A familiar story with £260,000 Aintree sale-topper Nativehill after Bartlett's Banbridge success

Dysart Enos provided Goffs UK with a timely example of what boutique point-to-point sales are all about minutes before Thursday’s Aintree Sale began. Fergal O'Brien's easy nine-length winner of the Grade 2 Nickel Coin Mares' Bumper was sold at the 2022 renewal by Harley Dunne, and the Malinas mare, already a Listed winner, was preserving an unbeaten record since her £95,000 purchase by the trainer 12 months ago.

No auctioneer's patter could provide a better reminder of the potential for success that was on offer, not that Ronnie Bartlett needed another one. The opening race of the day, the Grade 1 Racehorse Lotto Manifesto Novices' Chase, was won by Bartlett's Banbridge, with the son of Doyen starting his career at the Loughanmore Stables of trainer Colin McKeever and owner Wilson Dennison.

And it was to that tried and trusted source that Bartlett returned in search of further success, with Ian Ferguson, accompanying the owner, winning out at £260,000 for Nativehill, a five-year-old son of Flemensfirth who was a late addition to the catalogue after his Easter Saturday saunter to success at Loughanmore. The team said it was too early to comment on future plans for the horse.

Nativehill is a half-brother to Bellshill, who was a Grade 1 winner in bumpers, over hurdles and fences. Trained by Willie Mullins for Graham Wylie, his career highlights included victories in the Punchestown and Irish Gold Cups. 

The pedigree features traditionally strong National Hunt influences; By King's Theatre, Bellshill is one of five track winners foaled by Fairy Native, a daughter of Be My Native and out of a half-sister to the dam of the brilliant One Man. 

Circle keeps turning for Browns

There was a sad start to the week for Andy and Gemma Brown with the loss of their dual Grade 1 winner Mighty Potter at Fairyhouse on Sunday, but the couple, whose horses run under the name of Caldwell Construction, returned to the ring at Aintree on Thursday night, purchasing the second most expensive lot of the sale.

Sean Doyle of Monbeg Stables sent out D B Cooper to make a winning debut at Ballyknock earlier this month and the son of Getaway engaged in a tussle with A Garde Toi all the way to the line, from which Doyle's four-year-old emerged victorious. The superiority of the first two home was evident in the enormous gap of 30 lengths back to the third horse, ensuring that D B Cooper was one of the talking horses at the sales ground and duly earned a six-figure price tag.

Joey Logan, adviser to the Browns, signed the docket at £225,000. 

He said: "I thought he was impressive and he came very well recommended - Sean Doyle said he was one of the best four-year-olds he's had. He is out of a Presenting mare and there is a lot to like. I recommended him to Andy and he said to buy him."

The sale was a significant return on Monbeg Stables' outlay at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in June, where D B Cooper cost €28,000. He is the first runner out of Swiss Bliss, an unraced daughter of the Listed-placed hurdler Swiss Hall, who is a Saddlers' Hall half-sister to Punchestown's Grade 1 Champion Stayers Hurdle third Basilea Star.

Double Delight for Dunne

There were parallels between Dysart Enos and Dunne's representative in this year's sale as both horses made eyecatching debuts when finishing second in their four-year-old maidens before selling at Aintree.

This year Dunne sent recent Quakerstown runner-up Jeu Des Champs to Aintree and the €65,000 store sale purchase returned a healthy profit when knocked down to Jerry McGrath for £180,000.

Jeu Des Champs was sold by Harley Dunne to Jerry McGrath for £180,000Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

The tight timings meant that although Dunne was at Aintree, he was unable to watch his graduate gallop to glory in real time, settling for watching through the prism of a screen while preparing Jeu Des Champs for his turn in the spotlight. However the importance of the moment was certainly not lost on the affable handler.

"I was only able to see the last half furlong on my phone as I was getting this horse ready," said Dunne, who was still on a high after Dysart Enos's success. "It's great us selling them but you need to see them go on for the next man. To see her win a Grade 2 at Aintree on an occasion like this is really special."

Of Jeu Des Champs, another supplementary entry to the sale on the back of that impressive debut, Dunne added: "He is a really long and athletic horse but he is also very raw. With a bit of time he is going to be a proper horse."

The son of Joshua Tree is out of Quoi D'Autre, a Robin Des Champs half-sister to the Feltham winner Ungaro and to the dam of Houblon Des Obeaux, a dual Grade 2 winner over fences.

Successful buyer Jerry McGrath reported that Jeu Des Champs will go into training with Nicky Henderson, who had earlier watched his stars Constitution Hill and Shishkin enhance their outstanding reputations.

McGrath said: "I went specifically to see him run and I had been to see him at Harley's. He is going to go to Seven Barrows for an enthusiastic group of owners."

Kirby finds a lucky Diamond

There was an early strike for Phil Kirby by way of Michael Kennedy’s Diamonds For Luck, who had appeared unfortunate to fall in two starts but had done enough to impress the Yorkshire trainer for his team to go up to £130,000.

“Andy Bradshaw has had horses with me in the past and I am pleased he bought him,” said Kirby. “He was the first on our list and I think he would have won a point. We will get him home but I'd have thought he won't be out again this season.”

The stage is set for the Goffs UK Aintree SaleCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

The sale generated total income of £2,945,000, with 24 of the 27 horses offered changing hands, for a clearance rate of 89 per cent. The average price was £122,708, with the median coming in at £110,000.

Tim Kent, managing director of Goffs UK, commented: "The day finished with another successful Aintree sale which saw a total of 19 horses sell for six-figure sums, five more than we achieved in what was a record sale last year. This was matched by an 89 oer cent clearance rate and a median that was 15 per cent ahead of last year and clearly demonstrates the consistent level of trade from start to finish. 

"The genuine nature of today’s market is another highlight of tonight’s sale and, as ever, we would like to extend our thanks to the Aintree Executive for their support of the sale. We must also thank our vendors who have once again supported us with their very best horses and we wish all buyers the very best of luck with their new purchases." 

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