Tipperary hotelier sells two horses for more than three quarters of a million euro

Clonmel hotelier and horse trainer John Nallen sold two horses for over €760,000 in November.

Trainer Willie Mullins, represented by his bloodstock agent Harold Kirk, paid  £370,000 for Minella Academy, an impressive winner at Cork the previous weekend, at Saturday's Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale at Newbury.

Earlier in the month, he sold Minella Yoga, a winner of an Academy Hurdle at Fairyhouse, to top British trainer Paul Nicholls for £360,000.

READ NEXT: Sensory grotto at Tipperary arts centre

Reflecting on the sale of Minella Academy, he said “It's mighty. It was more than I expected today, but not more than I expected all week.

SEE MORE: Tipperary community champion is honoured

“I knew we had the goods coming and we thought we were there. It's brilliant, and a great show put on by Goffs.

“It's a dream — fairytale stuff. My nephew Sean (Dylan Bowen, champion apprentice rider) was back home, schooled him away, and we kept him going.

“My other nephew Conor, he's the encyclopaedia, and they were all involved. The team have all done a great job," said John Nallen, who runs Hotel Minella in Clonmel with his sister Elizabeth.

He sold Minella Times to JP McManus in 2017, a horse that went on to win the 2021 Aintree Grand National under Tipperary jockey Rachael Blackmore. 

His other famous graduates include Minella Indo, who famously won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same year that Minella Times won the Grand National.