Big £230,000 for Getaway pointer

A runaway success four days before his date in the Cheltenham sale ring ensured that The Big Getaway (4g Getaway-Saddlers Dawn, by Saddlers Hall) was in huge demand when going under the hammer on Thursday evening.

The Getaway gelding caught many eyes when trained by Donnchadh Doyle to win by a distance at Horse & Jockey on Sunday.

He will return to Ireland to race for Willie Mullins after being knocked down to Harold Kirk for £230,000. “The Big Getaway lives up to his name, being a big, fine three-mile chaser, and he won his race very easily,” said Kirk.

The Big Getaway was bred by Alex Heskin and John Coleman.

Flemensfirth had another popular offering in The Captains Inn (4g Flemensfirth-Killeen, by Bob Back), who finished second on his only start at Lingstown on Sunday for Denis Murphy.

Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock snapped up the four-year-old, bred by Stephen Curran, for £220,000.

Meanwhile, a first-crop son of Sans Frontieres was another popular offering. Grange Castle Lad (4g Sans Frontieres-Griffith Avenue, by Oscar), runner-up in a point on Saturday, was bought for £80,000 by Mags O’Toole.