JUST before teatime at Tuesday’s Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, the best price of the day was achieved.

A Whitsbury Manor Stud homebred daughter of Havana Grey, out of the Harbour Watch mare Minoria and a half-sister to the Group 3-palced It’s Showtime Baby, set the ring alight when selling for 155,000gns.

She was bought by Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, who said: “She is a lovely filly. Havana Grey is almost a ‘freak’ stallion, and is surpassing everyone’s expectations. This filly is a fantastic walker and has a similar movement to Vandeek, whom Anthony [Stroud] bought at the Craven Sale. She is standout at the sale, Whitsbury is a fantastic breeder and we are looking forward to seeing her on the track.”

He added: “She goes into training with George Scott. We were looking for fillies and we had two on the radar. Fingers crossed she can do something good next year.” The filly was bought for Charlie Rosier, and he said: “I went to Whitsbury and just looked at her and fell in love. We thought she’d be unaffordable, with the likes of Amo Racing here and lots of big owners. We underbid the Prince Of Lir earlier today.”

Four yearlings

This was one of four yearlings, three fillies and a colt, by Havana Grey who were among the top dozen lots on the day. Seven of the 12 made six-figure sums and they included a Havana Grey filly out of the winning Whipper mare Last Echo.

She was sold by Culworth Grounds Farm to Hamish Macauley Bloodstock for Amo Racing for 140,000gns. Last Echo is the dam of the smart maiden Oddyssey, who has been runner-up in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes and third in the Listed Chesham Stakes.

Macauley said: “She goes to George Boughey. Last year George and I bought an Havana Grey filly called Graceful Thunder, and she won a listed race in France a few weeks ago and was third in a Group 3 the other day. We went around the complex yesterday and picked out three horses that we wanted, and this filly was top of the list. Kia [Joorabchian] came down this morning and we showed her to him and he was happy with her.”

Sixteen yearlings by Havana Grey sold for an average of 58,188gns, and another pair realised 80,000gns each.

First to that mark was a colt out of the winning mare Bhangra, a daughter of Showcasing, consigned by Manor Farm Stud in Rutland, and he was bought by Noel Wilson. Patience paid off as the colt was retained as a foal for 20,000gns. He hails from the farm’s family that has produced Airwave, the champion two-year-old filly of 2002, Dream Of Dreams and Churchill.

Whitsbury Manor sold a filly by Havana Grey for 80,000gns to Mags O’Toole for Norman and Janet Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm. The dam is the three-time-winning Iffraaj mare Lady Macduff, and she is already dam of three winners, including a full-brother Secret Guest, who has been successful twice.

Heart-warming story of the day

GARY Dowling of Drumhill Stud let his emotions out when recalling his late father Sean. This came in the aftermath of selling a son of Galiway for 145,000gns to Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock.

“He will have been looking down on us,” said Dowling, who added: “That was our biggest touch, but Dad had some good days here.” The sale came five years and a day after his father’s death. Speaking about the €27,000 foal purchase at Arqana, Dowling said: “We hoped he might stand out a bit at this sale; he is a very good physical and the sire is on fire.

“The mare is two from two with a pair of juvenile winners, and the plan has paid off. I have never had a horse of this quality, and he was so busy. It is easily our best result, it is a magic and that it is why you do it. We bought him here and hoped he was going to make a few quid, but you are only dreaming to get to this level.”

Ross Doyle reported: “He is going to Richard Hannon. Richard said that he is an absolute smasher and we agreed. I have not had one by Galiway but two good judges, Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins, have been telling me for years to ‘get as many as you can’.”

One hundred and one lots earlier, and there was another great tale of success for an Irish vendor. The first six-figure sale of the day was a daughter of Prince Of Lir, sold to trainer Diego Borges and Robson Aguiar for 130,000gns. Dias said: “She walks well, and has a great mind. Prince Of Lir has been lucky for Robson.”

Hassett family

The filly was sold by Monksland Stables, and bred by Trio Bloodstock which is made up of Maebh (21), Orla (22) and Richie (19) Hassett. The latter led up. Their father Tom said: “We bought the mare, Barqeyya, at the July Sale in foal to Helmet. She has been a lucky mare and has bred two blacktype horses by Dandy Man.”

Afterwards the girls picked up the story: “Barqeyya was supposed to go to a different sire and it didn’t work out; this was Plan B and it has not been a bad one in the end! Ballyhane has been very lucky for us and Joe [Foley] has been very good to us.”

Prince Of Lir has been very good to the Hassett family – they covered the New Approach mare Approaching Autumn with the son of Kodiac before selling her. The mare went on to produce a colt from the covering, named Live In The Dream, and this year he won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes.

O’Leary flies high with Showcasing

RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary’s Plantation Stud sold a Showcasing colt out of Fastnet Rock’s daughter Fast Lily for 115,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock.

Stud manager James Berney said: “He’s a homebred. The mare’s been good to us; she’s got off to a great start. The mare looks to be producing the goods and this was a very nice individual.” Fast Lily is dam of two winners and a placed runner from her three previous foals, including the US stakes winner Unanimous Consent.

The final six-figure lot of the day was a Starspangledbanner filly out of a Showcasing mare, the unraced Show Me Off. From the Hillman’s Castledillon Stud, she was bought by bloodstock agent Barry Lynch and trainer Joseph O’Brien for 105,000gns. She is an own-sister to American Lady, runner-up in the Listed Land O’Burns Fillies Stakes and fourth in the Group 3 Naas Juvenile Sprint Stakes.

Show Me Off is a half-sister to Lovelace, winner of the Group 2 Oettingen-Rennen and the Group 3 Supreme Stakes.

Sale Briefs

Tally-Ho Stud are clear leaders among vendors

BY sheer virtue of numbers, there was always going to be one leading vendor. For the umpteenth time, the O’Callaghan’s Tally-Ho Stud led the table after selling all but one of the 25 yearlings they offered on Tuesday.

The draft realised 746,000gns and averaged 31,083gns, and by some way the best of their consignment was a son of Mehmas out of Get Up And Dance. A half-brother to the three-time winner and stakes-placed juvenile of this year. Seven Questions, the colt was purchased by Oliver St Lawrence for 110,000gns. Get Up And Dance is a half-sister to Pearl Secret.

This was always likely to fall to St Lawrence, who purchased Seven Questions last year for £58,000 for Victorious Racing and Fawzi Naas. “I imagine George Scott [trainer of Seven Questions] would like him,” said the agent.

A bullseye with one dart

LUKE Coen, appointed a Tattersalls Ireland bloodstock representative this spring, brought one horse to sell and hit the target. From the first crop of the European champion two-year-old Pinatubo, he sold for 95,000gns from Coen’s Q Cross Stables to Rabbah Bloodstock.

Coen said: “We bought him here last year from Tweenhills for 34,000gns. He has been very straightforward all the way through. Pinatubo has been going well so far and we were hopeful.” The purchaser Jono Mills added: “He’s a sharp, racy, strong horse with lots to like about him. He’s from a decent family. The Pinatubo’s I’ve seen have been a lovely group of horses. Certainly the ones we have back on the farm are a very solid group. I’d give him every chance to be a stallion.”

Cashman’s favourite Bear shows his teeth

THE Rathbarry Stud-bred colt by Kodi Bear out of the Rathbarry-bred mare Park Glen, a daughter of Tagula, was bought for 90,000gns by Highflyer Bloodstock and Phil Cunningham. Park Glen won twice at two and is a half-sister to Knot In Wood, winner of the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes. The colt is a half-brother to two winners.