National Hunt Chase winner tops Spring HIT Sale

The 2009 DBS Spring HIT Sales on Tuesday and Wednesday saw a top price of £320,000 backed up by a 75% clearance rate. Overall, 271 lots were sold of the 362 offered, for an aggregate of £3,882,85. The average declined by 11% from last year to £14,327 and the median declined from £7,500 to £7,000.

The Million in Mind partnership have been one of the leading vendors at the DBS Spring HIT Sales for a number of years and their draft of six horses included the Cheltenham Festival winning TRICKY TRICKSTER. The son of Oscar had won the 4 mile National Hunt Chase for Nigel Twiston-Davies just two months before coming under the hammer and he is sure to be a leading Grand National hope in years to come. There was a great deal of interest for the gelding and auctioneer Michael White received an opening bid of £100,000 before John Webb and Robert Waley-Cohen showed an interest, but it was Donald McCain and Paul Nicholls who made most of the running before the hammer came down in favour of the champion trainer at £320,000. He has been bought for an existing owner and will be one to follow in all of the major staying chases next season.

SITTING TENANT was another horse that came to the sale with a big reputation having won the Grade Two John Smith's Champion Bumper at the Aintree Festival for trainer Kate Walton. The five year old son of Erhaab was another to attract plenty of attention from around the ring but it was David Minton from Highflyer Bloodstock and Donald McCain that made most of the running before the hammer came down in favour of Howard Johnson at £160,000. The County Durham trainer will hope that he follows in the footsteps of stable star TIDAL BAY who was second in the Aintree contest before selling at the same sale in 2005 and winning twice at Grade One level for the Johnson/Wylie team in 2008.

The Million in Mind draft was also responsible for the third highest price of the two day sale when GIORGIO QUERCUS sold to Sir Robert Ogden for £112,000. The four year old Starborough gelding had won three races before coming under the hammer including the John Smith's Scottish Triumph Hurdle at Mussleburgh in impressive fashion for Nicky Henderson and it was the Lambourn trainer who recommended him to his new owner.

The Supplementary Catalogue was responsible for the record breaking top price at the DBS Spring HIT Sales twelve months ago and the top price on the first day came from the same catalogue, when SPENCER'S HILL was knocked down to Mags O'Toole for £105,000. The four year old won a Bumper at Downpatrick in March by nine lengths before running a close third in two subsequent events when stepped up in class and caught the attention of Nicky Richards, who was the eventual underbidder, before the hammer came down in favour of O'Toole who was bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client.

APARTMAN came to the sale with a big reputation having won a Novices' Hurdle at Ayr by 15 lengths on his most recent start. He was consigned by George Charlton, who sold Tidal Bay at this sale before he won the Grade One Arkle Chase and he attracted plenty of attention before the hammer came down in favour of Anthony Bromley from Highflyer Bloodstock. The Czechoslovakian bred four year old was bought for £100,000 and will go in to training with Paul Nicholls.

Goldford Stud consigned the five year old COOL MISSION to the sale after he was placed on both of his Bumper starts, most recently a half length defeat at Haydock just one week before the sale. The son of Definite Article was bought by Donald McCain for £85,000 and is sure to have an exciting future when racing over obstacles next season.

FORLOVENORMONEY was another horse who was entered in the Supplementary Catalogue and the son of Flemensfirth came to the sale having won his only Point to Point at Dawstown by three lengths on 4 May for Pat Doyle. The five year old was consigned by his Suirview Stables and is another that will join the Paul Nicholls stable after selling to Anthony Bromley from Highflyer Bloodstock for £85,000. He will run in the colours of John Hales, who was standing with Bromley whilst bidding for the gelding and he is an exciting horse for the future.

On completion of the two day sale, DBS Managing Director Henry Beeby said:

'The World's Premier National Hunt Sales is our proud boast as we promote the DBS Spring Sales and we feel that the last two days have vindicated that claim again.

We never doubted that trade would be somewhat selective and that the turnover would be down given the smaller catalogue but the excellent racecourse results of past DBS graduates at the highest level ensured a huge crowd of potential purchasers converged on Doncaster and provided a lively atmosphere that led to a solid trade from start to finish. Indeed the statistics bear almost direct comparison with 2007 which is a fair achievement in the current climate whilst a 75% clearance rate would stand scrutiny in any year at any sale.

In tough times people lean towards security and familiarity. The DBS Spring Sales provides just that kind of consistency and we are delighted to have sold the world's highest priced National Hunt horse for the 9th consecutive year. That result together with another season of top class winners surely confirms, once again, the sales reputation as the World's Premier National Hunt Sales.'