The Paul Nicholls trained Stage Star produced a superb round of jumping under a terrific front-running ride by Harry Cobden to land the opening Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival for the Owners Group. It was a 1-2 in the race for graduates of the Goffs Arkle Sale with Laura Morgan's Notlongtillmay in second. Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls purchased Stage Star from Baroda Stud at the 2019 Goffs Arkle Sale, formerly the Land Rover Sale. Bred by Ruxley Holdings, the seven-year-old son of Fame And Glory is now an eight-time winner and two-time Grade 1 winner having also won the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury in 2021. His most recent success prior to today was with another front running performance in a Cheltenham handicap on Festival Trials day in January. Alongside Constitution Hill, Honeysuckle and The Real Whacker, Stage Star is the fourth Grade 1 winner so far at this year’s Festival to have been purchased at Goffs. Day 3 also saw two other victories for Goffs graduates with You Wear It Well who claimed a smart win under Gavin Sheehan in the Grade 2 Jack De Bromhead Mares Novices’ Hurdle for trainer Jamie Snowden and owner Sir Chips Keswick. The mare looks to have a bright future having taken a Grade 2 Mares Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown on her previous start. You Wear It Well was sold as a store at the 2020 Doncaster Summer Sale by Battlefield Stud to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for £70,000.
Seddon meanwhile made dreams come true for trainer John McConnell and jockey Ben Harvey as he charged up the hill in the Magners Plate Handicap Chase to provide the duo with their first Cheltenham Festival success. Owned by the Galaxy Horse Racing Syndicate, the son of Stowaway was bred by Tim and Helen Keoghan who sold him through Belvedere Bloodstock to Orchardstown Farm at the 2014 Goffs February Sale.