WHILE the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale may lack the high-profile horses that hit headlines at recent breeze-up sales, Thursday’s renewals produced a number of feel-good stories.

The top lot, a Calyx filly bought by Middleham Park Racing for 155,000gns, was one of those; a perfectly executed plan two years in the making. As Donal Commins, whose family’s Albany Stud bred and consigned her, explained: “When this filly was a foal we decided to breeze her; we never entered in a foal or a yearling sale. The second she was born my father said she was fast! He fell in love with her and almost lived inside her stable.

“Everything has always been so easy for her; she has never come off the bridle at home. She is so laid back you would not think she is a sprinter.”

“I really do think she is good and I have been saying all week she is an Ascot filly!”

The filly’s new owners have the same idea, according to the syndicate’s Tom Palin, who said: “We bought her from Albany Stud, let's hope she wins the race of the same name in six weeks! She is a stunning filly, we thought she breezed particularly well.

“She was an obvious one really, she has a lot of size and substance, timed well and ticked all the boxes. We had to stretch a bit more than we wanted, but this sales season has been very hard to get stuck in, so you have to be a bit punchy on the ones you want. She is a queen and is a standout physically.”

Changing fortunes

While it was the Calyx filly’s first sales date, her dam has history at this particular sale, having brought the second highest priced at the 2014 renewal. Sold by Gaybrook Lodge Stud to Shadwell for 215,000gns, she was later resold as a three-race maiden to Albany Stud at the venue’s July Sale for 3,2000gns. Her best produce to date is Liam Cusack’s 92-rated sprinter Red Letter Bray.

Middleham Park Racing have had luck with Calyx, sire of their Norfolk Stakes runner-up Malc. They recently lost the highly-rated colt, so their latest purchase is destined for his trainer Richard Fahey.

Palin was kept busy as just two lots later, he secured a Havana Grey filly from Jerry Horan;s Ballynure Park Stud for 100,000gns. After revealing that she would be sent to David Easterby, Palin continued: “David loved her so it is great to send a quality filly to the team there.

“She is another lovely sort; she clocked well and we have had a load of success with Havana Grey. She is the fourth breeze-up purchase for us so far this spring.”

It was the bay’s third and most successful sales appearance, having sold to JC Bloodstock as a foal for 40,000gns and was retained at Book 2 for 18,000gns. Eleven days after her yearling sales date, her half-brother Future History gained his second Group 3 win for Ciaron Maher.

KNOCKGRAFFON Stables topped the consignors’ table, having sold all four lots offered for a total of 362,000gns, and their good fortune was shared with breeder Michael Downey, for whom they sold a Ten Sovereigns colt for 150,000gns.

Withdrawn from Tattersalls Ireland as a yearling, the March-born bay becomes the highest-priced progeny of his dam, whose previous best was €20,000, from three horses offered. After the colt was knocked down to Rabbah Bloodstock, Knockgraffon’s Stephen Byrne explained: “Michael Downey sent him to us in November and we broke him and prepped him for the sale, Michael has been a great client for us over the years.

“The horse was very straightforward and has taken everything here like a champ and did a savage breeze. We don't clock them at home, but his work at home has always been very good and it was a pleasant surprise to see him go so well. We are just delighted that it all fell into place for Michael, and just like to thank all who were bidding on him.”

Start as you mean to go on

Michael and Stephen Byrne’s first offering of the day made an impressive return on her yearling price of 8,000gns, paid at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale. On Thursday, Highflyer Bloodstock’s Tessa Greatrex gave 92,000gns for the filly from the first crop of Lope Y Fernandez.

“She was brilliant over here, breezed great and is a queen,” Stephen Byrne said after their draft’s perfect start. “I am delighted Tessa Greatrex got her and hopefully she is lucky for them.”

This filly, too, is the biggest commercial success of her siblings by some way. On what appealed to him at the yearling sales, Bryne recalled: “She just had a good presence about her, she grew well through the autumn and became this beautiful filly. I could not have been happier with how she went.”

Knockgraffon Stables’ final offering, a Saxon Warrior colt bought for €17,000, was resold to Spanish trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta for 80,000gns.

DEMAND for Mehmas’ progeny continued at the Guineas Sale, where a colt from Gary Halpin and Sean Davis’ GS Bloodstock sold to online bidders Omar Esmil Ghrghar and Global Equine for 145,000gns.

“He was bred by Noel O'Callaghan of Mountarmstrong Stud, who has been a massive supporter of us,” Davis later explained. “We are delighted that the colt has rewarded his breeder. He clocked a good time and did a very good breeze, but he has been doing that all winter.

“We are excited about him and I really hope he goes on and is lucky for his purchaser – I think they have bought a very nice horse.”

On the Tally-Ho Stud sire, Davis commented: “The Mehmas horses have great minds, they are professional and are athletes. He has been so easy to do since he got here – made our job easy!”

Should the colt follow up on the track, the Browne Brothers could have cause for celebration, having purchased his dam for €4,500 in November. The winning half-sister to Cornwallis Stakes winner Good Vibes was originally purchased by BBA Ireland as a broodmare for 150,000gns.

Proven formula

Peter and Ross Doyle were the highest spenders on the day, their five buys costing 374,000gns, the most expensive of which was a Havana Grey colt from Eddie Linehan’s Lackendarra Stables. The agents are no strangers to the sire, having purchased dual stakes winner and Haydock Sprint Cup second Shouldvebeenaring and Nell Gwyn Stakes heroine Mammas Girl from his first crop.

“He is a lovely horse, and he reminded us a lot of Shouldvebeenaring,” Ross Doyle said of their latest purchase. “This lad is a bit bigger height-wise, but he has the same attitude, the same movement. He comes from a very good home, and the sire needs no introduction. I showed Richard [Hannon] six or seven, and this was Richard's pick.”

As well as enjoying previous success with the sire, the Doyles previously purchased Round Tower Stakes third Coralillo (Havana Grey) from Lackendarra Stables. The same buyer and consignor combination accounted for a Nando Parrado filly on Tuesday, her price rising from £16,000 as a yearling to 75,000gns this week.

Ilson and Anderson Correa of Anderson Bloodstock celebrated an impressive pinhooking profit at last year’s sale, when a King Of Change filly they bought for €8,000 resold for 120,000gns. Success didn’t go to their heads though, as they kept their reinvestments modest, and they were rewarded this week when a €3,000 yearling brought 115,000gns from Stroud Coleman.

The Coulsty filly was bought at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale, where she required some imagination, given that no blacktype appeared in her first two dams. On her appeal, Anderson Correa commented: “She is a nice filly, she walks well, she has a lovely outlook and head.”

As for the outcome, the Mullingar-based Correa reported: “We are very happy. We will be reinvesting – each year we try and improve!”

Final figures

At the end of trade, the statistics painted a mixed picture. The median price, which is considered a reliable marker for trade across the board, rose 11% to 30,000gns, but the average price dropped 6% to 39,488gns.

From a 1% drop in horses offered, turnover increased by the same percentage, and when including private sales, the clearance rate improved from 76% to 80%.

Tattersalls reported that a record 42 lots realised 50,000gns or more, however the latest sale produced three less six-figure lots than last year.