Henrietta Knight reveals the familiar name behind her sales-topping exploits

Henrietta Knight has revealed the identity of the owner she has been acting on behalf of when securing top lots at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December and Goffs UK January Sales, with the £450,000 Gallyhill and the £370,000 Keskonrisk set to race for Mancunian businessman Mike Grech, who previously co-owned the likes of Claimantakinforgan and Kupatana.

"I've known Mike for quite a while now and I've had long talks with him and we discussed starting a new racing interest, for which I'd buy the horses," she said. "We get along well and we've worked it all out so that's what we're doing."

Grech owns five horses in training, spread across three leading trainers – Nicky Henderson, Joseph O'Brien and Gordon Elliott – although Knight said should her headline-grabbing purchases prove to be successful, there was every chance the number would rise.

Mike Grech (second left) with Stuart Parkin (right) after Lust For Glory's victory at NewcastleCredit: John Grossick

"We haven't put a ceiling on the number of horses yet, we're just feeling our way at the moment," she said. "We have five horses at the moment, and if they're successful the venture will probably expand."

Gallyhill, who topped the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale having won a Kirkistown maiden for rookie trainer Jamie Sloan, has gone into training with Henderson, while Keskonrisk, winner of a Fairyhouse bumper for Timmy Hyde, has been sent to O'Brien having changed hands at Doncaster.

The other three horses have all been purchased privately by Knight, with Fils D'Oudairies, a son of Saint Des Saints who won at Auteuil for David Cottin, having joined O'Brien; recent Navan bumper winner Floueur, a son of Legolas, is set to remain with Elliott; while Henderson is overseeing the preparation of a young horse named I Am Maximus.

Gallyhill sells for £450,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December SaleCredit: Debbie Burt

Fils D'Oudairies is registered as being owned by Claudio Michael Grech.

The owner first rose to prominence in the racing world alongside Stuart Parkin, with the pair's distinctive black and pink silks carried to success by the likes of Mr Whipped, Stowaway Magic and Lough Derg Spirit, all of whom were sourced by Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock.

However, after a string of misfortunes, the partnership was dissolved during last year's Goffs UK Spring Horses in Training and Point-to-Point Sale, with the dispersal topped by Interconnected, who set a record price for a jumps horse when bought by Darren Yates for £620,000.

Keskonrisk tops the Goffs UK January Sale at £370,000Credit: Sarah Farnworth

Alongside other business interests, Grech and his wife Maxine run the Manchester Academy of Community Gymnastics in the couple's hometown of Salford, of which Knight said: "Their gymnastic centre does tremendous work, it really is fantastic. I'm not much good at gymnastics myself but the place looks incredible!"

Knight described the excitement of putting together a high-end racing string as "enormous", before adding: "I've done research into all the horses we've bought, I've dug into all their backgrounds. I love interacting with other trainers and going racing, and Mike, who absolutely adores National Hunt racing, and I will be working closely together.

"Headhunted might not be the right word, but Mike has obviously done a lot of research into my background and he believes he can trust me, and if you have mutual trust when you're running something it helps enormously."

Henrietta Knight in the training arena at West Lockinge FarmCredit: Edward Whitaker

While Knight's most noteworthy recent purchases have been made on behalf of Grech, the three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer said she was on the lookout for other clients too.

"I'm very fortunate as I have quite a number of people ringing me up asking me to look for horses for them," she said. "I'm going to spend two days in Ireland next week looking at all the point-to-point horses down in Wexford.

"There's five really big yards down there now and they've produced some amazing horses. I'm going to broaden my horizons and see what there is over there – I'll probably see over 200 horses and I'm sure it'll be very interesting."

While Knight's services as a talent-spotter have ensured she has been kept busy at recent sales, she continues to run her equine academy at West Lockinge Farm, where she teaches National Hunt performers the art of jumping. Christian Williams credited Knight with helping Potters Corner brush up his technique before landing the Coral Welsh Grand National.

She said: "I love getting my teeth into something and I love working, no two days are ever the same for me and it's always onwards and upwards the whole time. I just love it. I'm not going to stop doing what I do at home either as I really enjoy the schooling with other people's horses, that gives me a big kick.

"I've built up two schooling grounds and a loose school and I get a number of high-profile horses coming here to jump, which I find very exciting. I might be 73 but I've got the enthusiasm of a teenager! I'm really looking forward to my new venture and I've got a lot to do still."

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Gordon Elliott doubles up at Cheltenham as January Sale top lots head to Ireland

Drama in Doncaster ring as Darren Yates gets Interconnected for £620,000