Hannibal Barca was rated as a Classic pretender after selling for 500,000 guineas at Tuesday’s session of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale.

The two-year-old entered the ring off the back of a fine fourth in the Group One Vertem Futurity Trophy last Saturday, having won one of two previous novice starts for trainer Brian Meehan.

The son of Zoffany was bought by BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohoe for an undisclosed client – and while plans are fluid at present, the agent believes the colt has huge potential.

He told www.tattersalls.com: “The horse looks very impressive – his maiden victory was very impressive, and I thought it was a superb run in that ground at the weekend.

“He has been bought for an existing client who has a couple of horses in England, Ireland and France, and he may stay in training here. We are not sure what the plans are with him – the first thing was to get him bought, and we will make the plan after.

“He could obviously be a horse for the Classics next year, he could have the speed for a mil,  but I think in time he could stay a mile and a half.

“He is rated 111 – by next May or June today’s price could be good value.”

Hannibal Barca carried the colours of Sam Sangster in his three runs this year – and having bought the colt for £55,000 last September, he was thrilled with the sale.

He said: “I am still buzzing – it was emotional really. Brian and I buy a lot of horses together on spec, and we put them in the shop window – he was one of them. We loved him as a yearling, but with the year of Covid, we struggled to get people to the yard, and he was one of the horses we did not get sold.

“We have a lot of confidence in the horses we buy, so we raced him. Full credit to Brian, who believed in the horse to take him to the Doncaster race. Brian targeted the race for him.

“He has such a bright future. We are obviously gutted to see him go, but it was good business all round.”

Another Meehan inmate, Nottingham victor Glentaneous, sold for 160,000 guineas.

Horses from the Shadwell Estate draft also proved popular – with Leicester winner Ikhtiraaq changing hands for 220,000 guineas, while Elsals was sold for 140,000 guineas.

Multiple Group Three winner Extra Elusive and last year’s Melbourne Cup second Tiger Moth were two more familiar names to go through the ring, with the pair selling for 55,000 guineas and 20,000 guineas respectively.