Derek O'Connor gets the Job done as £150,000 pointer heads to Claire Dyson

There was a major spike in bidding activity midway through the Goffs UK Doncaster Autumn Horses in Training Sale on Thursday when winning point-to-pointer Do Your Job was knocked down to Derek O'Connor for £150,000.

After a fairly sedate start to the session, the bid board soon rattled into six-figure territory once the son of Fame And Glory, a winner at Castletown-Geoghegan earlier in the month, took to the South Yorkshire sales ring.

At the £135,000 mark it seemed as though Peter Bowen had sealed the deal from the bidders' area but, just as gravity was about to take charge of George Stanners' gavel, O'Connor signalled another £5,000 increase from his position at the back of the gangway.

The pair exchanged another brief back and forth, but when O'Connor pushed the price to the sale-topping sum, Bowen was forced to concede.

View full Autumn Horses in Training Sale results and stats

The half-brother to Listed-winning hurdler Down Ace, who shares his family with Gold Cup hero Long Run, is due to begin his career under rules with Worcestershire trainer Claire Dyson.

"He's been bought by owner Mark Dunphy and he'll be going into training with Claire Dyson," said O'Connor. "He's the standout lot here, he's a beautiful specimen and he has a good pedigree backing him up so we're hopeful he can bring the owner a lot of success."

The five-year-old was consigned by Colin Bowe's Milestone Stables and was making his third appearance at public auction, having been bought by Aiden Murphy for €50,000 at Tattersalls Ireland in February 2015 before he was signed for by Bowe and Denis Murphy at £28,000 at Goffs UK in January 2017.

Derek O'Connor: excited by the chances of Vanillier in the National Hunt ChaseCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

O'Connor, a leading amateur jockey and Goffs UK horses in training agent, continued: "He's an outstanding physical with great movement, and I think the most important thing is that he was very impressive the day he won his point-to-point."

On the sale-topping price, O'Connor added: "I think the market has shown before that you have to spend that kind of money to get the real article. I just hope he's lucky for his new owner - I think he will be as he's a very nice horse."

Bromley gets the Buzz

Smart middle-distance performer Buzz is set for a change of scenery after Highflyer Bloodstock's Anthony Bromley struck a winning bid of £80,000 on behalf of Thurloe Thoroughbreds, with the son of Motivator now bound for Nicky Henderson's Seven Barrows academy.

The lightly raced five-year-old won four of his 15 starts for Hughie Morrison, having been bought for just €13,000 as a yearling, and changes hands with a peak Racing Post Rating of 104. He also picked up black type when third to Gold Mount in the Listed Grand Cup Stakes at York in June.

"He's been bought for the Thurloe Thoroughbreds partnership and will go to Nicky Henderson," said Bromley. "He's a five-year-old but he's officially rated 96 and I believe Hughie was training him for the November Handicap.

"We won't go that route, we'll get him schooled and go jumping. He may go back on the Flat next year but he's been bought to be a nice hurdling prospect."

Anthony Bromley: 'He may go back on the Flat next year but he's been bought to be a nice hurdling prospect'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

Best known as the sire of dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Treve, Motivator has also enjoyed some notable successes with his progeny who have been sent jumping, including Modus, Stormy Ireland and Pentland Hills, with Pentland Hills having landed the Triumph Hurdle and Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle for Henderson having been purchased by Bromley.

Bromley was back in action later in the session when going to £30,000 for Minella Wizard, a four-year-old son of Shirocco who twice reached the frame in point-to-points for John Nallen.

On spec for Stapleton

A pair of lots with winning point-to-point form fetched £40,000, including Portrush scorer Press Your Luck, who went the way of agent Ed Stapleton and trainer Chris Gordon when presented by Donnchadh Doyle's Monbeg Stables.

The four-year-old son of Doyen from the family of RSA Chase hero Topofthegame was pulled up on his debut and fell on his second outing during the summer, but resumed with an all-the-way success on Saturday.

"He's been bought on spec by Chris," said Stapleton. "We were really impressed by his win at the weekend - the only race he's finished he's won. We're big fans of Doyen too and we're always impressed by horses from the Doyles. For us, he was the pick of the sale."

Press Your Luck was another lot to make Thursday his third visit to the sales ring, having first fetched €7,000 from Richard Frisby as a short yearling before T Finn paid €38,000 for the son of Doyen at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

The other lot to bring £40,000 was Colin Bowe's two-time winner Pennyforapound, who was snapped up by Rebecca Curtis having won a maiden and a winners' race at Castletown-Geoghegan.

Final figures

Market indices at the reformatted Autumn Horse in Training Sale, which did not include a dedicated yearling session as in 2018, were done no favours by a significant number of withdrawals, though once again the most highly touted offerings drew plenty of interest.

The one-day sale concluded with turnover of £890,200 - down 41 per cent on the corresponding session from 12 months ago; an average of £8,900 - down 22 per cent; and a median of £4,000 - down from £5,000.

The clearance rate stood at 70 per cent, with 100 of 143 offered lots changing hands.

At the close of trade, Goffs UK managing director Tony Williams said: "Today's sale demonstrated once again the strength at the top of the market with the Listed-placed and four-time winner Buzz and debut winning Irish pointer Do Your Job selling well – the latter matching last year's top price of £150,000.

"This sale has produced some outstanding racehorses, such as the triple Grade 1 winner Supasundae, and we wish our buyers, who have travelled from throughout Europe and the Middle East, the very best of luck with their purchases."

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Aga Khan draft dominates trade at Goffs with Tetrarch winner Shelir topping bill