'It's a dream, fairytale stuff' - £370,000 Minella Academy another from the John Nallen school bound for Willie Mullins

John Nallen proved for the second time within a fortnight just why he is one of the most celebrated behind-the-scenes operators in National Hunt racing when his recent Cork winner Minella Academy realised a sale-topping £370,000 at Saturday's Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale at Newbury.

At the recent Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale, Nallen received £360,000 for another with a very similar profile, the recent academy debutant scorer Minella Yoga, who is heading to the Paul Nicholls yard.

Minella Academy is set to return across the Irish Sea for Willie Mullins, with the all-conquering trainer's representative Harold Kirk seeing off a sustained challenge from the Jonjo and AJ O'Neill team.

The three-year-old's name is particularly appropriate as Nallen's brand has sold countless stars with that prefix.

The Tipperary-based hotelier, trader and trainer has brought through the likes of Minella Indo and Minella Times, who completed a famous double in 2021 in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National respectively.

While he often uses the Irish point-to-point route, Minella Academy is a Flat-bred son of Sea The Moon from the family of Group 1 winners Coronet and Aussie Rules, purchased at the Goffs Orby Sale for €52,000. He bought Minella Yoga, by Study Of Man, on the same day for €35,000.

This latest talent had been sent off the 4-5 favourite on his racecourse debut and had looked to have the race in the bag even before his nearest rival unseated his rider at the last. The £370,000 transaction was the highest price realised in three renewals of the sale.

"It's mighty," said Nallen. "It was more than I expected today but not more than I expected all the week, I knew we had the goods coming and we thought we were there. It's brilliant and a great show put on by Goffs."

Nallen had signed for the yearlings as Lucky Jack Bloodstock, after his son's name, and explained that it was very much a family venture rather than a great masterplan.

"I ended up with them by default really," he said. "It's a dream, fairytale stuff. My nephew Sean [Dylan Bowen, champion apprentice rider] was back home, schooled him away and we kept him going. 

"My other nephew Conor, he's the encyclopaedia and they were all involved. The team have all done a great job."

It might be the last of these kind of touches but only for now, as Nallen added: "I haven't got any more for this year but I bought a few more the other day."

Kirk, who was bidding discreetly from the darkness of the Newbury paddock as the action went on in the centre of the winner's enclosure, said: "I was very impressed when he won and he's 16.2 hands, he's got size and scope. He could go back on the Flat for a mile-and-six or two-mile Flat races as he's got a Flat pedigree, he could run over hurdles and one day he could jump fences. He ticked every box for me, I thought he was a standout horse."

John Nallen (left) congratulates Harold Kirk

Tom Malone made the earliest play of the session as he signed for the first horse in the ring, Red Acres Max, for £280,000.

The Maxios gelding, prepared by Mick Goff, was the winner of a point-to-point at Dromahane which has already interested other buyers. 

"He's a lovely horse and the race stood up," he said. "The horse that fell [Stick To The Board] made £215,000 the other day at Cheltenham and the one that was second to him [Soul Asylum] made £280,000.

"I just loved him. He's got a lot of Presenting in him, and to me he was the best in the race he ran in. I bought him for a client and we'll just have to decide where he's going now."

Malone later combined with Jamie Snowden to claim A Real Banter from Rob James for £165,000. The Jet Away gelding is a half-brother to County Hurdle scorer Belfast Banter.

"He was second at Moig South in very soft ground so he looks like he'll stay and I just thought he was a class horse," said Snowden, who was in the process of working out his signing's new owners.

Read the results from the Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale

The other major transfer on the night joins the Dan Skelton yard, which endured an extraordinary rollercoaster earlier in the afternoon with The New Lion coming down in dramatic fashion in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle only for Panic Attack to rescue proceedings by completing a famous handicap double in the Coral Gold Cup itself.

Agent Ryan Mahon, a key part of the Skelton team, was on hand to sign for the £190,000 A Sight To Sea, a four-year-old by Affinisea who had been a six-length winner at Lingstown for the Pierce family's Blackhall Stables.

"The boss has mixed emotions tonight, it was a very up-and-down hour and a half with one in the bag and one slipped but it's on to the next day, move forwards," Mahon said.

"He won at the weekend and I've seen him a couple of times at home, I liked him a lot physically and they've been very positive about him for a while. He was one we wanted to get. There's very good form out of Lingstown normally, it's a nice staying track that fits a nice staying horse."

All told, 17 of the 18 to be offered sold at a clearance rate of 94 per cent and total turnover of £1,944,000, a 29 per cent increase year-on-year. The average of £114,353 was up six per cent while the median dipped six per cent to £80,000.

Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said: "Today marked the third edition of this sale which is held in partnership with Newbury Racecourse and it was great to achieve a 94 per cent clearance rate, a rise in the sale average and another big price at the venue with Minella Academy selling for £370,000.

"He is the third horse to sell for £300,000 at this venue following the top price of £320,000 last year and Un Temps Pour Tout, who set the record back in 2013 when selling for £450,000.

"We have been very busy over the last three days with all the major owners and trainers viewing the horses and we would like to extend our thanks to the point-to-point handlers who have supported this sale once again. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Newbury Executive for their continued support of this sale, and of course to our purchasers who we wish the very best of luck."

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