THE final figures for the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale read well, the second highest turnover in the sale’s history and a substantial increase in the average, but the company’s chairman Edmond Mahony acknowledged that there were challenges too.

Extreme weather conditions did not help when the breeze ups were staged, and he praised the professionalism of all participants during that important part of the sale set up. He also noted the fact that 106 horses sold this year compared with 126 a year ago. “While the key metrics of average [up 13%] and median [unchanged] compare well with last year’s record-breaking sale, the clearance rate has fallen short [down 4%], and there has been a selectivity to the trade which should not be overlooked.

“There has been no shortage of competition, both domestic and international, at the top of the market, and a record number of lots selling for 500,000gns or more [six], but the lower levels of the market have not matched the demand at the higher end.”

The sale produced some outstanding pinhooking successes, and one of these was by a son of the legendary Galileo. Twelve months ago Roderic Kavanagh’s Glending Stables consigned the top lot, the subsequent dual Group 1 winner Vandeek, and he made it a double this time when a member of Galileo’s 12-strong final crop sold to Godolphin for one million guineas.

Bred by the Coolmore partners, the colt sold as a yearling for 125,000gns, and at the time impressed Kavanagh along with Cormac O’Flynn with his movement, with the former saying that “hopefully he gallops the way he walks”. The colt didn’t disappoint in that measure, and Anthony Stroud was not going to be beaten for the prize lot, seeing off a determined Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing for the half-brother to a listed winner.

Incredible

Kavanagh said: “It is incredible, and for Amo to go that far, I had no expectations of that. The price is beyond our dreams. He is a natural athlete. The last month has been tense because we have thought he was something special. We did feel that we had nicked him when we bought him, and you start looking around and wondering what is wrong with him.

“I thought there was a chance that he might make half of that, if everyone turned up. Everyone did turn up, and possibly could see what we had been seeing every day, that there is not blemish on the horse.”

“We all thought he is a very nice horse, is the last horse by Galileo to go through public auction, and he breezed very well,” said Stroud. “He came from the same hotel as Vandeek. The colt deserved to do well, and he did well.”

KATIE Walsh’s Greenhills Farm brought two breezers to the sale, a colt by New Bay and a daughter of Havana Grey, and sold each of them for 525,000gns. The colt topped the first session of the sale on Tuesday, with the filly being an early star on Wednesday evening.

The colt, already named Anno Domini, was bought by Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin, outbidding Michael Donohue of BBA Ireland, and was bred by the late Sir Robert Ogden. He sold to Walsh at the October Book 1 Sale for 125,000gns.

“This is a very nice horse, he did a very good breeze, Katie Walsh does a fantastic job, and he has a great pedigree, being by New Bay and out of a Galileo mare,” said Stroud. “I saw him as yearling, liked him and should have bought him then!”

Walsh said: “I did dream a little bit as he had cost 125,000gns and he has the pedigree. The paperwork matched with the physical, not often it all comes together like that. We are a family-run business with my sister Jennifer, my mum and dad and my husband [Ross O’Sullivan], we are all in it together - as well as all the lads at home. We couldn’t do it without the lads at home, and that’s the truth.”

Anno Domini is a half-brother to a pair of juvenile listed winners, and his third dam is Alouette, dam of Group 1 winners Albanova and Alborada. This is the Lanwades Stud family of Alpinista.

Déjà vu

Twenty-four hours later and Walsh did the double with a filly by Havana Grey, and there was a sense of déjà vu, as Vandeek made 525,000gns at this sale last year, and he is by the same sire. This time Anthony Stroud was buying for the Bahrain entity KHK Racing who race Vandeek.

Stroud said: “This is a very nice filly who breezed very well, we have the connection with Havana Grey, and it was a great deal of money, but sometimes you have to stretch for the ones you like. She goes to Simon and Ed Crisford.”

“I am emotional tonight. It has been a great couple of days and been really special. For the last couple of weeks I have been saying ‘Jesus, I can’t have two of them!’ It is so hard to get one, let alone two! I didn’t really say it out loud, but quietly thought it at home, as we all did,” Walsh said.

ANTHONY Stroud made four purchases on behalf of Godolphin, spending 3,125,000gns, and then his company acquired two more for 1,125,000gns, the six lots accounting for 29% of the total sale turnover.

Within minutes on Wednesday he spent 800,000gns each on colts by Blue Point and Kingman. Consigned by Francesca and Charlie Poste’s Station Yard, the Blue Point was a €78,000 purchase at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, and marked an incredible achievement by the first-time breeze up vendors. Former jump jockey Charlie Poste said: “Francesca and I are absolutely over the moon, we can’t believe it! It is far more of a kick than I ever got riding a winner.

“We have to thank the syndicate who backed us, especially as we have not pedigree for doing this. Tom Biggs [Blandford Bloodstock] helped buy him, and mates such as Mark Grant helped us through the whole process”

Patience rewarded

Three lots later, Eddie O’Leary’s Lynn Lodge Stud saw their patience rewarded when a 230,000gns foal buy also sold for 800,000gns. The Kingman colt is a full-brother to the Group 3 winner Parent’s Prayer, and their dam was the stakes-winning Exceed And Excel mare Pure Excellence.

Stroud didn’t wait long until he was in the fray again, this time for KHK Racing, splashing out 600,000gns for a member of Persian King’s first crop. This was Tally-Ho Stud’s half-brother to the French juvenile stakes winner Ritournelle.

“He is going to be trained by Richard Fahey,” said Stroud. “You never know where you are going to find a really good one. I am pleased with the evening’s work, we are very lucky to have owners who spend this sort of money.”

A pleased Roger O’Callaghan said: “We really like Persian King as a sire; we tried to buy him but they would not sell. This is a cracking horse.”