Derby Sale Graduate Croke Park Plays A Blinder In Drinmore

Derby Sale graduate Croke Park made every yard of the running to land the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

The six-year-old provided trainer Gordon Elliott with an eighth win in the race, as the son of Walk In The Park lead home fellow Tattersalls Ireland graduates Heart Wood and Firefox.

He is a graduate of the 2021 Derby Sale where he was purchased from Ballincurrig House Stud by Milestone Stables and Ballyboy Stables for €150,000.

Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud doubled their Fairyhouse tally with the impressive Koktail Brut running out a wide margin winner of the concluding bumper. The four-year-old, a half-brother to the Munster National winner Gevrey, was purchased at the 2023 Derby Sale from Conor and Deirdre Cashman’s Drumlin by Paddy Turley for €40,000.

Elsewhere at Fairyhouse, the Henry De Bromhead-trained The Folkes Tiara landed the Listed handicap chase, while History Of Fashion belied his advancing years to run out a game winner of the Listed Porterstown Handicap Chase for trainer Pat Fahy.

Caldwell Potter made his eagerly awaited chasing debut at Carlisle, and the grey produced a fluent round of jumping to run out a five-length winner.

The Paul Nicholls-trained son of Martaline created headlines when sold for €740,000 at the Andy and Gemma Brown Dispersal Sale earlier this year, and it is likely this Grade 1 winning novice hurdler will be seen next in graded company over fences.

The bumper on the Carlisle card saw John McConnell’s May Store Sale graduate Camberwell make a winning racecourse debut. The four-year-old was a €25,000 purchase in 2023 from Peter Nolan Bloodstock by Dower House Stables.

Two valuable handicaps on Newbury’s high-quality card on Saturday were won by Store sale graduates. The Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase was won by Derby Sale graduate Wiseguy, who made a winning seasonal debut for trainer Nicky Henderson. The eight-year-old is a graduate of the 2019 Derby Sale where he was sold by Mount Eaton Stud to M V Magnier for €90,000.

May Store Sale graduate General Medrano travelled strongly throughout the closing two-mile handicap chase on Saturday at Newbury, and cruised home with nine lengths to spare for Emma Lavelle’s stable. The son of Ocovango was purchased from Graigue Farm by Kieran Stokes for €13,000.

The Dan Skelton-trained The New Lion maintained his unbeaten record over hurdles at Newbury and a tilt at the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle could now be on the cards later this month. The five-year-old was sold as a foal at the 2019 November National Hunt Sale by Little Lodge Farm to Kate Rudd for €45,000.

Other Store sale graduates to score across the weekend were the JP McManus-owned Jumper Madrik who made a winning start over fences at Leicester for Charlie Longsdon, while on the same card the Olly Murphy-trained Indeevar Bleu, who hails from the family of two-time Grade 1 winner Al Ferof,  returned to winning ways in the colours of Diana Whateley.

The winning sequence of May Store Sale graduate Skyjack Hijack continues and the Jennie Candlish-trained six-year-old made it six successive wins at Newcastle, jumping boldly from the front and winning with over nine lengths to spare.