THE Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale ended on Wednesday evening with an 88% clearance rate over the two days, up from 83% last year despite a much bigger number of horses offered this year.
With 63% more horses offered for sale this year, it was not surprising that the amount spent during the two sessions rose by 57%.
Most encouragingly the median price rose by 11% this year, while the average price was down 9% compared to last year's more select offering.
Toppin day two was a Carvaggio colt consigned by the O'Callaghan family's Yeomanstown Stud. He was bought by agent Alastair Donald for 240,000gns and is bound for Hong Kong.
Lot 143 "is for a new Hong Kong client" of @SackvilleDonald, going to 240,000gns to buy the son of Caravaggio from @YeomanstownStud at the #TattsCraven Breeze Up Sale. pic.twitter.com/9fVoki5OCF
— Tattersalls (@Tattersalls1766) April 14, 2021
"He is for a new Hong Kong client, he will go out to Hong Kong at the end of the season," said Donald. "He will be pre-trained in England. He is a lovely big horse and he has a nice pedigree. He breezed well for a big horse and looks the type to do well in Hong Kong."
Of a "type" for Hong Kong Donald added: "They don't race in Hong Kong until they are three-year-olds, so you don't need a 'here and now' horse."
Of Caravaggio, Donald said: "The sire looks like he has got a very nice two-year-old already and this is the first I have bought by him, I did like the yearlings – they are particularly good walkers, and this horse's movement is also very good."
Yeomanstown Stud bought the colt as a foal spending 155,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. "We bought him back to Book 1, but it did not quite work out. He is a beautiful colt, breezed real well, he has a great attitude, I am very pleased," said David O'Callaghan. "He was always a lovely horse and he hasn't missed a day."
Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud in Goresbridge, Co Kilkenny, had an excellent day, selling two of his three-horse consignment for 185,000gns and 140,000gns.
The 185,000gns came for a colt by Union Rags which Whitehead had bought for $115,000. That horse is likely to head back to America to race.
Whitehead's 140,000gns horse, a colt by Practical Joke, will race in Ireland, having been bought by trainer Michael O'Callaghan, who was underbidder for the day's top lot.
Two Irish-consigned colts sold for 150,000gns on Wednesday. Roger O'Callaghan's Tally-Ho Stud sold a son of Aclaim to Opulence Thoroughbreds. Trainer Stuart Williams signed for this one but said he was not certain to train it.
Katie Walsh's Greenhills Farm sold a Showcasing colt for 150,000gns to agent Stephen Hillen. Walsh bought the horse for 65,000gns last year.
DAY TWO STATISTICS
Sale statistics: (+/- compared with 2020, to be confirmed)
Lots catalogued: 169 (154)
Lots offered: 137 (84)
Lots sold: 121 (70)
Aggregate: 10,393,500gns
Median: 68,000gns
Average: 86,897gns
% clearance: 88%
FULL SALE STATISTICS
CURRENT YEAR PREVIOUS YEAR CHANGE %
Catalogued 169 154 +10%
Withdrawn 32 70 -54%
Offered 137 84 +63%
Unsold 16 14 +14%
Sold 121 70 +73%
Aggregate (gns) 10,408,500 6,649,500 +57%
Median (gns) 68,000 61,000 +11%
Average (gns) 86,021 94,993 -9%
% offered lots sold 88% 83% +5%
MORE SALES AND BLOODSTOCK NEWS IN THE IRISH FIELD NEXT WEEKEND
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