Caldwell Potter heading to pastures new after record-breaking sale

Exciting youngster to be trained by Paul Nicholls for syndicate including Sir Alex Ferguson.

Caldwell Potter will join British champion trainer Paul Nicholls and count Sir Alex Ferguson as one of his new owners after being sold for a record EURO 740,000 at an enthralling Tattersalls Ireland sale on Monday.

Andy and Gemma Brown, who run their horses under the Caldwell Construction banner, shocked the racing world late last month when announcing they were to sell their entire string.

Caldwell Potter was the star attraction among 29 lots to go under the hammer at Fairyhouse, having already shown top-level form over obstacles for Gordon Elliott to go with his excellent pedigree.

Following a slow start the bidding eventually got under way at EURO 100,000 before ultimately ending up in a tense straight shootout between two parties.

The packed sales ring fell silent after the auctioneer confirmed a EURO 700,000 bid, and while a counter offer of EURO 720,000 was made by Elliott, the hammer eventually went down at EURO 740,000, ensuring Caldwell Potter became the most expensive National Hunt horse ever sold at public auction.

Highflyer bloodstock agent Anthony Bromley was immediately announced as the successful bidder and he confirmed Caldwell Potter will now move across the Irish Sea.

Paul Nicholls and Sir Alex Ferguson watch the action at Cheltenham last year
Paul Nicholls and Sir Alex Ferguson watch the action at Cheltenham last year (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Bromley told 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.”

The six-year-old son of Martaline is not only a full-brother to Mighty Potter, who won four Grade Ones for Elliott and the Browns before suffering a fatal injury last year, but his dam Matnie has also produced three other high-class performers in French Dynamite, Indiana Jones and Brighterdaysahead.

Caldwell Potter has so far lived up to his breeding, winning three times from seven starts in all and two of his first three outings over hurdles, including a Grade One success on his most recent appearance in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle 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 eclipses the previous record for a jumps horse sold at auction in Interconnected, who was bought by Darren Yates at Doncaster in 2019 for GBP 620,000.

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