Caldwell Potter has been sold for a record-breaking €740,000 (£633k) at the Tattersalls Ireland sale on Monday.
The horse will now join British champion trainer Paul Nicholls and list legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as one of his owners. Andy and Gemma Brown, who manage their horses under Caldwell Construction, shook the racing world when they announced they would sell all their horses.
Caldwell Potter was eagerly anticipated among the 29 lots set to be auctioned off at Fairyhouse. This was no doubt due to its top-rated form over obstacles for Gordon Elliott and outstanding pedigree.
The bidding began at €100,000 but dramatically escalated in a last-ditch duel between two prospective buyers. Silence filled the sales ring when a €700,000 bid was accepted.
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Despite Gordon Elliot’s counteroffer of €720,000, the final hammer was struck at €740,000 setting a new record for the dearest National Hunt horse ever publicly purchased. It was revealed that successful bidder was Highflyer bloodstock agent Anthony Bromley.
He begrudgingly informed Tattersalls: “I don’t feel great about taking the horse out of Gordon Elliott’s yard, he’s done so well with the horse, but this is business and you’ve got to do your best for your clients.
“When I saw this horse was coming up for sale there was only one call I made and it was to John Hales. He’s been a client of mine for many years, since back in the time of Azertyuiop, and we’ve had Neptune Collonges and Politologue in between. I bought him for a little partnership they’ve got together, four guys John Hales, Ged Mason, Sir Alex Ferguson and Peter Done.”
“I’m thrilled to get the horse, but it is a little bittersweet because I could see how much Gordon was trying to get the horse back when he was bidding.”
Caldwell Potter, a six year old son of Martaline, has shown promise, winning three times from seven starts in all and two of his first three outings over hurdles, including a Grade One success at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting. He holds entries in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, but Bromley warned he is not certain to line up in the Cotswolds.
He added: “He’ll go to Paul’s and he doesn’t have to go to Cheltenham, I believe. It’s not the be-all and end-all because it’s only going to be four weeks and he has to settle into his new regime. It could be that he needs that bit of time to settle in and go to Aintree, but really we’ve bought him as a steeplechaser because he’s got a pedigree for a Gold Cup in him, I think.”
“At the moment he’s only run at two miles and he’s such an exciting horse for the longer term. Realistically that’s why we bought him, not for four weeks’ time.” Caldwell Potter’s fee topples the previous record set when Darren Yates bought Interconnected at an auction in Doncaster in 2019 for £620,000.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
