rostrum, filled the role of underbidder after Kirk struck the decisive, almost impatient, £20,000 increase from beside the entrance.  

The four-year-old son of Cokoriko made a winning debut by six lengths and that performance is backed up by a strong French pedigree as his dam is a sibling to the dam of 11-time Grade 1 winner Apple's Jade. 

Port Joulain: "I loved him as an individual, he looks like a classy horse"Credit: Debbie Burt

“Obviously he’s going to Willie Mullins,” said Kirk. “I love the sire, he’s the sire that gets the most winners in France. We have a very good horse by him for JP McManus called Indiana Dream. He won a novice chase impressively at Navan the other week. Apple’s Jade is in the pedigree too and we know her well because we bought her from France."  

He added: “I remember seeing this horse at the Derby Sale and when I went through my notes he had four ticks out of five. I loved him as an individual, he looks like a classy horse. I’m very fond of the sire though and I know the French trainers love him. Denis highly recommended this horse and he’s been at the game a long time.”

Port Joulain first appeared on the public market at the Derby Sale when Murphy added him to the Ballyboy Stables ranks at a cost of €78,000. 

“That’s a great result but then he’s a nice horse,” said Murphy. “He’s gone to the right hotel anyway so best of luck to his new connections. We paid a bit for him but he’s a big, fine horse and has a big pedigree too. 

"It doesn’t always work out but it’s good when it does. I’ve had a few by Cokoriko this year. I’ve run only two and they’ve both won.” 

Big money for Black Sam Bellamy

Tom Malone may have missed out on the sale-topping Tumuch but he walked away with the third- and fourth-top lots after giving £225,000 for Terence O’Brien’s Boulta winner Belliano and £175,000 for Tom Ellis and Gina Andrews’ Chaddesley Corbett scorer Just A Rose. 

Belliano provided O’Brien with a handsome touch as the Cork-based handler picked up the son of Black Sam Bellamy for just €25,000 at last year’s Derby Sale. The four-year-old made an impressive winning debut by six lengths. 

“You dream about these things,” said O’Brien. “He performed really well on the day and after that we were a bit excited and the dream was alive. Before the race started I was hopeful but I wasn’t sure, but he put in a very good performance. He walked the walk and once you do that you always have a chance.” 

Belliano: "He walked the walk and once you do that you always have a chance"Credit: Debbie Burt

Belliano is out of Miliana, an Aga Khan-bred Group 3 winner on the Flat. The daughter of Polar Falcon has bred five winners of her own and is a sibling to three black-type jumpers, including the Grade 3-winning chaser Mirpour and the Swinton Hurdle scorer Mirjan. Christmas Hurdle winner Mourad and Australian Group 1 winner Mourayan appear beneath Belliano’s third dam. 

“I don’t normally buy very hot pedigrees because I don’t buy expensive horses but this fella came at a reasonable price,” continued O’Brien. “It’s a bit of a Flat pedigree but there’s plenty of National Hunt winners in there too. 

"He looks well bought all right but there’s plenty that you buy that are no good. People come to the sales and say, ‘Wow!’ at these prices but they don’t think of the four or five still at home that haven’t worked out. This is brilliant though and I don’t underestimate this result.” 

Malone, who confirmed his purchase would be heading to Paul Nicholls, said: “It was a strong maiden and he got left out of his ground three out before quickening well and circumnavigating the whole field. It takes a lot to do that at Boulta because the ground gets very heavy. To go that wide and still quicken like that, we were impressed. 

"He’s a beautiful horse and we’ve had a bit of luck with Black Sam Bellamy already this year. We have a very exciting bumper horse called Captain Bellamy, who runs at Ascot next week. Never be afraid of the sire if you like the horse and the performance.” 

The sire-driven nature of the National Hunt market has been brought into sharp relief at the foal sales in recent weeks. While Malone noted that trade had been particularly patchy, he emphasised that this does at least present opportunities for buyers willing to take a chance on a nice individual by a less fashionable sire. 

Just A Rose: "She hasn’t done anything different to any of the Irish horses"Credit: Debbie Burt

“That’s the upside, that it gives everyone a chance to buy a nice horse,” he said. “Yes, you might have to put form on them to get the money again, but this man’s done it with a €25,000 store. He proved he can win a maiden first time out and he deserved to make that money today.” 

The sale of Just A Rose capped a fine day for the G and T Racing team as not only did the daughter of Saint Des Saints equal the public auction record for a British point-to-point filly but Andrews tasted success aboard Latenightpass, who was formerly trained by Ellis, in Cheltenham’s cross-country race. 

Just A Rose was bred by Sarah Faulks after she purchased the dam carrying the Saint Des Saints filly in utero from the Munir and Souede dispersal at Arqana in 2018. There is substance to her pedigree as well as her performance as her dam was placed in an Auteuil Grade 3 and is a sibling to four black-type performers in France. 

“She’s a British point-to-pointer but at the end of the day she hasn’t done anything different to any of the Irish horses,” said Ellis. “She’s gone out and beaten a load of four-year-old geldings in the process so people should be taking these horses seriously. She’s got a great pedigree to go with it. People are getting a bit of faith in British pointers now and long may it continue. We’ve had a great day.” 

Just A Rose will join Belliano in heading to Nicholls’ Ditcheat academy. 

Malone said of her Chaddesley Corbett victory: “It was a nice performance and I’ve seen the three horses that filled the places and they’re all stand-up individuals. Sometimes you get a nice winner but you don’t like the second or third, but these are three beautiful individuals and they’re all four-year-olds, so there’s a chance it’s a nice race.”

Facts and figures

The session saw 41 lots offered and 33 sold for a clearance rate of 80 per cent. In turn, aggregate sales reached £3,448,000, which was a fractional gain on last year’s turnover despite five fewer lots finding a buyer. 

The average and median figures both reached record levels for this sale, with the former climbing by 16 per cent to £104,485 and the median up by 26 per cent at £85,000. 

Trade at the December Sale contributed to a new annual high mark for the Tattersalls Cheltenham auctions, which grossed a record £20,965,500 in 2023.

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