'He's a lovely horse' - Elliott excited by £280,000 stunner What's Up Darling

The same unlikely buying mission has now yielded not one but two Cheltenham top lots for point-to-point trainer John Costello. Just eight months ago the vendor topped the April Sale thanks to Gordon Elliott bidding £200,000 for Search For Glory, and this time around it was the turn of Quakerstown maiden winner What's Up Darling, who brought a play of £280,000 from the very same trainer during a freezing renewal of the December Sale.

"I've had him since he was a foal and he's been a beautiful horse all the way through," Costello said of What's Up Darling. "I bought him from Billy Mangan, brother of Jimmy, who trained Monty's Pass. He's a man I've bought many foals off down the years and he never has a lot of mares but always breeds some beautiful foals, so I always look forward to going to his place.

"It's funny when you go down the road looking at foals as on the same day within two hours and only ten minutes drive apart I bought Search For Glory and What's Up Darling, and they've both come to this ring and made a lot of money. You never know what day your luck is in!"

What's Up Darling, a five-year-old son of Shirocco, didn't enjoy much luck when unseating after two out on his debut but made no mistake at the second time of asking under the vendor's son, Conor, when romping away to win by 13 lengths on Sunday.

County Clare-based Costello added: "This is a great result and I suppose in a lot of ways it’s a relief as there's five years' hard work gone into this. I wouldn't be here with the horse tonight if it wasn't for my sons, Conor and Ronan, they're the ones doing all the hard work."

While Search For Glory went on to land a Fairyhouse bumper in the Gigginstown House Stud silks, Elliott was unable to reveal whose colours would now be carried by What's Up Darling.

He said: "He's a lovely horse and his video looked very good. We've been lucky from this vendor before so hopefully he's a nice horse going forward. We'll get him home and see who he's for."

Elliott can also look forward to training Rainbow Trail having signed alongside Aidan 'Mouse' O'Ryan at £220,000 for Donnchadh Doyle's Corbeagh House runner-up.

The four-year-old son of Davidoff was a punchy enough pinhook at €80,000, having previously brought €33,000 from Moanmore Stables as a two-year-old, but showed plenty of latent ability behind Mint Boy on debut. The winner of that race also came under the hammer on Friday but failed to find a buyer when the bidding reached £195,000.

It turned into a productive evening for Elliott as he also took home Colin Bowe's Tinahely maiden winner Boston Town after O'Ryan went to £200,000 for the four-year-old son of Flemensfirth. The youngster, whose dam is a half-sister to Grand National hero Ballabriggs, is set to race for owners KTDA Racing.

Gordon Elliott: 'We’ve been lucky from this vendor before so hopefully he’s a nice horse going forward'Credit: Debbie Burt

"KTDA Racing are big supporters of Gordon's and this is a gorgeous horse," said O'Ryan, who was joined by KTDA's Dave Page. "He came well recommended by Barry O'Neill and Colin, who we've been lucky buying off in the past. He's a lovely horse; a four-year-old by Flemensfirth with a lovely page, he speaks for himself really."

Boston Town's value had appreciated markedly since his last appearance at the sales as Bowe's Milestone Bloodstock signed for the youngster at €50,000 at last year's Derby Sale.

Also bound for Cullentra House Stables is Quantum Storm after Eddie O'Leary, who signed as Bective Stud and Gordon Elliott Racing, went to £165,000 for Woodstock Stables' son of Fame And Glory.

Terence O'Brien received a tidy bit of profit on Quantum Storm, who is closely related to Betfair Hurdle winner Soaring Glory, having picked the youngster up for €23,000 at the 2020 Derby Sale.

Minton lands £200,000 Mahler

Another lot to bring £200,000 was Ballindenisk maiden winner Shanagh Bob, who was knocked down to Highflyer Bloodstock's David Minton. The four-year-old son of Mahler will now go into training with Nicky Henderson on behalf of an undisclosed client.

"I loved him yesterday and loved him even more today," said Minton. "His performance last Sunday was very good and Nicky won with a nice Mahler today so he's very up on the stallion. The people who sold the horse are very nice, they're only a small yard down in Cork. This horse won't run until the spring, Nicky won’t rush him."

Shanagh Bob was consigned by John O'Donovan, whose son Chris not only rode the horse to his three-and-a-half-length success on Sunday but did a fine job of buying him too having paid just €10,000 at Tattersalls Ireland last year.

Shanagh Bob: 'He's been exceptional'Credit: Debbie Burt

"From the day we bought him he’s been exceptional and done everything right," said Chris O'Donovan, who rides out for the likes of Declan Queally, Mick Winters and Tom Keating.

"Thank God it all worked out as a lot of hard work goes into these horses. Me and my girlfriend [Joanna Walton] ride out in the mornings and do our own horses in the evenings and it's just a hobby at the moment.

"We're out until seven o'clock most evenings so it's brilliant when it pays off. It's a massive result, hopefully we can look to put in some more facilities at home now."

Maule makes early Getaway

Sports agent Gareth Maule, signing as Gwent Holdings, got among the early action when going to £180,000 for Donnchadh Doyle's Simple Getaway, winner of a Lingstown maiden in a fast time on his second outing late last month.

The four-year-old son of Getaway, whose dam is out of a sister to Champion Bumper winner Wither Or Which, is set to join the burgeoning stable of Christian Williams.

The trainer said: "I'm looking forward to training him. Getaway has been lucky for us before with Five Star Getaway and Stringtoyourbow, who looks exciting."

Maule was acting on behalf of David and Jayne Lewis of Gwent Holdings.

Williams added: "Gareth has been a big supporter of mine right from the start with horses like Potters Corner, Limited Reserve and Kitty's Light. We might run him in a bumper in the new year but we'll get him home and see.

"David and Jayne are good, patient owners so there won't be any rush."

McGivern makes another big move

Fresh from securing Cheltenham Festival-winning mare Concertista, who topped the Goffs December National Hunt Sale at €220,000 on Thursday, Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud made another notable acquisition with the £160,000 Kutaiba.

The three-year-old was offered by Rae Guest's Chestnut Tree Stables after winning a Huntingdon junior bumper by four and a quarter lengths on her debut.

Kutaiba: £160,000 purchase by Jayne McGivern and daughter of her stallion Golden HornCredit: Debbie Burt

The owner-breeder certainly knows a bit about the pedigree as the filly is by Golden Horn, who McGivern purchased back in July and is now standing at Overbury Stud in Gloucestershire. Kutaiba's pedigree wouldn't look out of place in a blue-chip yearling sale as she is out of Maktaba, an unraced Dansili half-sister to Oaks and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes heroine Taghrooda.

"I've bought her to race," said McGivern, speaking from Saudi Arabia. "She'll come home for a short holiday then go into training in the new year. Of course, she's by a fabulous stallion!"

Kutaiba was making her second appearance at public auction much more fruitful than her first as Guest picked the filly up out of the Shadwell draft at last year's December Mares Sale for just 10,000gns.

Another owner-breeder buying with long-term ambitions was Simon Davies, who operates under the DahlBury banner and signed alongside Ballymaw Bloodstock at £145,000 for Ah Whisht, a five-year-old daughter of Getaway who landed a Necarne mares' maiden on her debut for Ross O'Sullivan.

Simon Davies in action at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December SaleCredit: Debbie Burt

The mare, whose name is Scottish colloquialism for 'be quiet', received a big pedigree update just a few hours before coming under the hammer as Attacca, her year-younger Mahler half-brother, landed his second novice hurdle in the opening race at Cheltenham. The pedigree already boasted strength in depth as the brilliant Altior appears beneath the second dam.

"She'll go to Tom Symonds," said Davies. "It's in the page too, that residual value, and we haven't just bought her to race. We'll put her into training and get her to perform as best we can and then bring her back to the stud in due course.

"We'll get her home and see how she is, and ultimately it will be up to Tom, but the hope is we can crack on with her."

The session finished with turnover of £3,433,000, which was down 39 per cent year on year, an average of £90,342, which was down six per cent, and a median of £67,500, which was up four per cent.

The clearance rate was 79 per cent as 38 sold from 48 offered. Among those who failed to find a buyer was Hurricane Fly's three-parts brother Scandisk Park, who was led out unsold at £295,000 when offered by Coolmeen Stables.

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