A Starspangledbanner colt, bred and sold by Morna McDowall, was the interim leader in the breeze up section of the sale which commenced just after lunchtime on Friday. He realised 70,000gns, was bought by Geoff Price for Happy Valley Racing and goes into training with Stuart Williams.

“We spent too much!” laughed Price, “but Stuart kept saying, ‘Go one more!’ I thought we had him at 60,000gns – and we were near the top of our budget. We are delighted to have him. He looks a real two-year-old type and is by a good two-year-old sire; let’s hope he is lucky. He goes from here to Stuart’s.” McDowell added: “He looks a real fun horse and I hope he is lucky for his new owners.”

A couple of lots earlier a €6,000 yearling buy at Tattersalls Ireland sold to Blandford Bloodstock for 62,000gns. From Leamore Horses Ltd in Ireland, the son of Zoffany is a half-brother to three winners, their Sadler’s Wells dam being an unraced sibling to multiple Group 1 winner Alexander Goldrun.

Tom Goff was the purchaser and said: “She is for trainer George Baker. She is a lovely, racy and shapely sort, breezed well and George won’t be waiting too long for her. She has a top back pedigree too.”

It has been a great spring for Leamore Horses, run by the husband and wife team of Cormac Farrell and Anna Calder – the pair also sold the point-to-point winner Wide Receiver to Tom Malone and Gordon Elliott for £410,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale.

ELSWORTH PURCHASE

David Elsworth spent 60,000gns on a colt by Due Diligence, sold by Kilbrew Stables in Ireland. This 26,000gns foal purchase is a half-brother to four winners and from the family of the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes winner Awzaan and the Group 1 runner-up Princess Loulou. First-crop sire Due Diligence, a son of Invincible Spirit, has already been hitting the target with his runners, including Littledidyouknow, winner of both of his starts to date.

Trainer Alan King made a mark in the first hour of the breeze up section of the sale. Among his early purchases was the only lot in the catalogue by German Derby winner and successful young sire Sea The Moon who fetched 55,000gns. The colt, offered by Tally-Ho Stud, was bought by Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock who was standing with King. Tally-Ho bought the colt as a foal for 14,000gns.

The colt is the second foal out of the unraced mare Selenography, a Selkirk daughter of Slew The Moon who is the winner of eight races, including the Group 1 Gran Premio Gilberto Lerena in Argentina.

It did not take long for the same team to match the figure when quickly purchasing again, this time a colt by Poet’s Voice for 55,000gns. He was sold by Kilminfoyle House Stud and his winning dam is a half-sister to Group 1 Prix du Cadran winner Bannaby. He cost €38,000 last year at Arqana. The same vendors sold a son of Olympic Glory, also purchased at Arqana for €23,000, to Alex Elliott, acting for Tom George, for a tidy profit. The colt realised 50,000gns.

In a private sale with consignor Ardglas Stables, Guillermo Arizkorreta bought the Lope De Vega colt out of Short Affair for 55,000gns. He had been a pinhook yearling purchase for 21,000gns at October Book 2. Short Affair is an Italian Group 3 runner-up by Singspiel and from the family of Group 1 runner-up Whitewater Affair, herself dam of a couple of Group 1 winners in Japan including the dual champion, classic winner and Group 1 Dubai World Cup here Victoire Pisa.

DUBAI APPROACH

Ajay Anne’s Dubai-based New Approach Bloodstock, which purchased a number of lots in the earlier horses-in-training section, added to their haul with the purchase of a colt by Union Rags. He cost 55,000gns and was sold by Brendan Holland’s Grove Stud. He is the first foal out of the US stakes-placed mare Brown Eyed Mary and from the family of the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes winner Lujain and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap winner and sire Martial Law.

Another lot bought by New Approach Bloodstock was Mocklershill’s son of Poet’s Voice, a half-brother to the stakes-placed two-year-old Hawfinch. He cost 48,000gns, double his yearling price of £25,000.

Withdrawn from the Tattersalls Craven Sale, Yeomanstown Stud’s daughter of Kodiac and the winning Kingmambo mare was a late entry to this sale and she was one of a couple of significant purchases by Creighton Schwartz/Dance Thoroughbreds, costing her new owners 55,000gns.

There was a rewarding pinhooking success when Creighton Schwartz/Dance Thoroughbreds went to 45,000gns for the Cityscape filly offered by The Bloodstock Connection. Out of the Wizard King mare Wizby and a half-sister to Cockney Bob, who was twice placed at listed level in France, she was a 7,5000gns purchase by John Hassett at the October Book 3 Yearling Sale last year.

Bought for only €4,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale last year by Declan Wall, the son of War Command out of a half-sister to Group 1 winner Occupaniste, dam of Mondialiste and grandam of Intello, was all the rage after his breeze and Mags O’Toole had the final say for him at 45,000gns.

A grandson of the listed winning juvenile Queen Of Poland, Tally-Ho Stud’s son of Sir Prancealot and the Pivotal mare Warda, who is already dam of a winner, sold to Will Edmeades for 45,000gns. David Redvers spent the same amount on a daughter of first-season sire Ivawood, sold by C.A.J. Stables. “She is for a partnership of friends,” smiled Redvers. “She goes into training Ben Haslam – he did so well with Castle Hill Cassie last year. This filly did a good breeze and her sire Ivawood has made a good start.”