‘You always have to push the limit when it comes to the good ones’ - Nicholls camp collect Spring Store Sale top lot at £140,000

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

A half-brother to the classy Luccia topped the Goffs UK Spring Store Sale on Monday at £140,000. The first of two six-figure prices on the day was reached following a sustained tussle between Paul and Megan Nicholls and agent Dan Astbury. 

Just when it looked like the father-daughter combination had sealed the deal, Darren O’Dwyer joined the fray with a late involvement. However, after a rapid exchange of increases, it became clear the Nicholls camp were in no mood to be denied. 

The sales-topper is by Golden Horn and was offered by Juliet Minton’s Mill House Stud. 

“We loved him, he was our pick of the sale,” Megan said after signing the docket. “Dad thought we needed to come here and try to find as similar a type to Regent’s Stroll as possible, who obviously won the sales race [Goffs Hundred Grand Bumper]. 

“Don’t get me wrong, they’re not easy to find, but this horse showed well every time we saw him; he’s really athletic and forward-going. He’s from a proven family and by a proven sire, so there’s plenty of positives on the pedigree side and as a physical he’s a really nice type as well.”

Megan Nicholls is all smiles after signing for the Golden Horn gelding at £140,000Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

On the protracted sales ring tussle, Megan said: “Someone jumped in very late but Dad was very keen on him so he said ‘Go again!’ That price was probably pushing the budget we had in mind, but you always have to push the limit when it comes to the good ones. 

“We came here with the aim of getting one horse, the pick of the day, and we’ve very much done that. We did the same last year, there’s a very nice Nathaniel at home who’s gearing up towards the next sales bumper, and hopefully this horse will be the one for the year after.” 

She added: “We tend to buy a handful of store horses every year and offer them out. Hopefully he’ll go to some nice owners, either existing or new, but we’ll have to see who snaps him up. They might have to be quick though because he’s a really nice type.” 

Expanding on the yard’s approach to the upcoming sales season, Megan said: “In previous years Dad might’ve bought more stores but the game plan this time around is to potentially keep it to five or six across the sales, so we have the option of then buying the French recruits, juveniles off the Flat or the point-to-pointers. We want to spread it out a bit and keep our options open. If we can get our pick at every sale we’ll be absolutely laughing, but we’re very happy to have got this one.”

The top lot takes his turn in the Doncaster ringCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

Luccia, one of three winners out of the dam Earth Amber, won four races for Nicky Henderson, most notably a Grade 3 handicap at Ascot. She also finished a close-up third in the Champion Hurdle won by State Man in 2024. 

Her Golden Horn half-brother was offered as part of a dispersal of stock belonging to Paul Sandy, who races and breeds under the banner of Pump And Plant Services. 

Minton said: “He’s been very, very busy over the last two days, he had so many lookers. He has shown himself really well, he hasn't put a foot wrong. He deserved to make that sort of money as he's a cracking individual and ticked every box.

“Earth Amber lives with us, and this gelding was born at home. Luccia is being covered by Golden Horn and she has a Goliath Du Berlais foal at foot. Earth Amber is in foal to Postponed.”

Juliet Minton: "He deserved to make that sort of money"Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

On the Pump And Plant Services dispersal, Minton added: “Paul Sandy is having a bit of a dispersal - it's just how business is at the moment, he needs to cut back a bit on training fees and other breeding expenses.

“I wouldn't think Paul would sell the Luccia foal this year, that will be kept hopefully. The Cracksman yearling filly out of Earth Amber is in the sale on Thursday, along with Caspari, the five-year-old full-brother to that filly who has won his last two starts.” 

Spring Store Sale graduates have been on a real roll in recent times, and that momentum helped to propel an improved set of year-on-year figures. 

Turnover was up 17 per cent to £4,109,000, the average price rose to six per cent £27,765 while the median went from £20,000 to £20,500, an uptick of 2.5 per cent. The clearance rate was 79 per cent as 148 lots sold from 187 offered.

Ambitious young trainer lands £120,000 filly

The second six-figure signing came later in the session when Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock went to £120,000 for the Kapgarde filly out of Gamora, a half-sister to Listed-winning and Grade 1-placed Gumball. The filly, already named Gaia De Maine, was consigned by Liss House. 

Bromley’s purchase was made on behalf of owner Rupert Martin, who keeps a string in training under the banner of RHM Horses with Marlborough-based handler Dan Horsford. 

“She was our pick of the sale,” said Horsford, who oversaw the likes of Balder Succes, Trueshan and Yanworth during his time as assistant to Alan King. “She has a great temperament, she's a great mover and she has a great mind.

Dan Horsford, Rupert Martin and Anthony Bromley after landing the £120,000 Kapgarde fillyCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“She's very laid back too, so she ticked all the boxes and was just an obvious choice for us. I just hope she's lucky for Rupert. He’s been a great supporter of mine, without him I wouldn't be doing this. We’ve been given a great opportunity and we want to make the best of it. We’re a small yard at the moment, with aspirations of getting bigger.” 

Asked about the filly’s residual value, Martin said: “My wife Jenny is more into breeding than I am, she bought another by the same sire in France the other day. We hope this one might be ready to run next spring but I'm a very patient owner, I've been there and done that.” 

Murphys back for more

Twelve months ago the Spring Store Sale top lot went the way of father-son agent-trainer duo Aiden and Olly Murphy. The pair were back in action on Monday and snared a son of No Risk At All from Lakefield Farm at £86,000. The youngster is the second foal out of Fiere De Toi, a Kapgarde sister to the Grade 1 Prix Alain Du Breil scorer Feu Follet. 

“I loved him, I thought he was one of the standouts of the sale,” said Olly. “He’s a really good physical and is obviously by a fantastic sire in No Risk At All. He looks like he’s got loads of quality and is one to crack on with. I’ve had plenty of winners by No Risk At All and he’s siring top-class winners over here and in France and Ireland.

Olly and Aiden Murphy in the thick of the action in DoncasterCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“He’s a top-class sire and his stock seem very straightforward to train. He’s been bought on spec, as the majority of our stores are, so we’ll find a nice owner for him.” 

Expanding on plans for the upcoming store sale season, the trainer said: “You’ve got to keep restocking. You’ve no chance of finding the next good horse unless you keep buying them. We’ve been buying plenty of form horses but we’ll be busy during the sales season and keep the whole thing going. We’re looking forward to a busy six weeks.” 

Costello clan in clover

It turned into a good day for two of the Costello brothers, with John Costello’s Fenloe House selling a son of Karaktar to Anthony Bromley for £82,000 before Tom Costello’s Rathfolan Farm presented a son of Crystal Ocean who fetched £85,000 from Highflyer Bloodstock’s Tessa Greatrex, who was standing with trainer Ben Pauling. 

After selling his Karaktar, who is out of a sister to the Grade 1-winning Oeil Du Maitre, John said: “I bought him in France when he was about two months old out in the field beside his mother. He was a gorgeous foal with a lovely pedigree. He was always such a beautiful athlete. Karaktar is an up-and-coming sire; he already has Il Est Francais. 

“Originally he was to go to the Arkle Sale but the team in Doncaster asked me to support them with a couple of nice horses. I’m delighted to come here with a nice horse, delighted with the team who bought him and I’m very happy with the price.”

John Costello (right): "I’m delighted to come here with a nice horse"Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

His brother Tom said of his offering: “My family has been dealing horses for a good number of years now, we sold Best Mate to Henrietta Knight, and I sold Ben [Pauling] his Cheltenham Festival winner Le Breuil.

“This was a beautiful horse, one of the nicest I’ve had in a long time. I think he’s going to do well. I’m delighted he’s going to Ben as he’s a top-class trainer. I bought him as a foal [for €20,000]. 

“He’s always been a lovely horse and he’s by Crystal Ocean, who looks like being a very decent sire and has been getting a lot of good winners recently. Fingers crossed this one does very well too.” 

On the state of trade, Tom added: “The nice horses are selling well but it’s very selective. However, when you have that nice horse you get well rewarded. I’ve got some more lots for the Arkle and Derby sales, but I usually make sure to bring something nice to Doncaster. We’re always very well looked after here.” 

Logician landmark

There were a couple of big results for Shade Oak Stud’s up-and-coming sire Logician, who finished the session as the day’s highest-grossing stallion. The son of Frankel had ten lots sell for a combined £284,000 at an average of £28,400. His debut crop was bred at a fee of £4,000. 

The St Leger winner’s most significant price came when Colin Bowe of Milestone Bloodstock went to £80,000 for the half-brother to Spring Sale Bumper scorer Crest Of Glory. 

The youngster was offered by Liz Lucas’s Swanbridge Bloodstock, who also sold a Logician filly to Paul Webber and Peter and Ross Doyle for £34,000.

A delighted Liz Lucas of Swanbridge BloodstockCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“I didn’t think he’d make that much!” Lucas said after the £80,000 transaction. “I thought he’d make good money but that was more than I’d anticipated. I’m delighted, absolutely over the moon. My heart is going a million miles an hour because this means a lot. 

“These horses live a life of luxury with me, they’re loved and adored, so it means a lot when they go to good homes so we can follow their progress and see what they do next. When they go to good yards they’re getting the best chance in life.” 

She added: “I loved him, he’s a lovely horse, as was the Logician filly we sold earlier on. Logician was a proper horse and his stock have great temperaments; they’re really laidback and are just lovely people. We have a couple more going to the Arkle Sale so hopefully they’ll do well too.”

Hosie restocks the shop window

Syd Hosie was among the trainers stocking up and the Dorset-based handler struck an online bid of £80,000 to bag the Nathaniel filly out of Whoops A Daisy from Goldford Stud. 

The dam was talented on the track, with her five victories including a Listed mares’ hurdle. She has proved an even more adept producer, breeding five winners at paddocks. Four of those also boast black type, including Go Dante and Angel Of Harlem. 

“We were delighted to secure her and thought she was one of the standout fillies in the sale,” said Hosie. “She’s been bought very much with the future in mind and also to help attract new owners into the yard; you can’t sell your yard with an empty shop window.

“She has a lovely staying pedigree, plenty of scope and looks the type to develop into a smart long-term National Hunt mare. She’s currently available for sale and we’d be delighted to speak with any prospective owners looking to get involved with the yard.”

Goldford’s Charlie Aston reacted to the transaction by saying: “We’re delighted with that. She’s got terrific residual value as a broodmare and ticks the boxes as a potential racehorse. She was bred by Mum [Sally] and Nicky [Henderson]; they had the granddam Bayariyka, bred Whoops A Daisy, and this filly is the third generation. 

“Whoops A Daisy was a black-type mare herself and she’s been a phenomenal broodmare. She’s been to Nathaniel three times in a row now. The first time we used him on Whoops A Daisy was during the Covid year. Dad [Richard] had admired him for a long time and when it was difficult to travel mares, they all ended up going to him. 

“We’ve always got lovely looking stock by the stallion so we’ve kept on going back. We’ve seen the likes of Charisma Cat and the Goffs Bumper winner Lady Hope come out last season, so it was perfect timing with a view to selling a Nathaniel filly here in May.” 

Trade resumes on Wednesday, with day one of the Spring Horses-in-Training and Point-to-Point Sale starting at 10am.

More to read: 

‘I think we touched the sky’ - Lossiemouth’s sister heading to Ireland after €440,000 strike at inaugural Aktem sale 

Dan Skelton swoops for €500,000 sale-topper in Auteuil who 'is ready-made to go straight into the big races' 

'Everything my kids have ever eaten, every time I switch on a light or put petrol in my car, a horse has paid for that'