Transfer deadline day: five of the best moves in horseracing

Football clubs have been working tirelessly to get their final deals over the line on transfer deadline day today. To mark the occasion, here are some of the most successful switches in horseracing . . .

Red Rum

A move that would not have made any back pages at the time but certainly did eight months later.

Red Rum started out on the Flat, dead-heating with Curlicue – ridden by the great Lester Piggott – in a 5f selling contest at Aintree and enjoyed mixed fortunes in that sphere, so much so that owner Lurline Brotherton decided to enter him in Doncaster’s August sale in 1972.

The rest, as they say, is history. Ginger McCain bought Red Rum for 6,000gns on behalf of Noel le Mare, and he won the Grand National the following April in the first of three memorable Aintree triumphs, earning his place in racing folklore.

Lord Glitters

Big-money transfers do not always pay off but the purchase of Lord Glitters for €270,000 has proved particularly shrewd.

A multiple conditions stakes winner in France for trainer Christophe Lotoux, Lord Glitters hit the ground running in Britain for owners Geoff and Sandra Turnbull, finishing second in the Challenge Cup and landing the Balmoral Handicap on British Champions Day in 2017.

Lord Glitters: won the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in JuneCredit: Edward Whitaker

The seven-year-old has been beaten over three lengths just twice in 14 starts for David O'Meara, been campaigned abroad in Meydan and Woodbine, and enjoyed a deserved first top-level success in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Balasani

Owner Mark Smith made the decision to move Balasani, rated 47 on the Flat and 91 over jumps when trained by John Jenkins, to the all-conquering yard of Martin Pipe in 1991 and it paid instant and long-term dividends.

Balasini won eight of his 13 races under both codes for Pipe that year, culminating with victory in the Grade 3 William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Sandown off a mark of 129. The improvement did not stop there.

Successful in the Ascot Stakes, second in the Northumberland Plate and fourth in the Chester Cup in 1993, Balasani took his jumps form to the next level the following year, landing the Rendlesham Hurdle at Kempton before passing the post second and then being promoted to first in the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after jockey Mark Perrett's successful objection.

Little Polveir

Three unsuccessful efforts in the Grand National would not have inspired much confidence in the chances of Little Polveir in the 1989 running with owner Mike Shone selling the staying chaser for 15,000gns.

Toby Balding took a chance on the formerly John Edwards-trained 12-year-old for new owner Edward Harvey, who eyed a tilt at the Grand Military Gold Cup, in which he finished fourth, before their National dreams were realised.

Little Polveir relished heavy ground to defeat former winner West Tip by seven lengths under Jimmy Frost, earning £66,840 for connections in a fairytale result.

Sergeant Cecil

The immensely popular Sergeant Cecil was mixing it in top company by the latter stages of his career, but joined Rod Millman in 2002 off a mark of 63.

Sergeant Cecil (second right): landed the Prix du Cadran in 2006Credit: Edward Whitaker

Owner Terry Cooper moved Sergeant Cecil to Millman's yard after six unsuccessful runs when trained by Seamus Mullins, and the staying handicapper was placed on six of his first seven starts for his new yard before defeating Reveillez – a subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner – at Sandown in 2003.

Sergeant Cecil steadily rose through the ranks thereafter, and two years later he completed the unique treble of winning the Northumberland Plate, Ebor and Cesarewitch in a memorable campaign.

In following seasons he stepped up to strike in Group company, winning the Lonsdale Cup, Doncaster Cup, Yorkshire Cup and the Group 1 Prix du Cadran.

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