Five Graded Race wins for Tattersalls Ireland graduates this weekend
Over the past number of weekends, Tattersalls Ireland graduates have prevailed at all of the major race meetings in Ireland and the UK with outstanding performances from THE NEW ONE, WAITING PATIENTLY, FINIAN'S OSCAR and DEATH DUTY and this weekend proved no different. Tattersalls Ireland graduates notched up wins in a Grade 1, three Grade 2 races and a Grade 3 contest.
Arkle victory for SOME PLAN
An eventful renewal of the Grade 1 Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday saw SOME PLAN, a graduate of the Cheltenham January Sale and the November National Hunt Sale, who delivered a clean round of jumping to be the sole survivor of the race and win for Henry de Bromhead, Davy Russell and Roger Brookhouse.
SOME PLAN is twice a graduate of Tattersalls Ireland sales venues. Initially the son of Winged Love was sold at the 2008 November National Hunt Sale as a foal for €1,300 to Joe McGee by Orangehill Stud. After a promising debut Point to Point performance under the tutelage of Brian Hamilton, SOME PLAN was purchased by his owner Roger Brookhouse at the 2014 Cheltenham January Sale for £40,000 from Ballynoe Stables.
MANY CLOUDS - a horse of a lifetime
At Cheltenham on Saturday, the day was filled with mixed emotions of utter jubilation and immense heartache. At 2.15pm, seven horses went to post for the 2017 renewal of the Grade 2 Trial Cotswold Chase, a contest that is considered a benchmark for the looming Gold Cup. August NH Sale graduate THISTLECRACK went off favourite but in a nail-biting finish, it was 2015 Grand National winner and Tattersalls Ireland graduate MANY CLOUDS who edged past the Gold Cup fancy in front. Unfortunately, the jubilation felt after the magnificent success of Trevor Hemmings and Oliver Sherwood's Clouding's gelding soon turned to heartbreak due to the untimely demise of one of the public's equine favourites. Trainer Oliver Sherwood described the Hennessy and Grand National winner as a "horse of a lifetime" and our thoughts are with his team at Rhonehurst and the wider connections.
Grade 2 for Munir and Souede's WHOLESTONE
In the Grade 2 Neptune Investment Management Classic Novices' Hurdle on the same card, recent course and distance winner WHOLESTONE always looked like the probable winner and with his pace, stamina and professional attitude, the Craigsteel six-year-old bound clear by three lengths winning for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede under their retained jockey Daryl Jacob.
Ian Ferguson, renowned for sourcing top class jumpers including YORKHILL and BELLSHILL, purchased the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained gelding as a foal at the November National Hunt Sale. He was sold by Ridge Manor Stud in 2011 for €11,000.
Unbeaten over hurdles as CONSTANTINE BAY wins Grade 2
Another November National Hunt Sale graduate maintained his unbeaten hurdling record when CONSTANTINE BAY won the Grade 2 River Don Novices' Hurdle on the card at Doncaster. An epic dual meant the Kayf Tara gelding had to dig deep but got up on the line and subsequently shortened in price for the Albert Bartlett at the Festival.
Trained by Nicky Henderson for Grech and Parkin, CONSTANTINE BAYwas sold at the 2011 November National Hunt Sale by Robert Chugg's Little Lodge Farm for €12,000 to Fethard Bloodstock.
Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle for Derby Sale graduate SUTTON PLACE
At Naas on Saturday, SUTTON PLACE, already a Grade 2 and Listedwinner over hurdles in Novice company, was described as a "fair one" by his trainer Gordon Elliott after the impressive manner in the way the JP McManus owned gelding won the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle under jockey Mark Walsh. A possibly entry in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury maybe on the cards for the two-time Tattersalls Ireland graduate who was purchased by Kieran McManus at the 2014 Derby Sale for €45,000 from Woodbrook Stud. SUTTON PLACE is also a graduate of the 2011 November National Hunt Sale when bought by Sean Wickham for €4,000 from The Beeches Stud.
February National Hunt Sale starts tomorrow at 9.30am
With the earlier start time of 9.30am, the February National Hunt Sale gets the 2017 sales season underway tomorrow. The sale can be viewed live on the Tattersalls Ireland website and on the Tattersalls Ireland app.