Let the hunt for future Grade 1 winners begin - all eyes on Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale

Owners in search of future Grade 1 winners will enhance their prospects with a spot of discerning retail therapy at the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale, which has an enviable record of producing top-class runners.

Envoi Allen, a triple Grade 1 winner at the Cheltenham Festival, is the brightest star to have shone from this sale, and one of the most expensive having brought the hammer down at £400,000 in 2018, when Tom Malone, acting on behalf of Cheveley Park Stud, purchased him from Colin Bowe's Milestone Stables.

A year later Bowe sold another horse who would go on to festival glory in the red, white and blue of the renowned Newmarket nursery, Champion Bumper winner Ferny Hollow, who was knocked down to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for £300,000.

Mullins and Kirk bought Grade 1 novice hurdle winner Asterion Forlonge here as a four-year-old from Pat Doyle for £290,000 in 2018, and two years later sourced another Grade 1 winner, Brandy Love, from Bowe.

At last year's renewal of the sale the Wexford handler consigned the sale-topper, Jersey Des Brosses, a four-year-old son of No Risk At All who made £370,000 to Gordon Elliott and is set to have his first run for new owners Gigginstown House Stud at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

Jersey Des Brosses had been runner-up on his debut at Oldtown to Rob James' Jingko Blue and the winner made £225,000 to Jerry McGrath in the ring at Cheltenham. He has won two of his three hurdles starts this season for Nicky Henderson.

It was a successful sale for McGrath, who is developing into a fine selector of young stock. For the same connections as Jingko Blue he also purchased this season's Grade 1 Formby Novices' Hurdle (formerly the Tolworth) winner Jango Baie for £170,000 from Michael Goff. The son of Tiger Groom had finished second to No Flies On Him on his debut at Knockanard 11 days before his appearance in the ring at Prestbury Park.

Friday's auction is the first opportunity to purchase a coveted four-year-old maiden winner and there are several in this year's catalogue. Clearly, Bowe's draft is the first place agents on the hunt for a future star will begin their search, and they will discover there is a real sense of familiarity about lot 26. 

The Bowe, Barry O'Neill and Walter Connors trainer-rider-owner combination won the renowned Ballinaboola four-year-old maiden in 2018 with Envoi Allen, and they repeated the trick this year with Korkoran at the start of the month.

Jango Baie: Grade 1 Formby Novice Hurdle winner was bought at the 2023 Tattersalls Cheltenham SaleCredit: GROSSICK RACING 07710461723

Sharing his sire with Bowe's 2023 sale-topper, he has a wonderful French pedigree as a half-brother to the Grade 3 Prix The Fellow Chase winner Okkido out of Grade 3 Prix Morgex Chase winner Kotkieglote. She is a Poliglote half-sister to Katenko, who was a good chaser trained by Venetia Williams, and to Kotkira, the dam of Grade 2 Prix Congress Chase winner and dual Grade 1-placed Kobrouk.

His second dam, Katiana, is a half-sister to four black-type winners headed by the Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres winner Kotkita, herself the dam of Grade 1 winner Kotkikova.

Bowe also offers Jubilant (16), a five-year-old son of Doctor Dino who was second on his debut at Tyrella last month. He is out of a winning Network half-sister to Gary Moore's Grade 1 Clarence House Chase winner Editeur Du Gite.

Before Youdecide's (30) four-length victory on his debut at Comea this month, the most significant achievement of Pharney Lady was beating Missunited into second when winning a bumper on her debut. The Flemensfirth mare, who is a half-sister to the dam of Sign Of A Victory and Rather Be, is the dam of Pat Doyle's four-year-old son of Mahler.

Doyle's reputation for educating future track stars is formidable and he also consigns Dixie Mafia (40), who won the five-year-old maiden on the same card as Youdecide was successful. 

Jango Baie making £170,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham February SaleCredit: Alisha Meeder

The son of Sholokhov is the first foal out of Midnight Way, an unraced Stowaway half-sister to Midnight Gift, who was Grade 2-placed over hurdles at Fairyhouse and is the dam of Gordon Elliott's Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase and Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle winner Death Duty. 

The family also includes Grade 1 and Coral Cup winner Commander Of Fleet, like Death Duty owned by Gigginstown and trained by Elliott, and One Knight, who won the RSA Chase for Philip Hobbs.

Michael Goff's taste in music is as good as his eye for a pointer if Karma Police (19) is anything to go by. The son of It's Gino went one better than Goff's Jango Baie when winning his four-year-old maiden on his debut almost a fortnight ago at Kirkistown. It was a strong performance from Karma Police, who is the first runner out of Albain Champenoise, an unraced Lavirco half-sister to Auteuil Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Mysoko.

Goff also sends over Clondaw General (8), who made a winning debut in the five-year-old maiden at Cragmore last month. The grey son of Milan is one of four winners, two on the track, out of Dahara, who is a winning Take Risks half-sister to Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois Chase winner Top Of The Sky. She is also a half-sister to Solana Beach, dam of Thyestes Chase winner Coko Beach and Coastal Beach, who won the Listed Prix Wild Monarch and is the dam of Grade 1 winner Flying Chaser.

Before withdrawals, the catalogue boasted 28 winners of Irish and British point-to-points, 11 winning and placed four-year-old point-to-pointers, one four-year-old Irish bumper winner and 21 horses who won on their debut.

Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale factfile

Where Tattersalls Cheltenham sales ring, Cheltenham racecourse

When Selling starts at 1pm on Friday

Last year's stats From 52 offered, 40 lots sold for a clearance rate of 77 per cent, turnover of £4,298,000 (up 37 per cent on 2022), an average price of £107,450 (up 23 per cent) and median of £77,500 (up 23 per cent)

Notable graduates Envoi Allen (sold by Milestone Stables, bought by Tom Malone for £400,000); Ferny Hollow (sold by Milestone Stables, bought by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for £300,000); Asterion Forlonge (sold by Suirview Stables, bought by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for £290,000)

Read this next:

'Justify could be the best ever' – picking Aidan O'Brien's brains about breeding