Nicky Henderson denied again as Kingston Pride leaves Seven Barrows and joins Olly Murphy for £285,000

Nicky Henderson was understandably determined to bring Kingston Pride back to his Seven Barrows operation. However, following another six-figure showdown, the trainer had to say goodbye to the upwardly mobile six-year-old when outbid at £285,000 during Thursday’s final session of the Doncaster Spring Point-to-Point and Horses in Training Sale. 

Henderson was standing directly opposite the rostrum with bloodstock agent Ian Ferguson, who was tasked with bidding while taking instructions on the phone. Their first opponent was Anthony Bromley, but no sooner had he been turned away than Aiden and Olly Murphy joined the fray. The father-son agent-trainer duo duly delivered the decisive play from the gangway directly below their market rival. 

Roughly 24 hours earlier Henderson had stood in the Murphys’ position when underbidding Poetisa at £300,000. The Cheltenham bumper winner was secured on behalf of Willie Mullins by Closutton’s chief talent scout Harold Kirk. 

Kingston Pride won three of his five outings for Henderson and former owner Oliver Harris. He was last seen running out a five-length winner of a Kempton novice hurdle, an effort that was given a Racing Post Rating of 132. He began his career by winning a Curraghmore maiden point for Tom Keating and also landed an Exeter bumper. 

While Olly Murphy was plainly delighted at making a noteworthy addition to his burgeoning squad, his first thought was for the vanquished underbidder. 

“It’s unfortunate for Nicky, I’d hate to be in the position he’s in when you train a horse like that and don’t get to keep him,” he said. “I’ve followed the horse throughout his career ever since he came out of Tom Keating’s. I think his novice hurdle form is good and he’ll make a lovely novice chaser moving forward. 

“Hopefully he’s going to go on to bigger and better things. We had to try hard for him but he has a lovely profile. He doesn’t look like he wants real bottomless winter ground, but all our festivals are in the spring. He’s certainly one to look forward to.” 

Thursday was Kingston Pride’s third appearance at the sales. He cost Keating just €12,000 as a three-year-old in 2022 before his point-to-point success saw his value soar to €200,000 when signed for by Alan Tobin at the following year’s Goffs Punchestown Sale. Murphy said he had expected Kingston Pride to bring between £250,000 and £350,000, and was comfortable at that level given the form in the book. 

“We’re happy to give double that for first time out point-to-point winners,” he said. “I know he cost a lot of money, but, in the grand scheme of our National Hunt market, he’s rated mid 130s and hopefully he’s going to be a stone better over a fence. At least we have a little bit of writing on the biscuit tin today [Thursday], which a lot of the time you don’t. We'll be going to the Arkle Sale and the Derby Sale and giving this type of money for unraced horses with nice pedigrees soon. It’s the market we’re in.”

Murphy ended last season with 141 British jumps winners, while his strike rate of 25 per cent was unmatched among his rivals at the head of the trainers’ championship. He said a productive campaign had resulted in an upswell of support ahead of a crucial sales period for jumps trainers. 

Kingston Pride will now sport the colours of Grahame and Diana WhateleyCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

“When I left Gordon Elliott, the one thing he told me was if you don’t win in the sales ring you won’t win on the racetrack,” he said. “To win in the sales ring, you have to be training a lot of winners before your owners give you money to spend. 

“You don’t get given money just for being a nice guy, you’ve got to train winners. We had a great season and owners are supporting us, and we want to get up to that next level. That’s when you get the chance to buy these horses; some work out and some don’t, but hopefully this lad does.” 

Murphy also revealed that Kingston Pride would continue his career in the colours of Grahame and Diana Whateley. “They love their National Hunt racing,” he said. “They’re massive supporters of the game and have been for a long, long time. They’ve got a lovely team of horses to go to war with and they were very keen on this lad. They’ve had the likes of Menorah, Captain Chris, Wishfull Thinking, Thomas Darby, and hopefully they’ve got a new brigade coming through.”

Healthy figures recorded across the board 

There was brisk trade throughout the two-day sale, which posted healthy figures across the key market indices. 

The clearance rate was a rock solid 89 per cent as 336 lots found a buyer. Despite that number, a result of a smaller catalogue this time around, meaning 42 fewer horses sold than 12 months ago, turnover was virtually identical at £8,860,500. 

The average price rose by 12 per cent year on year to £26,370, while the median climbed fully 30 per cent to £16,250, having been £12,500 at the corresponding point in 2024.

At the close of trade, Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said: “The Spring Sale is the largest NH Horses-in-Training Sale in the world and it has once again proved its huge popularity with all the leading owners and trainers active in Doncaster over the last two days. 

"Yesterday’s [Wednesday's] point-to-point day was another huge success with over 180 horses offered and a top price of £300,000 – the day is a clear first choice for handler’s late season runners, plus their end of season dispersals, and we are grateful for the ongoing support. This was followed by another strong day today with a top price of £285,000 for Kingston Pride plus the ever popular Million In Mind draft that saw a top price of £145,000 for a filly to continue her career in America. 

Poetisa: daughter of Poet's Word and half-sister to Grade 2 winner Queenohearts sold for £300,000 on WednesdayCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

"Today [Thursday] has been the conclusion of another fantastic week in Doncaster but we are always looking for ways to improve the sale and it was in this spirit that we introduced Tuesday’s inspection day which was met with a positive response from purchasers. The yards were busy throughout the day and they didn’t start to empty until the early evening, whilst trade has been consistently strong across all three days which shows the value of this extra time to potential buyers.

"There is clearly strong demand for horses with form, as evidenced by the strong clearance rate of 89 per cent over the last two-days and there is plenty to celebrate in this sector of the market. We would like to thank all our vendors who have supported us across the week, and we wish our buyers all the very best with their purchases. We now look forward to the market leading Goffs Arkle Sale on June 10 – 12 whilst we are taking entries for the Goffs Summer Sale on July 21, a sale that produced a top price of £660,000 in 2024.”

Stateside future for Timetoshine

Henderson also bid farewell to Timetoshine, who will continue her career on the other side of the Atlantic after being picked up by US-based jumps trainer Mark Beecher at £145,000. The five-year-old daughter of The Grey Gatsby was offered as part of the annual Million In Mind partnership dispersal, and will now sport the colours of Runnymoore Racing. 

Timetoshine has won six races throughout her career, including three over hurdles since she made the €30,000 switch from Fabrice Chappet to Seven Barrows. She notched a hat-trick that began in a Huntingdon maiden hurdle and also took in mares’ novices at Kempton and Chepstow. Her eight-and-a-half length Kempton success earned her a career-high RPR of 125. 

The new recruit will bid to maintain a fine run of form for Beecher’s stable, which won this year’s Maryland Hunt Cup with Road To Oz. 

Outlining how he ended up training jumpers in America, the Irishman said: “I’m originally from Waterford and moved out to America as a jumps jockey. I mainly did timber racing and was quite successful at that, then I turned my hand to training. We’re going very well this year as we won the biggest race over there, the Maryland Hunt Cup. 

Timetoshine will contiune her career in America after being bought by Mark Beecher for £145,000Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

“I’ve got some great owners, who want to be very competitive, and they wanted to buy a good mare. They were willing to come over here and I felt this was the best mare in the sale. We waited for her, and thankfully we ended up getting her.” 

Although he is now based in the US, Beecher added that this was not a first trip to the South Yorkshire sales ring, either as a buyer or a seller.

“I don’t normally make the trip, I normally send my brother as I’m not a great traveller, but in this instance I thought it was important to come over,” he said. “I’ve actually led up horses here at the sale before, and I bought at this sale a few years back. It’s a great complex, it’s very easy to work. Goffs look after us very well and made it easy for us to buy horses here.” 

Beecher said his stable contains a mix of US and European-breds. The French-bred Timetoshine is set to join US-bred Road To Oz, who, despite winning over jumps, is by elite Flat stallion Quality Road. 

“He’s a very well-bred horse by Quality Road,” said the trainer. “He wasn’t bred to go four miles, he was bred to go six furlongs, he was just a tad slow. I had the first, third and the sixth in the Maryland Hunt Cup, and the third horse is Irish bred. Our barn has a mix of pedigrees, I’m not for having all European horses, I kind of mix and match. 

“If there’s quality here we’ll make an attempt to come over here and buy, but if not, there’s plenty in America. The breeding in America is all centred around the Flat, so the horses are bred to five furlongs to a mile and nothing further. That’s why it’s nice to be able to come here.” 

Walford pushes the bidding button

The useful Push The Button will switch stables from Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies to Mark Walford after the latter saw off the former at £105,000. The six-year-old, a winner of three races for the Twiston-Davies team, shares his sire, Kingston Hill, with the session-topping Kingston Pride. 

He has been highly tried in competitive handicap hurdles at Cheltenham, Aintree and Sandown on his most recent starts, and new connections will turn his attention to the larger obstacles next season. 

“We’ll give him a break as he’s had some hard races this season, he’s run in a lot of those handicaps at the big festivals,” said Walford. “The plan will be to give him a bit of time off and then go chasing in the autumn. He looks like a readymade novice chaser. I like the stallion, he’s a good model and vetted nicely. 

“It was a good sign to me that they wanted him back, I knew they wanted him back so we had to push a bit. He’s got the form in the book but you could easily buy an Irish pointer for that sort of money that wouldn’t be as good. We’ve a few existing owners involved and I hope he’s lucky for them.” 

Mark Walford secured three-time winner Push The Button for £105,000Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

Push The Button turned a tidy profit for his previous owners, as he was picked up by Jimmy and Susie Wenman at £20,000 at the 2022 Spring Store Sale. 

Kingston Hill stands around 100 miles north of the Doncaster sales ring at Nunstainton Stud. The St Leger-winning son of Mastercraftsman made the switch from Coolmore’s Castlehyde Stud in 2022. The 2024, 2023 and 2022 covering seasons saw him serve books of mares numbering 53, 77 and 51 respectively. 

Fyffe takes a punt

The second lot to fetch £105,000 was Haddex Des Obeaux who was picked up by Jimmy Fyffe, the owner whose black and pink colours have been aboard the likes of Cooper’s Cross, Endless Power and Sir Chauvelin. 

The eight-year-old son of Saddex didn’t run for Henderson despite being offered by Seven Barrows, but won three times for Gary Moore in the colours of Oliver Harris. He was last seen finishing third, beaten under five lengths, by Jonbon in the 2023 Tingle Creek. 

Haddex De Obeaux was bought by Jimmy Fyffe and will head into training with Donald McCainCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

“He’s the one we were really after today,” said Fyffe, who was standing beside Donald McCain. “He’ll go to Donald and we’ll give him the summer off, get him ready for next season and see what happens. I’ve got a lot of horses in the north and this one will make a great addition to the team.”

Expanding on Haddex Des Obeaux’s appeal, McCain said: “Well, he’s shown he’s a genuine Grade 1 horse, hasn't he? Look, we probably wouldn’t have been able to afford him if he didn’t have an issue along the way, but he’s had his time off and he’s ready to come back into work.

“It’s a roll of the dice but Jimmy’s a punting man and this is the right sort of horse to take a punt on. We also said that it was better value than paying for a point-to-pointer who hasn’t proven he’s nearly as good as this horse.”

O’Brien’s moment of Madness

Fergal O’Brien and Tessa Greatrex clashed over A Moments Madness, another from the Million In Mind draft. The former party won out with a bid of £82,000. 

The six-year-old son of Conduit was trained by Greatrex’s husband Warren to win a Ffos Las handicap chase, an effort giving an RPR of 119. 

Fergal O'Brien: 'I didn’t expect to pay that much but I was really keen to get him as we just loved him and he vetted really well'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

“He’s for the Tufnells, existing owners in the yard,” said O’Brien. “They’re local people who have been very supportive of us. He’s going to go hunter chasing now. I took great comfort from the fact that Warren and Tessa were trying hard to buy him back, I assume for Warren. I didn’t expect to pay that much but I was really keen to get him as we just loved him and he vetted really well.” 

A Moments Madness last changed hands at the 2024 Cheltenham February Sale where Highflyer Bloodstock signed the ticket at £30,000. Prior to that he had gone unsold as a foal at just €2,500.

Sale statistics

Goffs London Sale 2025

Read more . . .

Big plans hatched for Eydon as Prince Faisal's patience bears fruit with Aston Park winner 

Amo Racing secures $1.1 million top lot at record-breaking Fasig-Tipton May Sale 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.