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Tattersalls Cheltenham cans spring fixtures but adds October sale to mix

Further reorganisation of the auction calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Tattersalls Cheltenham: calendar disrupted by Covid-19 lockdown
Tattersalls Cheltenham: calendar disrupted by Covid-19 lockdownCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Tattersalls Cheltenham has confirmed that its April and May sales will not take place this year due to the Covid-19 restrictions that have halted both the UK and Irish jumps and point-to-point seasons.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board recently indicated a likely enhancement of the 2020-21 autumn season and so Tattersalls will now schedule a sale for after racing on Friday, October 23, during the Cheltenham Showcase meeting.

"We intend to reintroduce the Tattersalls Cheltenham October Sale as we acknowledge the difficulties faced by our clients and understand the importance of holding a sale in a select environment to facilitate the inevitable increase in quality horses at this time," said Matt Prior, Tattersalls' head of Cheltenham sales.

"Select sales of this type at Cheltenham have long led the way for vendors and purchasers alike and we hope that the sale coming earlier in the season than has been the case in recent years will afford vendors in particular the opportunity to return to normality as early as possible."

The remaining autumn sales are set to go ahead as scheduled, leaving the calendar looking like this:

Cheltenham Sales 2020
April 24 cancelled
May 28 cancelled
October 23 staged alongside the Showcase meeting
November 13 staged alongside the November meeting
December 11 staged alongside the International meeting


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