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| Staff Writer |
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The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale at Newmarket on Wednesday shattered all previous records with the second session headlined by a colt by Havana Grey selling for an unprecedented 1,750,000 guineas to Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing.
The magnificent result eclipsed the previous record of 1,400,000 guineas paid by Godolphin for an Acclamation colt just 24 hours earlier. With three additional lots realising over 500,000 guineas, the sale's turnover reached 18,804,000 guineas – a 29% increase on last year – while average and median prices rose by 25% and 15% respectively.
Amo Racing, having been the underbidder on Tuesday's Acclamation colt, was determined not to miss out this time. After a dramatic bidding battle with Anthony Stroud and David Loder, Joorabchian's operation secured the colt out of the mare Show Stealer.
"I felt them [Stroud and Loder] slow at 1,500,000 guineas," said Alex Elliott after the purchase. "I felt them think about it, usually it is bang, bang, bang with them. I said to Kia then that they were thinking... and then they really did think about it!"
Discussing the Havana Grey colt, Elliott added: "Malcolm will say that he is first and foremost a pre-trainer and that he is not chasing times, and so when he has one who rocks up as number one on the times list, well, there was a queue at his door!"
Consignor Malcolm Bastard revealed: "He was with me two weeks before Christmas, he has been very straightforward. He has been pre-trained and has only been away twice to have a spin. He is just a very nice and classy horse, he has a very good head and he is a lovely mover."
Whitsbury Manor's outstanding young sire led the Craven Breeze Up sires list with 9 lots selling for an average of 421,111 guineas and a combined total of 3,790,000 guineas.
Zhang Yuesheng's Yulong operation made their presence felt by securing two prime lots. Their first acquisition came when purchasing a colt by Too Darn Hot from Brown Island Stables for 550,000 guineas, the second highest price of the day.
The sale represented an excellent pinhooking result for Johnny Collins' Brown Island Stables, who had acquired the colt for 90,000 guineas at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
"I am absolutely delighted with that," said Collins. "I thought coming here that he stacked up well and he didn't let me down at the breeze. He's obviously by an exceptional sire – I actually underbid Hotazhell as a yearling and so I was keen to get a Too Darn Hot last year if I could."
Yulong struck again just two lots later, securing a colt by Mehmas from Tally-Ho Stud for 500,000 guineas, with Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian the underbidder.
Paul Curran, Yulong's European representative, revealed: "Mr Zhang came here looking to pick up one or two - both are nice, early and precocious types, which is what you are trying to do here. The Too Darn Hot will go to Jessica Harrington, which makes sense with Hotazhell, and we are making plans for this Mehmas colt."
The April-foaled Mehmas colt is a half-brother to the Listed winner Lady Of Spain out of the Invincible Spirit mare Navette, from the family of multiple Group winner and Group One second Real World.
Tally-Ho Stud stand Mehmas who has enjoyed exceptional recent success with daughter Believing winning the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night. Believing herself was a previous Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale graduate, purchased for 115,000 guineas before later selling at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale for 3,000,000 guineas.
The progeny of Too Darn Hot remained in high demand late in the session with a colt consigned by Leamore Horses selling for 500,000 guineas to Jamie McCalmont, with Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock the underbidder.
"I am a massive fan of the stallion, the horse did a very nice breeze but it was the last part of the breeze that was particularly good, he galloped out very strong," commented McCalmont. "I really like the horse, and he is from a very good breeder and an Oppenheimer family."
The sale marked a significant achievement for Anna Calder's Leamore Horses. Calder said: "He was bought in partnership with New Zealand's Go Racing in Book 2, I am very grateful that they decided to partner with me.
"And honestly, he has been the most straightforward horse I have had to deal with. When I was updating the owners, it seemed so boring, as he is so simple. I would love to have a yard full of horses like that."
At the conclusion of the sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented: "The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale has enjoyed a remarkable run of success over the last three years with five individual Group One winners including two Classic winners and this year's Classic prospect Hotazhell. They have provided the perfect advertisement for the Craven Breeze Up Sale and this year's renewal has attracted international buyers in abundance.
"Year after year, consignors continue to support the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up with many of the finest breeze-up 2YOs in Europe. Special mention must go to Willie Browne and Malcolm Bastard whose Acclamation and Havana Grey colts sold for 1,400,000 guineas and 1,750,000 guineas respectively. The pair are pioneers of the European breeze-up scene and it was wonderful to see them so well rewarded."