‘This lad had the action of a monster’ - well-related €200,000 Nathaniel gelding set to join Cromwell’s stable

“I’ve never seen anything quite like this lad,” proclaimed Tom Malone at Goffs on Wednesday afternoon where he signed for a gelding by Nathaniel who became the first horse to make €200,000 during this store sale season.

Later in the day he was joined on that same mark by Ballintogher Stud’s gelding from the second crop of Crystal Ocean, who was knocked down to the familiar team of Eddie O’Leary and Gordon Elliott and late into the evening a juvenile by Walk In The Park realised a sale-topping €230,000 when selling to Gerry Aherne. 

Offered by Mark Dwyer, the son of the Newsells Park Stud resident will join Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin in the yard of Gavin Cromwell, who will train him on behalf of Owen Daley.

Malone had been bowled over by the bay when he saw him at Arqana last summer, where he was knocked down for €65,000 to George Mullins and in just under a year at Oaks Farm Stables he has blossomed.

The agent said: “He is a smart horse. I saw the boys buy him last year in Arqana and he’s a half-brother to Santini who was actually 17 hands but this lad had the action of a monster.

“His action for four days had been the same. Most horses get tired after showing for four days but this lad never missed a beat. He has a pedigree to die for and he is a horse to die for.”

He is a half-brother to Santini (by Milan) who won the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle for Nicky Henderson and the Kelvin-Hugheses and was also runner-up to Al Boum Photo in the 2020 Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

Transferred to the care of Polly Gundry, Santini finished his career with a gallant fourth place in the Grand National.

Tom Malone was in high spirits after securing Lot 389 at Goffs on WednesdayCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

Malone added: “I love pedigrees that are alive and that mare is getting good horses by every stallion she goes to; Milan, Shirocco, Midnight Legend. This horse is going to make it even better.”

His other half-siblings include the Grade 2 Bristol Novices’ Hurdle winner Rockpoint by Shirocco and Dusky Legend, a five-time winner by Midnight Legend, who earned black type on seven occasions over hurdles and once over fences.

Malone had kept his powder dry for the majority of the sale, knowing that the horse he wanted was still to come. 

“I waited and waited and waited. We underbid a good few others but I knew there was no point in overextending on one of them because if I had ended up with one of them I might have been a lot softer on him, and I wanted him,” he said. 

“He looks a proper type for the [Defender] bumper next year. He looks the real deal. Thankfully I got him. 

“There were plenty of good horses before him so I had to sit tight.”

Daley is a new name in the ranks of National Hunt owners' but he has already had a notable success with a Walk In The Park gelding. 

“I bought a few horses for Owen who has Bud Fox with Gavin," said Malone. "He won the first four-year-old maiden in Ireland this year for Derek O’Connor and then went to Punchestown and won a bumper at the Festival on his first track start.

“Owen is a real good guy and a new owner to the game, hopefully he will get a bit of luck now. He has some really nice stock to go to war with and they are with a great trainer in Gavin Cromwell.”

Earlier in the day Bud Fox’s year-younger half-brother by Vadamos made €88,000 to Megan and Paul Nicholls, sold by his breeder John Lenihan of Ballyogue Stud.

Having bought the most expensive horse of the sale so far, and inspected most of the horses on the sales ground, Malone was well-placed to comment on the strength of an Arkle Sale which made across-the-board gains 12 months’ ago.

He was typically forthright: “I’ve never seen a better book of pedigrees for the Land Rover or Arkle Sale as it is now. I didn’t think we’d get as many €100,000 plus horses as we have and the strength was at fifty grand. Every horse alive down there was making that and it’s brilliant, it’s been really good trade.”

Worth the wait for Elliott

If Malone thought he had a long wait for the horse he wanted, it was not quite as lengthy as Gordon Elliott’s wait for the Crystal Ocean gelding from an iconic Sunnyhill Stud family.

Elliott and Eddie O’Leary secured the son of Whistle Dixie, a daughter of Kayf Tara who Elliott trained for Gigginstown House Stud. The mare was the winner of three of her 12 starts and earned black type when third in the Grade 3 Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Very closely related to Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King and Amy Murphy’s Manifesto Novices’ Chase victor Kalashnikov, Whistle Dixie held the record for the most expensive National Hunt mare sold at Goffs for 12 months.

She was sold by Gigginstown House in foal to Mount Nelson for €230,000 at the 2019 December National Hunt sale, a mark that was obliterated a year later by that operation’s superstar Apple’s Jade who made €530,000 to Noel and Valerie Moran of Bective Stud.

Gordon Elliott and Eddie O'Leary went to €200,000 for a gelding by Crystal OceanCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

“He is a lovely horse,” said Elliott of the chestnut. “We waited since yesterday [Tuesday], and all day, for him because he was the one we wanted and hopefully he'll be lucky now.

“We knew we were going to have to pull out for him. I've been lucky with the family and know it well, I trained the dam. I have a number of young horses by Crystal Ocean, and hope he will be good too.”

For Robert McCarthy, who stands Crystal Ocean under the Coolmore banner at The Beeches Stud in County Waterford, it was a double success as it was he who offered Whistle Dixie at her record sale and he who bred this gelding, who was sold as a foal at Tattersalls Ireland for €70,000 to Sabrina Harty, 

Harty advises Adrian McAndrew, who sold the gelding through TJ Comerford’s Ballintogher Stud.

Their gelding was the most expensive of the 30 other Crystal Ocean three-year-olds to sell at Goffs during Part One of the Arkle Sale.

Earlier in the day, Elliott and O’Leary made their first foray into the market when they purchased a Walk In The Park gelding from Ballincurrig House Stud for €160,000.

It is the best price for a store by Walk In The Park at the sale this week and another big result for Michael Moore’s Cork farm, who offered the gelding on behalf of Fiona Magee.

Eddie O'Leary and Gordon Elliott after the signing of lot 312

Elliott, who was standing alongside regular sales-ring companions Eddie O’Leary and Aidan O’Ryan, revealed he had to play the long game with the bay who is the second foal out of Queen Deirdre, who was trained to one victory trained by Willie Mullins.

“He is a great walker with a great way of going and we’ve liked him more and more over the last couple of days, he’s the one we have been waiting for. He looks a nice horse and we are delighted to get him,” Elliott said. 

It was the first purchase in the trainer’s own name this week.

When asked if the gelding would carry the same Gigginstown House colours as his dam’s half-brother, the Henry de Bromhead-trained Grade 1 Liverpool Stayers Hurdle and Fighting Fifth victor Identity Thief, Elliott said: “We’ll see what happens.”

The gelding’s dam Queen Deirdre won a four-year-old bumper on her debut at the Galway races for Mullins and Eleanor Manning, owner of Dysart Dynamo.

Queen Deirdre, a daughter of King’s Theatre, is out of Miss Arteea, a Flemensfirth half-sister to the Grade 3-winning chaser Arteea.

Perseverance the key for Morrin

Having been outbid on several members of Crystal Ocean's second crop throughout Part 1 of the Arkle Sale on Tuesday, Ger Morrin's persistence finally paid off when he landed a gelding by the sire on Wednesday. 

“I finally got one,” he said. “I’ve been trying to buy a Crystal Ocean all sale and I thought this one was as good as any of them.”

That verdict was reflected in the price  - €170,000 which Morrin, acting on behalf of Grandeville Bloodstock, paid for the son of Tacenda, a Listed-placed chaser.

“I loved him from the first day I saw him. He comes from a good nursery and by a young sire who is doing well," Morrin added. 

This gelding came from Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm in County Meath, which has been hitting headlines of late with the success of the operation’s breeze-up graduate Ruling Court in this year’s 2,000 Guineas.

Lot 374, a Crystal Ocean gelding out of Tacenda knocked down for €170,000

Wednesday’s starring turn was the second visit to a sale ring for the Crystal Ocean gelding who was sold by Mountain View Stud as a foal for €32,000 to Brendan Bashford at Tattersalls Ireland.

Williamson could be in line for an upgrade to his vehicle as the Defender Bumper at next year’s Punchestown Festival, which offers a Defender to the vendor of the winning horse, is most definitely under consideration by connections.

“Of course we are thinking of the bumper!” Morrin stated. “He is a forward, lovely, quality horse out of a black-type Flemensfirth mare and we loved everything about him. His movement is extraordinary.”

A half-brother to Champagne Fortune, who was placed in two four-year-old maidens last year for Roisin Hickey, the gelding is the most expensive of three horses that Morrin has purchased for Grandeville so far this week.

“We bought another horse off Ken Parkhill, a Getaway gelding out of a half-sister to City Island for €85,000 [Sean Mulryan’s Grade 1 Cheltenham winner]. We loved him as well and it’s an amazing pedigree. We bought a full-brother to City Island last year but we are after buying enough now,” he jested in response to the suggestion that City Island’s three-year-old full-brother could join the Mulryan string.

Thiscouldbetheone, who was ninth in the Defender Bumper this year for Martin Brassil and the Mulryans, is the full-brother to City Island bought by Grandeville at last year’s sale for €62,000.

The O'Neills snare Bambino Fever's full-brother

A full-brother to Grade 1 Cheltenham and Punchestown bumper heroine Bambino Fever could be seen carrying some very famous silks on the racetrack following his €110,000 purchase by O’Neill Racing at Goffs on Wednesday morning.

Frank Berry, advisor to and confidant of JP McManus, was standing beside Jonjo and AJ O’Neill on the balcony as the bidding for Springmount Stud’s offering breached six-figures and deferred all speaking duties to AJ once formalities had been concluded.

“His full-sister is very, very talented and we really wanted to try and buy him so we are delighted to be able to do so…just about!” the younger O’Neill explained.

The chestnut is the team’s ninth purchase at the Goffs Arkle Sale so far and brings their total spend to €697,000 as they build a team capable of starring on the biggest stages.

O’Neill said: “We had a great day yesterday [Tuesday] and managed to get some nice horses so we didn’t want to stop while the ball is rolling. We are delighted to get him.”

The exploits of his five-year-old sister added a hefty premium to the gelding’s price – he was bought as a foal by Glenmore Stud for €20,000 from Morning Star Stud at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale.

Springmount Stud's Jukebox Jury brother to unbeaten Champion Bumper heroine Bambino FeverCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

Bambino Fever is not the only Grade 1 winner on the page – her dam, Midnight Way, is a Stowaway half-sister to the Grade 2 and Listed-placed Midnight Gift, dam of Slaney Novice Hurdle and Drinmore Novice Chase victor Death Duty.

While Bambino Fever resides in the Closutton yard of Willie Mullins, this gelding looked destined for Britain given O’Neill’s main competition for him was Dan Skelton.

“I wasn’t sure who we managed to beat off, but I was happy that we were able to beat them off. He’s a lovely horse and looks very sharp and forward, hopefully he can follow in his sister’s footsteps,” O’Neill added.

Skelton made up for that loss by snapping up the Jukebox Jury gelding from Kilmoney Cottage Stud that preceded the grey into the ring.

Out of Midnight Streaker, who was third in a Listed bumper, he was the first six-figure transaction of the second session of the Arkle Sale. Skelton bought the full-brother of Midnight Jukebox, winner of a four-year-old maiden on debut for Sean Doyle this year, for €100,000.

Arkle sale - Part 1 - Sale statistics

Goffs Arkle Sale

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