Harris hoping purchase can make his mark

Recent Ffos Las winner Postmark is set for a change of direction following his sale-topping £50,000 purchase by Milton Harris's Avon Racing from ThoroughBid's July Sale.

Consigned by Ralph Beckett, for whom he won over a mile this month, the three-year-old is from the first crop of the 2015 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Postponed.

Harris bought the gelding, who is a half-brother to Listed Tropical Park Oaks winner and Group 3 Brownstown Stakes third Bipartisanship, with plans to follow a similar campaign to that of Knight Salute. The Sir Percy gelding started off in a Sedgefield juvenile hurdle last September before going on to win three Grade 2 contests and ending the season with victory in the Grade 1 Anniversary Four-Year-Old Hurdle at Aintree.

"I love a juvenile hurdler," said the delighted trainer, who bought Postmark under his Avon Racing banner. "Last year was a very good one for us with Knight Salute, but going back over the years I've always loved training juvenile hurdlers."

Harris had delved into Postmark's background and spoken to those involved with the horse on a daily basis before making the decision to buy him, and was more than satisfied by what he discovered.

"He comes recommended by the people who rode him and Mr Beckett always buys a lovely type of horse and they can progress when you buy them. I've done a lot of research into him and I've been told he has a very good mind. He's sold with all his vet certificates too."

The trainer is hopeful that Postmark, whose official rating of 81 is higher than Knight Salute had attained on the Flat when he purchased the son of Sir Percy last summer, can emulate that horse's exploits in juvenile hurdles.

"You would hope he would be up to winning in the better juvenile hurdles as the season progresses and I would be delighted if he could be another Knight Salute," he said.

"The idea is to get him to those Graded races at Cheltenham or Aintree next year. He'll start off low-key and get some confidence by winning a few," Harris adds. "It's more about for me if they stay well, whether they have the size and scope and if their minds are good. He fits all the criteria I have for a juvenile hurdler."

Postmark has a typically impressive Juddmonte pedigree as his dam Dream Wild is an Oasis Dream half-sister to Yorkshire Oaks winner and St Leger runner-up Quiff. She is also a half-sister to a Sadler's Wells-sired pair of classy stayers in Chester Vase second Arabian Gulf and Total Command, who was third in the Queen's Vase. His second dam Wince, by Selkirk, won the 1,000 Guineas and Nell Gwyn Stakes.

Although Harris has no particular owner in mind for Postmark, he is certain it won't be difficult to find one and that with current market trends the £50,000 he paid for the gelding represents value.

"I'm very pleased to have bought him and I think when you look at what they were fetching at the horses in training sale earlier this month that it's a very good price. Ask me just after March next year if it's a bargain," he said.

What pleased ThoroughBid CEO James Richardson most about the sale was the involvement of new names.

“It’s always nice to have great feedback from new consigners and bidders alike in Alex Elliott [the agent responsible for Postmark] and Milton Harris," Richardson said.

“We're all are looking forward to following Postmark with Milton Harris as he embarks on a juvenile hurdling campaign. We’re now counting down to our next sale on Friday, September 16 when we'll have an exciting catalogue to celebrate the anniversary of our very first sale.”

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