JUST before 5pm yesterday a son of Dawn Approach out of the Rainbow Quest mare Whisp strode into the crowded sale ring at Newmarket and minutes later the hammer fell in favour of Dick O’Gorman at 170,000gns.
“This colt did a very good breeze and the first runners for the sire did extremely well this week. He has been bought for John Ferguson,” said O’Gorman.
The price was no surprise and Stephen Hillen gave an early sign of its possibility when he opened the bidding with an audacious bid of 100,000gns. The successful vendors were Peter and Roderic Kavanagh’s Glending Stables.
Two lots later and the ring was again alight, this time for Tally-Ho Stud’s son of Kodiac, a half-brother to a Group 3 performer. The colt’s Pivotal dam is a half-sister to a pair of Group 1-placed runners. He sold for 150,000gns and will race for Cheveley Park Stud, one of a number of significant purchases on the day by the farm’s Chris Richardson. Tally-Ho bought the colt as a foal for 38,000gns from Willie Carson’s Minster Stud.
“Mr Thompson is sat watching the proceedings on TV,” said Richardson, “and very much enjoying himself! This colt will be going to John Gosden - he trained the dam and liked this horse very much. This colt’s dam Pearl Dance, third in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, is by Pivotal, who is such a good broodmare sire.”
The excitement continued shortly afterwards when a son of Acclamation out of a winning Cape Cross daughter of Zelding sold to Richard Frisby for 170,000gns. The colt is from the family of The United States and Last Tycoon and was sold by Church Farm and Horse Park Stud, Roger Marley’s and John Cullinan’s partnership which also has a sparkling Craven Sale.
The breeze up section of the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up & Horses In Training Sale was still in its first hour when the six-figure mark was reached for the first time. A March-foaled daughter of Acclamation out of a two-time winning daughter of Dubawi was the subject of lively bidding, the hammer falling at 110,000gns in favour of Stephen Hillen.
“We are thrilled with that,” said David Myerscough of Baroda and Colbinstown Studs who consigned the filly. “She is a homebred, but she got a really bad stone bruise as a foal and we did not even enter her for a yearling sale. She’s very straightforward; she has taken all of this well and has licked the pot clean every night.” Myerscough explained that they are “happy to keep one to breeze if needs be,” with a two-furlong gallop at home and the Curragh gallops not far away.
Hillen bought the filly on behalf of trainer Mick Quinlan and new client Kenny Bruce. “She did a good breeze, the fastest time,” the agent said.
ATTENTION
This was the second Acclamation to make a splash early on. Minutes after the first of the two-year-olds entered the ring a son of the Rathbarry Stud resident attracted the attention of Blandford Bloodstock, selling for 70,000gns. From the family of classic winner Green Tune and champion juvenile filly Pas De Response, the colt sold from Michael Murray’s Hardwood Stud in Aughrim, Co Galway. He cost 26,000gns as a foal.
Two more lots ventured into six-figure territory during the afternoon, a daughter of Lonhro joining the Acclamation filly on the 110,000gns mark Friars Lough Stables sold this well-related filly out of a Storm Cat mare to Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown. “We’ve said it before, it is all about the breeze - and this filly did a lovely breeze,” said Brown. “She has been bought for Sheikh Juma and we have not decided where she will go yet. We have a couple more to follow later, once we know where we are with them, then we will make some plans.
“She is a lovely quality filly. What we loved is that she finished her breeze out really well. She is not yet even a two-year-old and we will probably give her a break now.” The filly was bought by BBA Ireland for $38,000 at Keeneland last September.
The Bloodstock Connection had a great pinhooking success for its Seven Hills Bloodstock-owned Zebedee colt out of a winning half-sister to the dam of 2000 Guineas winner Night of Thunder. He was led out unsold as a yearling and bought privately for £12,000 by bloodstock agent Jeremy Brummitt and John Hassett of The Bloodstock Connection. This time he made 100,000gns.
“Around 80% of the horses we have sold this spring have been for this group of owners,” said Hassett. “This horse has always been a lovely sort.” The colt was bought by Cheveley Park Stud.
Jim and Louise McCartan’s Gaybrook Lodge Stud Gaybrook Lodge Stud sold the 675,000gns Scat Daddy that topped the Craven Sale, and this time sold a son of Showcasing for 80,000gns. From the family of champion Rodrigo De Triano, this full-brother to five-race winner Chestnut Fire was bought by Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock. He was a £44,000 yearling buy.
Mayfield Stables had a great pinhooking success when they sold a daughter of Mayson from the top German female family of champion Lando for 75,000gns to bloodstock agent Federico Barberini. The filly was bought last August at Goffs UK for £10,000. Tarnya Browne of Mayfield said: “She was bought for her physical, and was always a beautiful mover.” Barberini was acting for Appletree Stud.
Clenagh Castle Stud’s son of Most Improved lived up to his name, turning from an €18,000 Tattersalls Ireland yearling buy into a 72,000gns breezer. He was bought by trainer Jonjo O’Neill with Stroud Coleman Bloodstock.
A half-brother by Leroidesanimaux to the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes winner Glass Office was purchased as a yearling at Goffs for €22,000 but sold on here to Chris Richardson of Cheveley Park Stud for 70,000gns by Brendan Holland’s Grove stud. His grandam Pushy won the Queen Mary Stakes.
Trainer Simon Dow gave 58,000gns for Mocklershill’s Society Rock son of She’s A Queen, a Peintre Celebre full-sister to Group 2 Prix de Malleret runner-up Buoyant. She was a €28,000 yearling purchase.
A colt by Youmzain sold at the Craven Breeze Up for 350,000gns, but this time his sole offering realised a healthy 55,000gns to Highflyer Bloodstock. Anthony Bromley was standing with dual purpose trainer Alan King. The colt was sold by Ballinahulla Stables and made €16,000 as a foal. He was bred by trainer John Berry and wife Emma, who is European editor of the Thoroughbred Daily News.
PROMISING
Trainer John Stimpson paid 52,000gns to acquire Brown Island Stables’ American-bred son of Medaglia D’Oro and the Grade 2 runner-up Say You Will. A full-brother to the promising 2017 three-year-old winner Voski, and from the family of the Derby winner Lammtarra, the colt passed through the ring at Keeneland last September at $65,000. Another to sell for 52,000gns was Meadowview Stables’ daughter of Red Jazz, a €5,000 foal who failed to sell at €9,500 last year. She is from the family of Group 1 winning mare Madame Chiang.
Longways Stables sold two lots in quick succession for 50,000gns each. First to that benchmark figure was a daughter of Mizzen Mast, the first foal of a mare who won four times in the USA and is closely related to the St Leger winner Rule Of Law. She was led out unsold at €6,000 last September. Manuel Alvarez Gomez bought. She was followed shortly afterwards by a son of Footstepsinthesand, a half-brother to three winners by Cockney Rebel, and he sold to Stephen Hillen.
A son of Fast Company who sold for €8,000 and €18,000 last year left plenty of profit when selling this time for 50,000gns from Knockanglass Stables to SackvilleDonald. That was the same price paid by Wadham Racing for Clenagh Castle Stud’s son of Le Havre out of a Grand Slam mare. He was a €30,000 yearling purchase at Arqana.
A final report will appear in next week’s edition