THE Brightwells Ascot Select Breeze-Up Sale really came of age on Wednesday when the turnover, average and median all shot through the roof and new records were set in every category.

The most important new record for Katie Walsh was the fact that she sold the day’s top lot, a colt by the hugely successful young sire Siyouni. The colt was purchased last year for €28,000 in France and his sale price of £90,000 represented a massive increase in value. The purchaser was Matt Coleman from Anthony Stroud Bloodstock. Both the vendor and purchaser were making their first forays at the sale.

Coleman said of his new purchase: “Katie recommended the horse to me. He recorded the fastest breeze this morning and the sire is doing very well, so there’s a lot to like about him. He looks strong, early and precocious.” He added: “It’s the first time I’ve visited this sale, but I’ve come along because it produced some good results last year, and from what I hear the quality is better again this time.”

The sale topper, offered from Greenhills Farm, is a half-brother to four winners, including the listed winner Ard Na Greine. Walsh was thrilled with the sale: “It’s the first time I’ve sold at Ascot but I’ll be back next year. He was a cracking colt and reminded me of Casper Netscher who I also pinhooked as a breezer.”

TOP THREE

The top three lots at the sale were all offered among the first seven horses through the ring. Last year’s highest price of £52,000 was matched by a Pastoral Pursuits colt sold by Charlie Vigors’ Hillwood Stud to Mark Johnston. He was retained as a yearling for £20,000 and is the second produce of his dam. The first is last year’s group-winning juvenile New Providence.

The first lot in the ring was a son of Diktat that Con Marnane had sourced in Spain last year for €23,000. Offered through the vendor’s Bansha House Stables, offering a consignment for the first time at the sale, he sold to Simon Crisford for £42,000 this time. The Spanish-bred juvenile is a half-brother to three winners in that country.

Now training after a long spell as head of Godolphin Racing, Crisford was keen on his new purchase. “He looks a nice, early two-year-old type. I was impressed with him in the breeze.”

CLASSIC SUCCESS

Owner Phil Cunningham and trainer Geoff Huffer enjoyed classic success together with Cockney Rebel and they purchased three lots at the sale. These included the penultimate lot through the ring, a Kodiac half-sister to two winners. Her yearling price of 10,000gns was left well behind when she was knocked down for £41,000. The filly was consigned from Thomond O’Mara’s Knockanglass Stables.

Shakespearean was a Group 2-winning son of Shamardal and a member of his first crop sold for £40,000 to Russell MacNabb, acting for Gary Moore Racing. Adrian Costello sold him under his Clenagh Castle Stud and reaped a nice reward on the €13,000 paid for the colt last year in France. He is the fourth foal of his unraced dam.

Last year Sean Quinn, son of trainer John, and Richard Knight went shopping at this sale and for £50,000 acquired The Wow Signal, subsequently a Group 1-winning juvenile. They were back again and hope to have worked the oracle again with their purchase of an Approve colt for £38,000 from Kilminfoyle House Stud. He more than doubled his yearling price of €19,000.

Quinn said of the colt: “Michael Fitzpatrick (vendor) liked the horse and we liked his breeze - now I’d like to repeat the dose. He looks racy and should be an early type that could be racing next month.”

Brendan Holland paid €16,000 last year for a Zebedee colt, half-brother to two winners, and sold him this week for £37,000 from Grove Stud. He was bought by Northern Line Racing who have been very active at the sales this year.

Peter Harper paid £36,000 for a Tagula half-brother to four winners offered by Mayfield Stables, while a few lots earlier Knockanglass were again in the money after the sale of a Kheleyf filly to A & E Bloodstock for £34,000. The filly was bought for only £9,000 last year. Armando Duarte bought the filly for the owners of Lucky Kristale and she will go into training with George Margarson.

Was it a case of the best wine until last? Harry Dunlop will be hoping so as he purchased, with Crimbourne Stud, the last lot in the sale. The daughter of Pour Moi is out of a winning Oasis Dream mare cost them £32,000 and was sold by Lewinstown.

Brown Island Stables sold a son of Munnings to Mike Murphy Racing for £31,000, a substantial advance on his yearling price of £12,000. He is the first produce of a winning granddaughter of the Grade 1 winner Bonne Ile.

Mocklershill’s Kyllachy filly, a half-sister to stakes winner Rosa Grace and six other winners, almost doubled in value from her 15,000gns yearling price to the £30,000 she cost Bob Andrews on this occasion.

TURNOVER

Turnover for the sale soared by 158%, the average rose 67% and the median was a whopping 226% up on the previous year. The clearance rate this year was also better, with three-quarters of the lots offered finding new homes.

Matt Mitchell, who orchestrated this sale for Brightwells, said: “The clearance rate and average reflect the fact that vendors have supported us with a better horse. We are grateful to the vendors and wish the purchasers good luck with their horses.

“The results prove the continuation of growth in this sale which has now established itself as a viable opportunity to buy and sell early two-year-olds. The location and facilities are superb for breezing horses, and if you want a horse for early-season races - and bearing in mind Royal Ascot will soon come around - this is one sale you cannot miss.

“I have gained a lot of personal satisfaction from today’s sale and the results but it has been a team effort by Brightwells.”