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| Staff Writer |
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A superb Acclamation colt smashed all previous records at Tattersalls yesterday, selling for a staggering 1.4 million guineas (US$1,946,000) during the opening session of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up sale.
The colt, presented by Willie Browne's Mocklershill operation, was secured by the Godolphin buying team after fierce competition from several major players in the bloodstock world.
"Oh my God!" were the only words Browne could muster after watching his €70,000 pinhook transfer to Sheikh Mohammed's operation for a sum that eclipsed the previous Craven Sale record.
The Mocklershill consignor, who brought his first breeze-up draft to market at Doncaster in 1978, was visibly stunned by the result.
"I thought it would be good, but I can't believe it was anything like that," he said after regaining his composure. "He's a special horse. I believed he'd breezed very well, he didn't let me down. He's never been in the stable for two days, we had 13 or 14 vets. I still thought maybe five or six hundred (thousand). This is crazy."
The colt's eye-catching workout during Monday's breeze attracted multiple serious bidders, with Alex Elliott, standing with Amo Racing principal Kia Joorabchian, filling the role of underbidder, while Jamie McCalmont, bidding beside Coolmore's Paul Shanahan, was also involved beyond the seven-figure mark.
Anthony Stroud, representing Godolphin alongside David Loder, admitted the level of competition for the colt had caught him by surprise.
"I definitely did not, no," said Stroud when asked if he had expected to face such stern opposition. "He did a very good breeze, a very good gallop out. He's a lovely horse, and it just shows you how vibrant the breeze-up sales are. There weren't just two people bidding, there were four or five in there.
"It just shows you the appetite to buy horses at this sale. I always thought it would be strong, but I didn't think that particular horse would be quite that strong. We've got a few on the list and he was one of them. It just shows Godolphin's appetite for horses."
The purchase easily surpassed the previous Craven highmark set in 2014 when the War Front colt General Marshall brought 1.15 million guineas from Coolmore. Notably, that colt was also presented by Mocklershill.
Stroud confirmed the record-breaking youngster would join Charlie Appleby's stable, adding: "The pressure goes to him, the poor man! There's no one who can do a better job though, he's up there with the best around. It's great for Willie Browne because he's been doing it a long time. It's lovely for him and keeps everything ticking over."
The sale-topper was bred by Corduff Stud from the Exceed And Excel mare Blue Willow. He is a sibling to two winners, including his full brother Viridian, while his dam is a half-sister to 2009 Gr.3 Park Express Stakes scorer Oh Goodness Me and the listed-winning Eradicate.
Joorabchian's Amo Racing was also active during the session, securing four new recruits headed by a 750,000-guinea St Mark's Basilica colt out of Layaleena, offered by Joey Logan's Grangeclare operation after being pinhooked for 200,000 guineas at Book 2 last year.
"He's a horse we honed in on early on," said Amo's chief talent scout Elliott. "Robson Aguiar actually rode him in his breeze. For a horse who you'd like to think is going to start at seven (furlongs), stay a mile and maybe go a bit further, he carried his speed very evenly, which I always like to see.
"Robson was a huge fan of the horse and he was beautifully presented by Joey Logan. The word on St Mark's Basilica seems to be good, there's been a few that have breezed well. He was an exceptional racehorse, and we paid 600,000 guineas for a filly in Book 2.
"There's a lot of fast horses here, but for me, he was one that is going to carry his speed a bit further, but he was the best of that type over the two days. He's going to go to Freemason Lodge to be trained by Raphael Freire. Kia's keen to support that operation, obviously."
Amo's quartet generated receipts totalling 1,095,000 guineas, making the firm the second-biggest buyer on the day behind Godolphin, whose two purchases fetched a combined 2,050,000 guineas.
The first session saw 64 lots sold for 9,454,000 guineas (US$13,141,060), averaging 147,719 guineas (US$205,329) with a median of 91,000 guineas (US$126,490).