The facts and figures that make the Cheltenham February Sale one not to be missed

High-octane National Hunt action returns to Prestbury Park on Thursday with the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale commencing at 1pm. The event, which offers Irish point-to-point handlers the first opportunity of the year to offer their four-year-old prospects, has been the source of several top-class performers in recent years, and consequently has seen the more in-demand lots command some major prices. Sales correspondent James Thomas takes a look at the facts and figures that make this one of the most significant dates in the jumping calendar. 

54 choice offerings set to come under the hammer 

Prior to withdrawals, the catalogue contains 54 lots, comprising 16 four-year-olds, 36 five-year-olds and two six-year-olds. The National Hunt market values nothing more highly than a winning four-year-old pointer, and six of the 16 struck at the first time of asking. 

These include the Crossgales Stables-consigned Butcher Hollow (Lot 17), a 16-length winner at Tallow, Baltimore House Stables’ De Tellers Fortune (19), successful in the Ballinaboola maiden previously won by Envoi Allen, and Colin Bowe’s four-length Ballycrystal scorer Ben Solo (20), not only a half-brother to the Listed-winning Top Dog but out of a three-time winner closely related to none other than Altior. 

There are also two winning four-year-olds from the British sphere in Tom Weston’s Garthorpe scorer Bond Broker (40) and Diamond Dealer (43), who struck at Buckfastleigh for Chris Barber. Seven of the 16 four-year-olds showed abundant promise to finish second on their debut, and as such rate potential value alternatives to the sought-after winners. 

There also 22 winning five-year-olds, with eyecatchers including the likes of Ismael, a 12-length debut winner at Ballyvodock for Declan Queally (9); Colin Bowe’s classy Ballycrystal scorer Brechin Castle (10); and Donnchadh Doyle’s promising Beneficially Yours (35), who struck by nine lengths first time out at Nenagh. 

The majority of the catalogue (39 lots, 72 per cent) are geldings but there is plenty of potential among the 15 mares on offer too, with the likes of John Murphy’s well-bred Punchestown scorer The Midwife (6), Pat Doyle’s stylish Comea winner All The Feels (14) and Bridget Mary (33), who struck at Ballyvodock for Maike Magnussen, all rating exciting prospects. 

35 different sires provide strength in depth

The February Sale catalogue contains the progeny of 35 sires, ranging alphabetically from Al Namix to Youmzain. The strongest representation belongs to Walk In The Park, who has five lots entered. Moreover, the strength of his offering is not purely on a numerical basis, as that quintet includes some notably bright prospects. 

Mt Fugi Park is the most expensive store to be reoffered in the February Sale catalogue, having cost Monbeg Stables £65,000 at Goffs UK. The five-year-old half-brother to Real Milan duly made a striking winning debut when coming five lengths clear at Belharbour. 

Monbeg Stables' Donnchadh DoyleCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

Mt Fugi Park (8) was saddled by Donnchadh Doyle, whose brother Sean sent out Leader In The Park (28) to a convincing success at Tallow. The €52,000 store, a half-brother to three-time Grade 1 and Cheltenham Festival winner Benefficient, already looked to be getting the upper hand when left half a furlong clear at the second-last. 

The Grange Stud resident is arguably best known as the sire of Grade 1-winning brothers Douvan and Jonbon, and that pair immediately jump out of the page of Lot 26. Longhouse Legacy is closely related to those National Hunt celebrities as she is also by Walk In The Park and out of a half-sister to their dam, Star Face. And as if that wasn’t appealing enough, Sam Curling’s five-year-old opened her account at the second time of asking with a game display in a Belharbour mares’ maiden. 

Other leading sires set to be represented by multiple lots include Diamond Boy, Flemensfirth, Mahler, Milan, No Risk At All, Shantou and Soldier Of Fortune. 

300th winner to provide another memorable moment 

Rob James has long since been established as one of the most talented amateur jockeys in the weighing room, with his major victories under rules featuring Cheltenham Festival success aboard Milan Native in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase, as well as Scottish National glory on Win My Wings. 

The Wexford native reached a new milestone on Saturday when he partnered his 300th point-to-point winner aboard Jingko Blue at Oldtown. And James might have more than one reason to remember the exploits of Jingko Blue as the son of Great Pretender looks set to be one of the headline offerings when presented as Lot 36 on Thursday. 

Trained and ridden by James, Jingko Blue lined up in a competitive four-year-old maiden and displayed slick jumping and bundles of talent to draw clear with the well-regarded Jersey Des Brosses, who is also offered on Thursday by Colin Bowe (32). The pair were virtually upsides at the last but Jingko Blue found more to score by a length. 

Jingko Blue certainly has the pedigree to be smart as not only is he by the same sire as Benie Des Dieux, Greaneteen and Lossiemouth, but he is out of a Saint Des Saints mare from the family of Azertyuiop, meaning he shares his damsire with the likes of Appreciate It, El Fabiolo, Envoi Allen and Jonbon. 

Rob James celebrates after winning the Scottish Grand National on Win My WingsCredit: Ian MacNicol

James is no stranger to guiding top-class talent between the flags having been aboard the likes of Shishkin and Topofthegame when they made their debuts, and Jingko Blue could well be the next. 

Jingko Blue is not the only lot James has to look forward to either, as his operation is also represented by the promising five-year-old Check The Score (41). The son of Mahler, a €45,000 store, travelled ominously well before coming nine lengths clear at Kirkistown on his second outing. 

Four Grade 1 winners fly the flag 

Despite just six past editions, the February Sale’s roll of honour is led by four Grade 1-winning graduates. The most accomplished of the quartet is Envoi Allen, who has seven top-flight victories to his name, including the Champion Bumper, Ballymore Novices' Hurdle and last year’s Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal. 

Fellow Champion Bumper winner Ferny Hollow, another to carry the Cheveley Park Stud silks, also came from the February Sale and landed his second win at the highest level when claiming the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown. 

Ferny Hollow is trained by Willie Mullins, who is also responsible for Grade 1-winning February Sale graduates Asterion Forlonge (Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle) and Brandy Love (Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final), both of whom now run in the black and yellow chequered colours of Joe Donnelly after the latter was purchased privately from Michael Grech. 

Asterion Forlonge (£290,000), Brandy Love (£200,000) and Ferny Hollow (£300,000) were all signed for by Mullins and his chief talent spotter Harold Kirk. Interestingly, all four Grade 1 scorers highlighted their latent talent early in their careers as they all made a winning debut in their respective four-year-old maidens. 

Last year’s top lot Willmount, a £340,000 purchase by Neil Mulholland, may have a long way to go before he matches the feats of the aforementioned foursome, but he certainly looked a star of the future when romping to a 13-length success in a Doncaster bumper on his first start under rules. 

£480,000 buy tops list of heady prices 

The February Sale has seen its share of seismic prices but none can match the sum paid for Flemenshill in 2017. Consigned by Colin McKeever’s Loughanmore Farms, the son of Flemensfirth arrived with a big reputation having won an Oldtown four-year-old maiden on his debut, in which he beat the previous year’s Derby Sale top lot, Defi Bleu, and the highly touted Palmers Hill. 

Flemenshill: ill-fated record-setterCredit: Tattersalls Ireland

That performance caught the attention of agent Tom Malone and trainer Joe Tizzard, who duly bid £480,000, a record for a point-to-pointer at the time, on behalf of owners Ann and Alan Potts. Tragically we never got the chance to see how far Flemenshill could go as he suffered a heart attack on the gallops before making his debut under rules. 

Three other lots have brought £400,000 or more at past editions of the February Sale, including the Joseph O’Brien buy Dlauro and Wide Receiver, who was signed for by Malone and Gordon Elliott. The pair fetched £410,000 apiece in 2018 and 2019 respectively. A certain Envoi Allen, another selected by Malone, cost £400,000 in 2018. Will we see this kind of price again on Thursday? Time will tell. 

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