'It's badly needed support for the sport up in Scotland' - Goffs UK sale-topper heading to Coltherd

Seventeen-race maiden Champ De Gane led the market at the September Horses-in-Training Sale in Doncaster on Wednesday, with the top lot bound for Stuart Coltherd after bringing £33,000. 

The six-year-old son of Kapgarde was offered by Stuart Crawford, acting on behalf of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. Although Champ De Gane is yet to get his head in front, he plainly possesses an engine having been placed on nine of his 17 starts, including last time out when second of four in a Perth novice handicap chase. He changes hands with a peak Racing Post Rating of 124. 

“He’s still a maiden but he shouldn’t be really because he was about 12 lengths in front when he fell at the last at Ayr in March,” said purchaser Kevin Jardine. 

“He’s been second eight times too. He looks like a horse who’d benefit from a break now. The plan is to give him a wee break then bring him back in before running over the Christmas period. He’s going up to Stuart Coltherd for owners Alan and Wilma Duffus.” 

Jardine added: “He’s just not a Graded horse, which is what the previous owners want, but he’s a big, sound horse who needs a break. That’s what he’ll get now. I think there’s a bit of improvement in him, and that's no disrespect to Stuart as he’s a great trainer, but I think he’ll be a better horse next year.” 

Jardine struck for three lots for receipts totalling £70,500, with Champ De Gane joined by the £19,500 Liberty Flame and £18,000 Sil Ver Klass. Reflecting on the Duffuses' involvement in the industry, Jardine said of the Aberdeenshire-based owners: “They’re good for the game because they’ve got a lot of horses in training now. 

“They’ll have eight with Mike Smith and five or six with Stuart, and there are a couple of others they have an interest in with Patrick Neville. It’s badly needed support for the sport up in Scotland as there’s not many owners about.” 

Champ De Gane took the bid board as high as it went in DoncasterCredit: Goffs UK

The only other lot to reach £30,000 on the day was the maiden hurdler Pickanumber, who switches from Peter Croke in County Wicklow to Olly Murphy. 

The short, sharp session of selling concluded with a clearance rate of 79 per cent as 70 sold from 89 offered. With 24 fewer lots offered than in 2022, when the top lot Royal Creek brought £90,000, turnover was down 46 per cent year-on-year at £697,500. The average dropped by 18 per cent at £9,964 and the median was down by 21 per cent at £6,750. 

Happy days for cool hand Lewis 

Sheila Lewis said she tried to play it cool during the bidding for three-time winner Happy D'Ex, but the trainer couldn’t hide her delight once the hammer fell in her favour at £26,000. 

The six-year-old daughter of Saddler Maker cost Gordon Elliott £195,000 in the Doncaster ring in May 2021, and went on to win a bumper and two hurdle races for the Cullentra House Stables handler. She now switches to Lewis’s Brecon-based yard. 

After signing the docket Lewis admitted she was a sucker for a grey, and with good reason given the exploits of her Cheltenham winner Straw Fan Jack, although the appeal of Happy D’Ex runs deeper than simply the colour of her coat. 

“I bought her for an owner who also loves greys called Graham Wilson,” she said. “He owns Straw Fan Jack, my best horse. I loved her and she’s a beautiful-looking mare. 

"She’ll be a lovely broodmare in time but we’ll look to go mares’ novice chasing with her first. We’ll get her back and see where we go. She might need a break but I’m only a small yard so hopefully I can sweeten her up and show her some love.” 

Trainer Sheila Lewis (left), here with Katie Powell, will have another nice grey on her handsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Lewis knows all about dishing out a pampering as she also owns a beauty salon. However, since her attentions have turned to training racehorses she has shown she is just as adept at preparing winners on the track. Her 15-strong string includes the aforementioned Straw Fan Jack as well as the multiple winners Gris Majeur and Volcano, all of whom are grey, as well as recent hat-trick scorer Junior Massini.  

“We actually have her half-sister, Iron D'Ex, who we bought here last year,” added Lewis. “We’ve always watched Happy D’Ex and always liked her. We actually thought she might go through a bit cheaper than she did, but at least the price confirms my choice was a good one.” 

When asked if she enjoyed the buying process, Lewis said: “I find it terrifying!” 

Bathyrhon gelding leads juvenile section

The two-year-old section of the catalogue was led by Little Oakwell Stud’s Bathyrhon gelding who was knocked down to Harry Fowler, bidding on behalf of leading point-to-point handler Donnchadh Doyle, at £26,000. 

“This lad was bought as a foal in France from Remi Cottin and was broken in last November,” said Little Oakwell’s Ed Partridge. “We did a good chunk of pre-training just after the Festival and he has a lovely attitude. You can see he’s a nice laid-back sort. 

“I valued him at around £25,000 so I was happy to walk away with £26,000. The sire has a 50 per cent strike-rate at the moment and coming into the sale I was hoping that we’d sell him to one of the point-to-point guys because that's what he’s built for. 

"He’s a savage jumper and as he improves physically and mentally, I can’t envisage that he won’t be ready to run early in the point-to-point season.” 

Partridge and his wife, Grade 1-winning rider Lizzie Kelly, have plenty of stock to look forward to, including a “special” Karaktar yearling out of a sister to Asterion Forlonge who will head to the Arqana sales in due course. He is also hoping that the trend towards trading and training National Hunt stock at a younger age will continue to grow. 

Ed Partridge and Lizze Kelly: sold the Bathyrhon gelding out of Deception IslandCredit: Edward Whitaker

“We’ve bought plenty of foals this year that will be aimed at this sale in 2025,” he said. “David Futter is doing it to really good effect at Yorton Farm and I think the Junior National Hunt Hurdles programme is a good idea and I can only see that improving. People aren’t fully tuned up to it yet, although I think they will be in time. 

“Everybody is wanting that slightly quicker return on their investment, plus it’s in black and white that the French horses are dominating the National Hunt landscape at the moment. And that’s not because of the FR suffix but because the vast majority of those horses have been doing the job from a really young age. It’s been shown that’s an effective way of educating the horse.” 

Pritchard Webb’s hectic week continues

A busy week for Jacob Pritchard Webb continued when he witnessed Kenmya sell to Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock for £22,000. The filly is set to go into training with Dan Skelton.

Pritchard Webb took ownership of the three-year-old, who was offered through Mill House Stud, after the Cloth Of Stars filly registered her fourth career victory in a claimer at Le Teste in early August. The youngster had plenty to recommend her, although serendipity played a significant part in proceedings too.

“There were two in the race that I liked,” said Pritchard Webb. “She won and I also liked the horse that finished fourth. I thought the winner would make too much money so the plan was to claim the fourth, but there was a bit of miscommunication with my guy in France and we ended up getting the winner for the price we’d expected to get the fourth! We lucked out really.” 

The filly clearly possesses a solid constitution as she has also won at San Sebastian in Spain, Pau and Marseille. Pritchard Webb remained tight-lipped as to how much he claimed the filly for, simply saying: “A nice price, there’s a bit of profit there.” 

Jacob Pritchard Webb: has added jockeys' agent to his resume - though two are enough!Credit: Edward Whitaker

He added: “I really liked her, as did Toby Jones, who claimed her in France, so hopefully she’ll go on and do well for Anthony. It’s nice he’s bought her actually as he’s one of the first people who rang me when I was in hospital after my fall, and he’s always offered his support.” 

The former rider was left paralysed from his chest down following a fall at Auteuil in 2020. He has since turned his hand to a variety of other roles within the racing industry. Not only is he operating as a bloodstock agent, TV pundit and the British and Irish representative of up-and-coming auction house Auctav, he has recently branched out as a jockeys' agent. 

On Tuesday he travelled to Auteuil to see Nathan Howie, who is based with Mickael Seror, and Hugh Nugent, who is with Noel George, take to the racecourse for the first time since he began booking their rides. 

“I was in Auteuil for the day yesterday and I’m heading back there now for Felix de Giles’ stag do tomorrow,” he said. “Then there’s the Auctav National Hunt Sale next week, so I’ll be back in France for that as well.” 

On the subject of adding jockeys' agent to his already fully loaded CV,, Pritchard Webb added: “It’s exciting. I thought I’d give it a punt and it’s nice to still be involved. I wouldn’t want to do any more riders than those two though as I’ve got enough going on already. It’s hard enough getting out of bed in the morning!” 

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