IT was in the last minutes of trade that the sale topper emerged at yesterday’s Guineas Breeze Up and Horses In Training Sale. Charlie Gordon-Watson paid 230,000gns for Jim McCartan’s Exchange Rate colt out of an American stakes winner for Saeed Suhail. The colt was sold under Gaybrook Lodge Stud and was a $60,000 yearling purchase last September. The vendor topped the sale last year at 270,000gns with a War Front filly.
Horses In Training
The opening section of yesterday’s sale consisted of a Horses In Training session and it was recent Cork maiden winner Castlelyons that easily topped that trade at 170,000gns. The John Murphy-trained three-year-old was sold to Alex Elliot and will join trainer Robert Stephens. A three-year-old son of Papal Bull, the gelding could travel eventually to Australia. Castlelyons was a wild card entry for the sale.
The next best prices in the opening session were garnered by a pair of broodmares with southern hemisphere coverings. The Oasis Dream mare Neamour is in foal to Archipenko and she is a half-sister to the Great Voltigeur Stakes winner Postponed, described by purchaser Dwayne Woods as a potential Group 1 winner. She was bought for 72,000gns on behalf of Brook Stud. She was followed by Aiden Sea, a Danehill Dancer half-sister to the triple Group 1 runner-up Argentina. She cost agent Paul Moroney 70,000gns and was purchased for Sir Owen Glynn in New Zealand. The mare is carrying to Leroidesanimaux.
Breeze-Up lots
The first lot to make a six-figure sum sold in mid-afternoon when Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm more than doubled its yearling investment of $85,000 in a son of Quality Road, the hammer falling at 115,000gns. Oliver St Lawrence was the successful buyer. “He’s for Fawzi Nass and goes to George Peckham. He caught the eye and did a fast time.”
A Blame colt from the same vendor missed the Craven Breeze Up Sale but his late addition to the Guineas Breeze Up was rewarded when he sold for 92,000gns. A brother to a winner in the USA, he was sold to agents Richard Brown and Alastair Donald working together for this specific purchase.
Mocklershill’s son of the Derby winner Sir Percy caught the eye of Stephen Hillen who had the final say at 90,000gns. The February-born colt is out of a half-sister to two US stakes winners. He was a 28,000gns yearling.
Jim McCartan’s Gaybrook Lodge Stud sold a son of Canford Cliffs, the only offering by the sire, to Peter Doyle for 85,000gns, well up on his yearling price of €60,000. The colt is out of a half-sister to Group 2 winning juvenile Indian Rocket. Grove Stud bought an Invincible Spirit filly as a yearling for 28,000gns and resold her through Gaybrook Lodge for 75,000gns to Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah with agent Stephen Hillen. Gaybrook also sold a colt by Approve for 62,000gns to Mark Johnston, some way ahead of his yearling purchase price of €10,000.
Mark Dwyer’s Oaks Farm Stables saw a great profit realised for a son of Archipenko that sold for 82,000gns, multiples of his yearling price of €21,000. Anthony Stroud was acting for Simon Crisford when signing for the purchase. Stroud had purchased Sir Gerry and Society Rock from the same vendor.
Bill Gredley made a splash when he paid 80,000gns for Mocklershill’s Rip Van Winkle colt out of a half-sister to Irish Derby winner Hurricane Run. He was followed into the ring by the same vendor’s son of Lope De Vega and he sold for 65,000gns to Highflyer Bloodstock.
Knockanglass Stables sold a son of Holy Roman Emperor out of a half-sister to Yavana’s Pace for 70,000gns to John McGrath. The 19,000gns yearling purchase was offered in association with Geoffrey Howson. Another to sell for 70,000gns was Bansha House Stables’ Invincible Spirit colt out of a half-sister to Irish Derby runner-up Dr Johnson. Gallagher Equine signed for this €48,000 yearling purchase.
A French-bred son of Le Havre, purchased by Con Marnane for €26,000, saw his value rise to 65,000gns when sold under the Bansha House Stables banner. Liam Norris and William Huntingdon bought him to join James Fanshawe. The same price was obtained by the previous lot in the ring, a Zoffany colt from Meadowview Stables. He left even more profit, having cost €18,500 as a yearling. He was bought by Richard Knight and Sean Quinn.
Retained for 25,000gns as a yearling, Ballycullen Stables’ Halling full-brother to two winners including juvenile stakes winner Queen Of Poland was snapped up by BBA Ireland for 65,000gns. He was followed immediately by Oak Tree Farm’s Champs Elysees colt out of the Norwegian 1000 Guineas winner Pretty Girl who sold for the same amount to Ross Doyle.
Not sold at $19,000 as a yearling, one of the first lots was a Kilminfoyle House Stud-consigned son of Include. The colt cost trainer Brian Smart and agent Oliver St Lawrence 60,000gns.