LAST week it was Katie Walsh, this week it's Katie McGivern.

Wednesday's Goffs Breeze Up Sale at Doncaster saw over £10.3 million spent (sale record) on 163 two-year-olds and, once again, it was Middle Eastern buyers who snapped up the top lots, all of which came from Irish vendors.

Topping the pile at £420,000 was a Havana Grey filly from Katie McGivern's Derryconnor Stud in Rosslare Strand, Co Wexford. The filly was bought for £50,000 at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale last August.

The sale comes just a week after Katie Walsh sold a Havana Grey filly for 525,000gns at Newmarket and the purchaser in both cases was the same - the Stroud Coleman agency for Bahraini owners KHK Racing who had great success with breeze-up buy Vandeek (also by Havana Grey) last year. Jason Kelly was the underbidder.

“This filly did a very good breeze and we liked the way she went,” said Stroud. “She's a nice, well-balanced filly and we thought she was one of the nicest in the sale. She’s been bought for KHK Racing. Shaikh Khalid will make a decision about training plans in due course.”

The result was not only a personal best for McGivern but a particularly successful pinhook too, as the youngster was signed for by Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock at £50,000 when offered by Bearstone Stud at last year’s Premier Yearling Sale.

“Based on her homework we expected her to breeze like she did, but after that you just have to leave it up to the market to value her,” said McGivern. “All her homework was exceptional. Everything about her was exceptional and I’m delighted with the result. She deserved it.”

Blandford Bloodstock

The top purchaser on the day was Blandford Bloodstock, who spent £2.37 million on 10 horses. Blandford boss Richard Brown reported later that most of their purchases were for Middle Eastern clients. The agency have been active for Qatar's Wathnan Racing at other recent sales.

Tally-Ho supersire Mehmas was clearly top of the Blandford shopping list as they spent £380,000, £360,000 and £350,000 on three colts by that stallion.

The £380,000 colt came from Willie Browne's Mocklershill. Out of the unraced mare Jane Doe (by Hallowed Crown), the colt was a 60,000gns yearling at Tattersalls Book 2 last October.

“He’s by one of the best sires of two-year-olds around, a gorgeous horse and from one of the doyens of the breeze-up sales,” said Brown. “I saw him on Sunday and Willie was very high on him then and he did a seriously good breeze yesterday. He looks forward-going but no trainer has been decided on yet. He’ll get a short break now and then we’ll try and point him towards Ascot.”

Tally-Ho themselves consigned the other two Mehmas colts bought by Blandford. One is a half-brother to the very speedy Marshman (Group 3 winner, Group 2 placed) which Tally-Ho bought for €50,000 at last year's Goffs Orby Sale.

Of the Marshman half-brother, Brown said: “He’s what you expect to find when you come to Donny. He’s beautifully proportioned, not over big but looks like an out-and-out two-year-old. Obviously he comes from a hotel we’ve had a huge amount of success with with Ardad, Dream Ahead, Perfect Power and the rest, and Roger O’Callaghan was very high on this horse all the way along. He stepped up here and performed so we were delighted to get him. You come here with the dream of getting to Royal Ascot and hopefully he’s the kind of horse who’ll be capable of doing that.”

Other notable transactions included Danny O'Donovan selling a Sioux Nation filly for £300,000 and a King Of Change filly for £280,000.

The Sioux Nation filly is a sister to dual winner Dance Sioux and was knocked down to Anthony Stroud on behalf of KHK Racing. The first-crop daughter of King Of Change will join Amo Racing’s powerful two-year-old string after going the way of agent Alex Elliott.

“I’m just delighted to have sold Mr Stroud a horse, and fair play to Alex Elliott as well – he underbid the Sioux Nation filly and then went on to buy the King Of Change filly,” said O’Donovan. “I’ve been breezing horses for 10 years now. This is my third year consigning under my own name. We topped Goresbridge last year with a Zelzal colt who I'm told is on course to run in the French Derby. I didn’t think I’d ever have a day like that again but this has definitely topped it.”

Godolphin strike

Norman Williamson sold a Starspangledbanner colt for £300,000 and Kevin Coleman sold a filly by the same sire for £270,000 to Godolphin, their only purchase on the day.

The filly is a half-sister to Deira Mile, who provided a timely update with a four-length victory at Windsor on Monday. Godolphin's representative Anthony Stroud said: “She’s a nice filly who breezed very well and there could be a good update in the pedigree. She’ll go to Charlie Appleby.”

This was a best-ever result for Kevin Coleman, having pinhooked the youngster through Sean Grassick Bloodstock for €36,000 at Book 2 of last year’s Goffs Orby Sale.

“I’m used to buying them for 28,000 and selling them for 18,000!” joked Coleman. “I’ve always thought a lot of her. She had a good update on the page, she’s by the right sire and has a great action. She did a very good breeze and showed very well so all the right people were on her. I hope to God that she turns up at Royal Ascot and is competitive.”

Curragh trainer Michael O'Callaghan spent over £500,000 on five horses and Shamrock Thoroughbreds spent £190,000 on two purchases.

A total of 28 six-figure lots contributed to a record turnover of £10,359,700. The clearance rate was 81%, down from 86% last year.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE RESULTS