Notable new owner for Verdana Blue as Christmas Hurdle queen brings 370,000gns

Unique offerings at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale often draw a sizeable crowd and, as a Christmas Hurdle winner, few among this year's 1,025 lot catalogue can match the rarity value of Verdana Blue.

A throng of enthusiastic onlookers gathered to see the Nicky Henderson-trained mare sell, and there was an abundance of bidders too, as the daughter of Getaway was knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock's Tom Goff, acting on behalf of Coolmore's Michael Tabor, for 370,000gns.

The seven-year-old's price rocketed from an opening bid of 100,000gns until Anthony Bromley, standing in the bidders' area to the left of the rostrum, applied the brakes with an increase of just 5,000gns with the 300,000gns mark well in the rear view mirror.

Eventual underbidder Geoffrey Howson, high on the back stairs, responded in kind with a 5,000gns increase of his own, but when Bromley shook his head and turned his back on auctioneer Simon Kerins, Goff, standing behind the far acorn with Coolmore's Paul Shanahan, re-entered the fray and brought the gavel down.

Tom Goff: 'She's one of the most beautiful National Hunt fillies I've seen'Credit: Laura Green

"I've bought her for Michael Tabor and she'll be going back to Nicky Henderson," said Goff. "He loves the mare and obviously he loves the stallion, who stands at Coolmore's Grange Stud. I know the previous owners [Crimbourne Stud] very well, we've acted for Sir Eric and Charlie Parker for years and she's a mare we've talked about for some time."

Verdana Blue has been through the ring on two previous occasions, having gone unsold at £74,000 at the Goffs UK Autumn Sale before Highflyer Bloodstock secured her for £65,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale in 2016.

She has since marked herself down as one of the best National Hunt mares of recent years, with her nine wins including victories in the Elite Hurdle and Scottish Champion Hurdle.

Kerins noted that the mare ranked as a high-class National Hunt performer, a Cup race candidate on the Flat as well as a valuable broodmare prospect, and Goff indicated that her immediate plans were likely to include a defence of the Christmas Hurdle crown.

He said: "She's one of the most beautiful National Hunt fillies I've seen in recent years, I don't think that's any exaggeration. She's ready to run in the Christmas Hurdle and we'll see what happens after that. She'll obviously make a fantastic broodmare for the National Hunt ranks in due course."

Bred by Edmond Kent, Verdana Blue is the seventh foal out of the 6f two-year-old winner Blue Gallery, a half-sister to the dam of Mr Whipped. She shares her sire with the likes of Getabird, Talkischeap and Getaway Trump.

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