‘I was bidding from my kitchen table dreaming of Cheltenham at every click!’ - buyers from far and wide help March Sale gross 389,000gns

A routine session of trading saw 389,000gns change hands at the Tattersalls March Sale on Wednesday as a diverse cast of buyers got stuck into the mixed catalogue.

The useful middle-distance runner Cavern Club is set for a change of Newmarket yards after heading the market at 32,000gns. Marco Botti’s two-time winner was secured by near neighbour James Owen. 

The four-year-old ran 14 times for Botti, with his most recent success coming over a mile and a half at Newmarket last August. His best effort on Racing Post Ratings (RPRs) came on his next outing when he finished second to In The Breeze at Doncaster, a performance rated 88 by the Racing Post handicapper.

He was last seen finishing a creditable third at Southwell a week before he came under the hammer. 

As well as switching yards the son of Ribchester is also set to switch codes, as his new trainer said: “He can take us to a lot of places. He will go hurdling and has been bought as a nice dual-purpose horse. Ribchester is getting a few jumpers now and this horse won't be long in running. He’s been bought on spec.” 

Cavern Club had been to the sales twice previously, first when signed for by Botti at Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale at 20,000gns before he was a vendor buyback at 40,000gns at last year’s August Sale. 

James Owen: buyer of top lot Cavern ClubCredit: Alisha Meeder

Ribchester, whose oldest offspring are five this year, has sired six winners from 13 runners during the current National Hunt season. 

Botti’s Prestige Place finished the sale as the leading vendor by average, with four lots moved on for a combined 73,000gns and a mean value of 18,250gns.

The quartet also included the 20,000gns Carbis Bay, a placed four-year-old son of Siyouni who is set to continue his career as a dual-purpose prospect for Chris Gordon after being knocked down to agent Jerry McGrath. 

The two-and-a-half hour session generated an average price of 8,277gns and a median value of 4,500gns. The clearance rate was 78 per cent as 47 of 60 offered lots found a buyer.

The change of venue for this renewal meant there are no direct comparisons with last year’s edition, which was staged at the mothballed Ascot venue. On that occasion the market featured five six-figure lots, led by the £150,000 Isle Of Jura. 

Cantillon clicks with Godolphin filly

The leading consignor by aggregate sales was Godolphin, whose eight lots generated receipts totalling 87,500gns, 23 per cent of turnover. The most expensive of the group was the unraced three-year-old filly Eastern Whisper, a daughter of Sea The Stars and the Listed-placed Jollify who fetched 28,000gns from Jack Cantillon. 

“I’m delighted to buy Eastern Whisper,” said Cantillon. “My theory was I would have to pay triple for a filly of this quality in a few months at store sales, so I thought I’d get in early as she’s unraced and eligible for bumpers. It’s a family I know well and love. Our family owns the granddam [Jomana] and we also have Ellen Kelly under the second dam, who’s in training with Willie Mullins. 

Eastern Whisper: "I think she’ll be very popular"Credit: Alisha Meeder

“I haven’t decided on a trainer yet but it will be one of our leading National Hunt trainers at Syndicates.Racing, and she’ll be available for syndication to our owners. I think she’ll be very popular.” 

Having landed the winning bid online, Cantillon added: “I couldn’t make it in person so I was bidding from my kitchen table dreaming of Cheltenham at every click of the bid button! Thanks to Patrick Diamond who helped with the inspection.” 

Middle Eastern manoeuvres 

Middle Eastern money had a significant role in proceedings, most notably when JD Moore purchased the third top lot, the 27,000gns Perfect View, on behalf of Hussain Al Dossary. 

The three-year-old son of Outstrip made a winning debut for George Scott last May and has finished runner-up on both his subsequent starts, most recently when behind Dyrholaey in a Wolverhampton novice earlier in the month. 

“The horse goes to the Middle East,” said Moore. “He’s shown form on the all-weather, he’s been consistent and has been well handled by trainer George Scott, who recommended him. Hussain has been lucky with his purchases at Tattersalls.” 

Those performances helped Perfect View fetch more than on his last visit to the sales as he was sourced by Scott from the Somerville Yearling Sale at just 15,000gns. 

Dr Khaled Salami (right): "We like this horse, he should suit the racing in Libya"Credit: Alisha Meeder

Tattersalls regular Dr Khaled Salami was recruiting racing prospects for Libya and went to 23,000gns to secure Superb Force from Andrew Balding’s Kingsclere Training Stables.

The three-year-old not only possessed one of the catalogue’s most eye-catching pages but also boasted an important update as he was last seen shedding his maiden with a two-and-a-quarter length victory over a mile at Newcastle. 

The former Zhang Yuesheng colour bearer was bred by McCracken Farms from the Kingmambo mare Al Andalyya, making the son of Night Of Thunder a half-brother to the Group 1-winning siblings Best Solution and El Bodegon. 

“We like this horse, he should suit the racing in Libya,” said Salami. “He looks an unexposed type and should have further improvement. He has a good pedigree, we love his pedigree and could become a stallion. He’s been bought for a friend who has a farm in Libya. The racing is improving in the country, the government has given some backing, prize-money is okay and you need a nice horse to be competitive.” 

Superb Force had been to the sales on one previous occasion when he was purchased by Yuesheng through BBA Ireland for 170,000gns. 

Exciting venture for Pompey

The first lot to go above the 10,000gns mark was the two-time winner Mulciber, who was among those consigned by Botti’s Prestige Place.

The three-year-old son of Advertise gained both his victories at Newcastle, the first coming on nursery debut over seven furlongs last year before he doubled his tally in a mile handicap during the latest all-weather campaign. He was last seen finishing second to Prince Eric in a 0-65 handicap at Southwell, an effort that saw him match his peak RPR of 66. 

Ned Sangster, acting on behalf of the Pompey Ventures syndicate, struck the winning bid at 17,000gns. 

“This horse will be going to Dylan Cunha,” said Sangster. “He looks very genuine and when he was beaten earlier this month he really put his head down and tried hard. He should be a fun horse. We will geld him and hope that brings about a bit of improvement.” 

Horses are led up at Park Paddocks during the Tattersalls March SaleCredit: Alisha Meeder

Pompey Ventures, who also have horses with George Boughey, Karl Burke, Harry Derham and Ollie Sangster, have already seen the syndicate colours carried to victory this year by dual winner Media Shooter and Oliver Show.

Sangster added: “The syndicates are all about getting young people into racing and making racehorse ownership affordable.” 

Mulciber was bred by Fittocks Stud, Ecurie des Monceaux and Arrow Farm and was making it fourth time lucky at the sales, having previously been withdrawn from the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale and last year’s Autumn Horses in Training Sale. 

Lewis and Pritchard Webb combine

The 60 lots that came under the hammer featured a mix of Flat and National Hunt stock and it was from the latter category that agent Jacob Pritchard Webb and trainer Sheila Lewis went to 15,000gns to secure Micro Millions. 

The lightly raced six-year-old won a five-year-old maiden point at Rathcannon before transferring to Dan Skelton for owners Craig and Laura Buckingham. The son of Milan has subsequently been placed three times from five outings under rules, most recently when runner-up in a Catterick maiden hurdle on his penultimate outing. That effort was allotted an RPR of 109. 

Jacob Pritchard Webb joined forces with Sheila Lewis to buy Micro MillionsCredit: Alisha Meeder

“Sheila’s not far from me in Wales,” said Pritchard Webb. “I’ve known her for a long time and rode for her once. This is our first venture, we’ve been talking about doing something together since I started buying horses. This is a really nice type, a lovely model who’ll be nice to run around those tracks near her. We can get on with him and it’ll be exciting to see him over a fence. I think that’s where his career lies as he’s still only six. Sheila’s going places so it is exciting.” 

Micro Millions was making his fourth appearance on the public market. He first sold as a three-year-old store when bought by his point-to-point handler Sam Curling for €67,000. He was retained by Curling when next offered at the Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale last year just after breaking his maiden between the flags, but then sold to the Buckinghams for £40,000 at the Goffs UK Spring Horses in Training Sale the following month.

Read more

The exceptionally gifted but ill-fated filly who could have been a female Frankel for Juddmonte 

'It was surreal' - meet the bloodstock stalwart who rode an Irish Grand National winner