He wasn’t even there - but the Caldwell dispersal sale still revealed the most important factor behind Willie Mullins’ dominance

There were raised eyebrows at Tattersalls Ireland last week when the dispersal of 29 horses owned by Andy and Gemma Brown set all sorts of records in the sales ring.

The lots achieved a record-breaking aggregate for a one-day boutique National Hunt sale of €5,290,000. The average price for the session was €182,414, while four horses sold for more than €500,000 and ten for €200,000 or more. The highlight was Grade 1 winner Caldwell Potter setting a world record price of €740,000 for a jumps horse in training sold at public auction.

You had to feel for Gordon Elliott, who had done everything right with Caldwell Potter to that point only to see the horse leave his yard through no fault of his own. Elliott conducted himself impeccably throughout the build-up to the sale. He could have negotiated a private sale with the Browns but he said himself the fairest way for the horses to achieve their true market value was to go to public auction.