Increasing number of private sales could fuel more British trainers' scepticism

In 2016 Samcro became the first horse of that season to break the £300,000 barrier when sold at the Goffs UK Aintree sale to Gigginstown House Stud having won a Monksgrange maiden for Colin Bowe and Douglas Taylor.

Before that, no autumn lot had even hit the £200,000 mark and, prior to the sale, the highest price of the season had been the £225,000 paid for Timewaitsfornoone at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival sale.

Within a couple of years prices have grown substantially. The ill-fated Flemenshill broke the record at £480,000, only to be surpassed by both Jonbon and Classic Getaway, who each fetched more than £500,000.