History was made at Tattersalls Ireland yesterday (5 February) when Caldwell Potter achieved a world record selling price of €740,000 (£632,000); the most ever paid for a National Hunt horse at public auction.
The Grade One winner and leading Cheltenham Festival contender was part of the Tattersalls Ireland Andy and Gemma Brown Dispersal Sale. Andy and Gemma recently decided to sell their entire string of horses, who had all been in training with Gordon Elliott, as they want to leave the sport.
The high-profile and unprecedented sale offered 29 lots, all without reserves. The session turnover of €5,290,000 was a record-breaking aggregate for a one-day boutique National Hunt Sale. The average price for the session was €182,414 with four horses selling for over €500,000 and 10 for €200,000 or more.
Although Gordon Elliott was the determined underbidder of Caldwell Potter in an effort to ensure the horse returned to his Cullentra House Stables, Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock ultimately secured the impressive six-year-old on behalf of John Hales, Ged Mason, Sir Alex Ferguson and Peter Done, and the horse will go into training with Paul Nicholls.
“He is standout, a lovely horse – I loved him as a youngster as a store [unbroken three-year-old],” said Anthony. “I have watched his career closely – he has only been running over two miles yet he looks a stayer. He may potentially be a Gold Cup horse, long-term.
“I can’t say what plans Paul will have for the horse and we will see how it all works out, obviously there are the Cheltenham entries and Aintree would be a consideration, but he has been bought really as a chaser of the future.”
Gordon Elliott managed to secure Pied Piper for Windgates Stud on behalf of a new syndicate for €570,000, Staffordshire Knot for €510,000, Sa Fureur for €330,000 and Doctor Elvis for €260,000.
Gordon said: “I was disappointed to lose the big horse, but that is the way it is – hopefully he will be lucky for the new owners. Pied Piper is coming back and we have got all the ones we wanted apart from Caldwell Potter.”
Simon Kerins, CEO of Tattersalls Ireland, said: “First and foremost, I extend my sincere gratitude to Andy and Gemma Brown, as well as Joey Logan, for entrusting us with their dispersal sale, it has been an honour.
“I would like to express my appreciation to Gordon Elliott and his team – every single horse in this draft has been produced looking in superb order and, finally, the Tattersalls Ireland team for turning this sale around at such speed. It is testament to the team’s professionalism and hard work, proof of the flexibility that we have and ability to act as the industry requires.
“The sale has been a phenomenal success and the figures paid have been mind-blowing. We knew these horses would be in high demand given their proven level of form, and all the big players were here today.
“We look forward to watching today’s sales horses going on to achieve great things on the racecourse, and we hope to see the Browns return to the racing scene in the near future.”
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