Seventh Six Figure Sale For The Gurkha

It was a case of quality over quantity for first season sire The Gurkha on Wednesday, as his sole offering at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale sold for £260,000.

Offered by Glending Stables as Lot 276, the bay was bought by Stephen Hillen, who provided the Kavanagh family with a fine profit on his foal price of 47,000gns. Speaking after the sale, consignor Roderick Kavanagh said, “Dad and Michael Downey bought him as a foal and it was all down to Mr Downey, who picked him out, and he's over the moon. It's been a long road with him, but we loved him and he's the best one I've had to do this job.”

Bred out of Stakes performer Long Face, the colt continues The Gurkha’s early success in the sales ring, where his first yearlings sold for up to €525,000. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, The Gurkha was unraced at two but made up for lost time as a three-year-old when winning his maiden by nine lengths. He went on to outclass his rivals by five and a half lengths in the French 2,000 Guineas, and after two second at Group 1 level, gained his second Group 1 success in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Amongst Stephen Hillen’s other purchases were two by No Nay Never. The agent went to £150,000 for the filly out of Dancing On Air offered by Church Farm and Horse Park Stud, and parted with £210,000 for Mocklershill’s colt out of Martyenne. Charles Shanahan was another keen to purchase a son of No Nay Never, going to £110,000 for Tally Ho Stud’s colt out of Musically.

Johnny Hasset later enjoyed a profitable return on his Gleneagles Colt, offered as Lot 333 under his Bloodstock Connection banner. A 42,000gns yearling purchase, the half-brother to two Stakes horses was knocked down to George Mullins for £240,000 on Wednesday.