IRISH vendors Roderic Kavanagh (Glending Stables), Norman Williamson (Oak Tree Farm) and Brendan Holland (Grove Stud) sold the top three lots at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale which concluded on Wednesday evening, each one netting 600,000gns or more.

The two-day sale ended with a record turnover of 15,357,500gns, a 76% clearance rate which was one point down on last year, and an average price of 121,885gns, which is 5% higher than last year. The median price of 80,000gns is 11% lower than in 2022.

Kavanagh sold a colt by Havana Grey for 625,000gns to Anthony Stroud, while Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock was underbidder. “Havana Grey has done really well, he is a legitimate sire and had the good filly win today,” said Stroud. “The colt breezed well in good time and looks a two-year-old type.”

The half-brother to four winners, from the family of Anabaa, was bought by Kavanagh for 42,000gns at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale.

“We had some great judges on him. He is an athletic horse, with a bit of scope, I don’t think he is just a sprinter type; hopefully he will get seven furlongs or a mile,” said Kavanagh. He added: “This was easily our best result, most of them make 25,000gns! We have had a good week and the two have breezed so well, they are naturally fast horses. We are delighted. Cormac O’Flynn buys most of them with me, he is the brains of the outfit. I just get to hold the reins!”

Godolphin

The colt was the fourth last lot in the catalogue, and Stroud paid the same amount, 625,000gns on behalf of Godolphin, for the very next lot, a Blue Point colt from Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm. He is out of the Canford Cliffs mare Most Beautiful, trained by David Wachman to win a Group 3 race at the Curragh when part-owned by rugby international Ronan O’Gara.

The colt was sold as a foal by Norelands Stud for 110,000gns and bought back as a yearling for 70,000gns when consigned by Shane Power’s Tradewinds Stud. Stroud said: “Blue Point has made a great start, this colt comes from a top consignor, and he fits the profile. He will go to Charlie Appleby who has a few by the sire and likes what he has.”

Williamson, the sale’s leading consignor, was thrilled. He said: “We bought this colt privately and I loved him when we bought him. All spring people have been telling me that the Blue Points could run. I kept my powder dry, but I knew I had a good one. I am thrilled. Although Native Trail went from this sale and won just six weeks’ later, this is a sharper sort than him, he just feels like he is one to point and shoot – he feels fast.”

Superb touch

Brendan Holland landed a superb touch when he sold a Night Of Thunder filly for 600,000gns to agent Kerri Radcliffe. The filly is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Rumble Inthe Jungle, and was bought by Holland for €90,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale from breeder Patrick Gleeson of Whiteoaks Stud. She is the second highest-priced filly ever sold at the Craven Sale.

Radcliffe said: “She has got the pedigree so she got residual value, and she comes from a great consignor. She did a lovely breeze, not one of the quickest times, that’s not what I buy. I like to buy something that finishes out well. Whenever she hit the rising ground she took off, and that is what you want to see them do. She is for a new client based in London and we don’t know where she is going to go yet – she will either stay in Britain or go to France.”

Holland commented: “It is a great result for the farm. I Ioved her when I bought her as a yearling. I did not dream that we could get a result like that today, but we did think at the farm that she was the best filly we have had since [Group 1 winner] Rosdhu Queen and we really liked her coming into the sale.”

Blue Point

At a great sale for Blue Point progeny, Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock bought the sire’s Kilminfoyle House Stud-consigned daughter for 350,000gns.

“She is gorgeous, she is a beautiful filly,” he said. “Blue Point has made a tremendous start. She obviously did a good breeze, she did not blitz up but did it in a really good style. She is from a good Juddmonte family and I think she could be a bit special. She will be trained in England or France.”

JC Bloodstock paid 70,000gns for the filly at the Tattersalls October Book 2, buying her from Ballyhimikin Stud.

Acting for the same client, Brown spent 340,000gns on a No Nay Never colt sold by Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm. A full-brother to the dual stakes winner Servalan was bought by Mags O’Toole and Oak Tree Farm for €87,000 last autumn. Servalan was a listed-winning juvenile.

Blue Point is top choice for buyers

THREE lots sold for 300,000gns or more on the opening evening of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale.

Mick Murphy and Sarah O’Connell’s Longways Stables sold the top lot at the session when their Munnings colt out of the Grade 3 winner Separate Forest was knocked down to Oliver St Lawrence for 360,000gns. St Lawrence was standing alongside Bahraini owner Fawzi Nass and trainer Roger Varian.

The bloodstock agent said: “He is a very taking horse, Roger was keen on him and so was I. He looks like a type who could get to Royal Ascot. We have had luck with Munnings before with Shahama, who did well in Dubai and then went to the US. Mick brings them along nicely and does not push them too hard.”

Mick Murphy said: “I am a very happy vendor! He was very popular, we had a lot of the right people on him. I was very hopeful, but you never know. I bought him in the US and we bought him to come to the Craven, we thought he’d suit this sale. I have been lucky enough to have already sold a Royal Ascot winner, this could be another!

“He is a quick horse and a lot of people said he is very similar to Jack Christopher.” The latter is Munnings’ leading runner and was a three-time Grade 1 winner. He stands at Ashford Stud with his sire.

The progeny of first season sire Blue Point have hit the ground running, with the four-time Group 1 winning sprinter represented by three winners, including on the opening day of Newmarket’s Craven meeting with Blue Storm’s victory. Anthony Stroud went to 340,000gns to secure Tally-Ho Stud’s colt out the listed winning Exceed And Excel mare Rebecca Rocks, after seeing off SackvilleDonald’s Alastair Donald.

Stroud commented: “He is a very nice horse, he breezed well and he is from Tally-Ho which has produced many a good horse. I am delighted to have purchased him.” Tally-Ho bought the colt at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 70,000gns. Rebecca Rocks beat the triple Group/Grade 1 winner Glass Slippers in the Listed Land O’Burns Fillies Stakes.

Starspangledbanner

Agent Richard Ryan went to 320,000gns to secure a Starspangledbanner colt, buying on behalf of a partnership between Teme Valley Racing and Coolmore. The January-born colt was sold by Willie Browne’s Mocklershill, having been purchased as a yearling by JB Bloodstock for 62,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

“He is an exceptional individual. He breezed very well, he is not unlike State Of Rest [also by Starspangledbanner] and he goes to Joseph O’Brien,” explained Ryan.

“It is Teme Valley’s first foray with Coolmore as partners and we are thrilled – we loved the horse, let’s hope he is lucky.”