ROSCOMMON bumper winner Dan McGrue stole the headlines at the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot August Sale on Tuesday when he sold to Richard Barber for £60,000.

The John Nicholson-trained four-year-old son of Dansant is from the family of Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Slaney Idol.

A little over an hour earlier Shane Donohue’s impressive Cork bumper winner Rainy Day Dylan was led out unsold at £65,000, but shortly afterwards Liz Doyle’s Kilbeggan bumper winner Burrows Lane changed hands for £20,000 when bought by Charlie Longsdon.

Godolphin

Once again Godolphin was the leading vendor at the sale, their seven lots realising £128,000 and that draft was headed by the 2015 juvenile winner Azhar, a daughter of Exceed And Excel.

She is one of three winners from her dam Nitya who is an own-sister to Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Domedriver. Matthew Sigsworth signed for her at £42,000 in the name of Ebor Bloodstock.

Another winner in the Godolphin draft was the three-year-old Raven’s Pass filly Deauville Crystal.

She won a maiden at Baden-Baden and this half-sister to Group 3 winner Three Rocks will now join Nigel Hawke who previously purchased the likes of Tiger Roll and Rejaah from Godolphin. Deauville Crystal cost £28,000.

DREAM START

John Stocker hopes to see the unraced Exceed And Excel two-year-old Dream Start live up to her name after paying £22,000 for the Godolphin consignee.

The filly is the first foal of the Group 3 winning Shamardal mare Calipatria and she in turn is out of Group 2 winner and Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up Golden Silca.

The William Haggas-trained Melabi beat subsequent Group 1 winner Ribchester last year on his debut but his career has not flourished in the same way.

He will now join trainer Richard Ford following his sale for £25,000.

Trade at the one-day sale was up 30% to £448,000, while the average of £5,281 was an increase of 13% on last year.