Cheltenham Festival winning trainers Gordon Elliott and Jamie Snowden invested in British point-to-pointers at yesterday evening’s Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale.
Elliott, who earlier in the day had landed the Gr.1 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle with Sire Du Berlais, parted with £150,000 for Touch Me Not (pictured above), a four-year-old son of Malinas from Tom Ellis’s Warwickshire yard. Touch Me Not, who was bought by Highflyer Bloodstock as an unbroken three-year-old at last year’s Goffs UK Spring Sale, made his racing debut at Charm Park in Yorkshire earlier this month and looked all set to win under Jack Andrews until falling at the final fence when well clear.
After thanking Elliott and his assistant, Mouse O’Ryan, for putting their faith in Touch Me Not, Ellis said: “That’s a great result, but we’ve always thought the world of the horse. He has loads of speed and I was very confident that he would put up a good show when we ran him.
“He was clear when he fell, but bear in mind he is a four-year-old who was having his first run. He travelled through the race like a really good horse and I think he’s a proper two-miler in the making – he’s gone to a great yard to get the best of his ability. That’s why they [Irish trainers] are doing better than we are – they are spending the money.”
Asked if the result reflected well on British pointing, Ellis said: “Look at Energumene this week [winner of the Gr.1 Queen Mother Champion Chase for the second year]. His performance says more than I ever can.”
Still beaming after You Wear It Well’s victory in the Gr.2 Jack De Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, trainer Jamie Snowden was in the ring when the sale commenced, and with a bid of £80,000 he purchased recent Kingston Blount winner Dwight K Schrute. Bloodstock agent Tom Malone, who is doing a good job of training winners on the point-to-point circuit, represented Snowden and brought the hammer down, following which the trainer said: “He’s a lovely looking horse and it’s good to support British point-to-pointing.”
Carrying the colours of Tim Talbot’s Ratkatcha Racing, four-year-old Dwight K Schrute made a winning debut for Bradley Gibbs’ stable under Freddie Mitchell. The son of Clovis Du Berlais had been bought by Gibbs and Dan Astbury for £24,000 as a two-year-old at the Yorton Sale.
Dwight K. Schrute who sold for £80,000 to Tom Malone and Jamie Snowden **Carl Evans
Recent Charlton Horethorne winner Sea God also changed hands, exiting Chris Barber’s yard when selling for £50,000 to racehorse owner Jimmy Fyffe, who keeps horses in training at yards around Britain.
Sea God, a son of Sea Moon, was ridden to a debut victory by Will Biddick having been bought at Goffs UK’s Spring Sale for £26,000 by Barber and Phil Fry.