‘There’s a lot of bad days so you’re always hoping for something like this’ - Bravemansgame’s half-sister brings £370,000 at Cheltenham November Sale

As a half-sister to the top-class chaser Bravemansgame, Dawn Of Light boasted arguably the most eye-catching pedigree in the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale catalogue. 

The four-year-old daughter of Mahler was a low-key seventh on her debut in February, but looked a completely different proposition when reappearing at Quakerstown on Saturday. She was always to the fore on that occasion and began to open up approaching the second-last. 

Her margin of superiority grew all the way to the line, and she eventually came home 20 lengths clear of her ten rivals. 

The effort prompted a bid of £370,000 from bloodstock agent Mags O’Toole, who sat beside Rob Acheson, son of leading owner Brian Acheson, as she signed the docket. Dan Astbury filled the role of frustrated underbidder. 

Click here to view the results from the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale

“I thought she was a gorgeous mare,” said O’Toole. “She won very well, she’s got a great pedigree and I hope she's lucky. She’s going back to Ireland but I don’t know who’s going to train her yet.”

Dawn Of Light was bred and trained by Richard Busher, who imported the dam, Genifique, from France in 2017. 

“That was great, a great price, but then she’s a good mare,” said a shellshocked Busher. “There’s a lot of bad days so you’re always hoping for something like this. I was thinking of keeping her and breeding from her, but then I thought I should take the money! 

“She’s always had the pedigree and when she started doing her work at home, she always did good. We were just hoping she’d do it on the day. I bought the mare in France off a man called Bernard Stoffel. He’ll be delighted with this as well. The mare is in foal to Martinborough, has a colt foal by Authorized and a yearling by Australia.” 

Asked if he’d ever experienced a result like this before, Busher said: “No, I’ve never had one at these sales before!”

A busy evening of selling saw new benchmarks set for the November Sale. Turnover reached £4,627,000, which was up 50 per cent year-on-year and a new record. The median was also a new high at £80,000, up 11 per cent year-on-year, while the average rose by five per cent to £98,445. 

The clearance rate was 96 per cent 47 lots sold from 49 offered.

Bromley and Nicholls stretch for £360,000 Yoga

Minella Yoga brought a lofty reputation after a striking winning debut in a three-year-old academy hurdle at Fairyhouse. The John Nallen-trained son of Study Of Man was always handy under Darragh O’Keeffe and readily went to the front on the run to the second-last. 

There were clear signs of inexperience when he was set about his business but another fluent leap at the last kept up the momentum and he ultimately came home five lengths to the good. 

Gavin Cromwell, Matt Coleman and Anthony Bromley all played a part in the bidding, but the latter won out when going to £360,000. 

“He’s for an existing owner in the yard in Michael Geoghegan,” said Paul Nicholls, who signed alongside the Highflyer agent. “He owned Kandoo Kid and wanted a nice hurdler. He’s getting more involved with the jumping and it’s hard to find horses like this. 

“He was very impressive, he’s still a big, raw horse with loads of size and scope. He could be anything, but that race was a nice starting point. We were determined to try and buy him if we could.” 

Anthony Bromley and Paul Nicholls combined to buy Minella YogaCredit: Debbie Burt

Asked what sort of value he and Bromley had placed on the form of winning an academy hurdle, Nicholls said: “How do you know? How do you compare those academy races with point-to-pointers? Who knows, it’s hard to value all these horses, but he’s got size and scope and we really liked him. 

“Michael wanted a hurdler so we didn’t want another bumper horse or whatever. With these academy hurdles we can run him this season and next season, so that’s attractive, although I’d like to think we’ll be running him in a better race after Christmas. We’ll get him settled in and get him some experience. He’s a nice horse to have.” 

Minella Yoga’s pedigree would not look out of place in a blue-chip Flat sale and that is exactly where he was sourced, with Lucky Jack Bloodstock signing the ticket at €35,000 at the Goffs Orby in 2023. 

He was bred by the Niarchos family, who bred and raced his Prix du Jockey Club-winning sire. His dam, the Monsun mare Yoga, has bred five winners at paddocks, including the Willie Mullins-trained Ninth Titan. 

His dam is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Saddex, who has also sired his share of smart jumpers, including the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase winner Editeur Du Gite. Top-level Flat performers like Aldebaran, Spinning World, Pathfork and War Of Will appear beneath the third dam. 

It was recently announced that Study Of Man’s fee has been raised to £35,000, up from £25,000, for the 2026 breeding season. The son of Deep Impact’s 15 Flat stakes performers are headed by two-time Qipco British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes scorer Kalpana. 

Elliott adds Soul Asylum at €280,000

Soul Asylum may not have won on his debut at Dromahane but he showed plenty of promise when going down to Red Acres Max by a rapidly diminishing head. Gordon Elliott was plainly impressed by the effort as he went to €280,000 to secure the son of Walk In The Park from Colin Bowe’s Milestone Stables. 

“He’s a lovely horse and I’d say he was very unlucky in the race on the day,” said Elliott, who sat between Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan and Eddie O’Leary. “He’s by a great sire and we’ve been very lucky buying off Colin. He looked like one of the standout horses here so we’re very happy.” 

The four-year-old had been through the sales ring on two previous occasions. He was bred by Patrick Hogan and Lucinda Russell before being sold as a foal to Sweetmans Bloodstock for €30,000. He reappeared at last year’s Derby Sale, where Ballyboy Stables and Milestone Bloodstock signed the docket at €80,000.

Astbury back in action

Dan Astbury made amends for his earlier runner-up effort when successfully bidding £260,000 for the promising Eskylady. 

The daughter of Maxios cost Ballyboy Stables’ Denis Murphy just €22,000 at last year’s Arkle Sale, but she proved that market assessment all wrong when making a winning debut at Loughanmore by a comfortable five and a half lengths. 

“Obviously she was seriously impressive and won in an unbelievable time,” said Astbury. “She comes from a very good family and she’s off to Mickey Bowen for Martin Gowing. We were looking to add a filly to the string, obviously we underbid Dawn Of Light, but these were the two we came here for. 

“She looks very exciting; she looks to have plenty of gears but obviously stays well too. I saw her a few weeks before she ran and Denis always thought a hell of a lot of her. Fingers crossed she’s very good for Mickey and the team.” 

Dan Astbury: 'She comes from a very good family and she’s off to Mickey Bowen for Martin Gowing'Credit: Debbie Burt

Asked if a broodmare career was part of the long-term plan, Astbury said: “Yes, hopefully, I’d say that’s the plan, but hopefully she can be a very good racehorse first. Martin is obviously new to the game so we’re trying to build up a nice team.” 

The four-year-old daughter of Maxios boasts an appealing pedigree as well as performance as she is a half-sister to Eskylane, a highly rated three-time winner under rules, while the dam is a sibling to a host of notable talents including Cane Brake.

McIvor and Russell move for Jardin De Tunis

Lucinda Russell and Paul McIvor got among the action when giving £220,000 for the striking Jardin De Tunis. The four-year-old made two starts for Matthew Flynn O'Connor and put his debut experience to good use when landing a Knockmullen House four-year-old maiden on Sunday. 

“He was one of our picks of the sale so we thought we’d have to stretch to get him,” said McIvor. “He’s a lovely horse, a beautiful mover. He won his point-to-point in a good time, the fastest of the day. We like the sire; we’ve seen a few by him, two-year-olds in France, and his best crops are coming through.” 

Lucinda Russell purchased Knockmullen House point-to-point winner Jardin De Tunis for £220,000Credit: Debbie Burt

Jardin De Tunis was making his second appearance on the public market having been picked up by Ballycrystal Stables and Jim O’Neill for €110,000 at last year’s Derby Sale. He is a sibling to two winners, including the French Grade 3-placed Joie Du Net. 

His dam, the Turgeon mare Juntina, is a sibling to four black-type performers as well as the dam of two-time Grade 1 scorer Yanworth. 

This is not the first time the progeny of Haras de Cercy’s Tunis have found favour in the Cheltenham sales ring. Kovanis, who comfortably broke his maiden over hurdles at Clonmel earlier in the month, topped last year’s November Sale at £330,000. He was knocked down to Gordon Elliott Racing and now carries the colours of Gigginstown House Stud.

No messing about for Nicholls and Bromley

It took just three lots for the first chunky price to arrive as Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley and Paul Nicholls went to £215,000 for Sean Doyle’s Stick To The Board. 

The four-year-old son of Crystal Ocean had a letter beside his name rather than a number, but was still upsides and held every chance when falling at the final fence in a warm-looking maiden at Dromahane. 

“Anthony liked him, I liked him, and he was unlucky not to win on debut,” said Nicholls. “He’s a real athletic individual. He’s for sale as we’ve bought him on spec, although I have a few people in mind. I’ve got a couple of nice three-year-olds at home by Crystal Ocean, he’s starting to do well. I was taken by how well this horse travelled in his race and he was just unlucky not to win.” 

Friday’s six-figure trade saw Doyle land a tidy bit of profit as Stick To The Board was signed for under his family’s Monbeg Stables banner at just €30,000 at last year’s Goffs Arkle Sale. 

The four-year-old has plenty of black type high up in his pedigree as he is a half-brother to the three-time winner and Listed-placed Belle The Lioness, while his dam is a King’s Theatre sibling to Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase scorer Monalee and the Grade 3-winning Monty's Star.

The pick-up capped a productive afternoon for the Ditcheat trainer as he saw No Drama This End emerge as a potential stable star when sluicing up in the Albert Bartlett-sponsored Grade 2 Hyde Novices' Hurdle. 

“No Drama This End started off point-to-pointing too, hopefully this lad can do something similar,” added Nicholls. “He was brilliant today. He won an English point-to-point for Will [Biddick]. He always liked him and we’ve always liked him as well, but I never dreamt he’d go and do that first time in a novice hurdle. It was very pleasing.” 

Asked why the trainer had pitched No Drama This End, a £160,000 Festival Sale signing with Tom Malone, into a Grade 2 for his hurdling debut, Nicholls grinned and replied: “If you’d seen him gallop with Caldwell Potter at Newbury the other day, you’d have done the same! He worked so brilliantly.”

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