JAMES Read’s Selwood Bloodstock is based in Somerset and he had quite a touch on the Friday of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

Three years ago he purchased the Mr Greely (Gone West) mare Muscovado in the same ring for just 3,500gns, days after her Havana Gold (Teofilo) colt foal was bought by Paca Paca Farm for 52,000gns.

Why was she so cheap? After all, her first four foals had won, including the stakes-placed Maybelater (Mount Nelson), her fifth produce, a three-year-old, was placed, and she had a juvenile yet to run.

Well, she was 14 years of age and not in foal. Nonetheless, she had plenty going for her, not least that she was a daughter of the dual Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Only Royale (Caerleon), and her half-sister Royal Successor (Mr Prospector) bred Prince Of Penzance (Pentire), winner of the 2015 Group 1 Melbourne Cup.

Read chose to send Muscovado back to Havana Gold and the resulting colt sold in October this year to Oliver St Lawrence for 85,000gns. It was a considerable help that the colt’s own-brother Golden Syrup (Havana Gold) won three times in Japan this year, earning some £226,000. He thus became his dam’s seventh winner from her first seven foals – a perfect record.

Masar colt

Read returned to Tattersalls with Muscovado’s colt foal from the first crop of the Group 1 Derby winner Masar (New Approach) last week. Days before he went through the ring his half-brother Golden Syrup won his fourth race of the year, and there was no shortage of interest in the eight-month-old chesnut. Brendan Morrin of Pier House Stud won the battle for the youngster at 110,000gns.

Read has Muscovado in foal to Nathaniel (Galileo), sire of Enable, and everything she now produces is just icing on the cake. With almost 200,000gns pocketed from two offspring of this 3,500gns purchase, Read is well ahead in the profit stakes.