Amo Racing's growing commitment to Irish racing was in evidence at Tattersalls on Wednesday evening when the powerful ownership group headed by football agent Kia Joorabchian spent 460,000gns on the top-priced lot at the Craven Breeze Up Sale and gave it to Curragh trainer Michael O'Callaghan.

The partnership have already won two nice maidens this season with the two-year-old Crispy Cat and the three-year-old Malex.

Their latest purchase, a filly by Kodiac, was consigned by top breeze-up vendor Tally-Ho Stud who also bred the filly. She is out of the listed-placed Fasliyev mare Yajala, dam of the listed-winning, Group 3 placed Evil Spell and the Group 3 Jersey Stakes runner up Society Power. It is the extended family of the sprinter Mind Games.

Bids came in from agents Jake Warren, Richard Brown and David Redvers, but it was O'Callaghan, stood alongside Joorabchian, who emerged successful.

"I have bought a lot of good horses off Tally-Ho - Blue de Vega, Twilight Jet, Now Or Never to name just a few," said O'Callaghan. "She is a lovely filly, she did a very fast breeze and is a lovely physical with a great pedigree.

"She ticks all the boxes and hopefully she will make up into a Royal Ascot filly. She looks fast and Royal Ascot will be the hope. She has been bought for Amo Racing, who are new to the yard this year."

Tally-Ho Stud ended the two-day sale as the leading consignor with their eight sold lots realising a total of 1,787,000gns.

Final figures

The sale saw significant increases in the average and median and the third highest turnover in the sale’s history. The overall aggregate of almost 12 million guineas was up 15% on last year. The average price jumped 35% to 116,000gns and the median leapt 32% to 90,000gns. The only negative was the clearance rate of 77%, compared with 88% last year.

Twilight's brother

Leading agent Anthony Stroud struck to secure the Sioux Nation half-brother to the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Twilight Gleaming for 380,000gns after seeing off underbidder Richard Brown and Peter Doyle, sat with Najd Stud’s Saad Al Saud.

Stroud said: "He is a very nice horse and will stay in England, he was bought for Bahrain’s KHK Racing," said Stroud. "He moved very well, did a good breeze, is from a good consignor; he ticked the boxes. He is the horse we wanted to get to tonight. Richard Brown is a very good judge and he was the underbidder. He looks a real two-year-old and Sioux Nation has had a winner."

Consigned by Willie Browne’s Mocklershill, the sale represented a major return on his yearling purchase price of €50,000.

Kingman colt

Longways Stables’ Mick Murphy sold the third top price of the day when his Kingman colt sold for 300,000gns to agent Ross Doyle after he saw off French agent Nicky de Balanda. The colt is out of the Teofilo mare Fate, a Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed half-sister to the Champion racemare Pride.

Successful purchaser Ross Doyle said: "He is a real good physical for that type of stallion; very straightforward, a good mover, he breezed well and is probably a seven furlong-miler type of horse. He has a good pedigree. We have been lucky buying off Sarah and Mick from Longways, we bought Witch Hunter last year."

Doyle signed in association with new buyer Omnihorse, and explained: "It is a new syndicate, Kia from Amo Racing is involved and hopefully it will be exciting."

Zoustar filly

Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs’ Bill Gredley secured the Zoustar filly out of the Oasis Dream mare Cordial for 270,000gns after seeing off Tweenhills’ David Redvers, who stand the exciting Australian shuttle stallion.

"I was underbidder on lot 116, but I like this filly. A lot of people liked her, she was a lot of money but if you want something good you have to pay a lot of money," said Gredley. "We have the stud, so we will race her and if she gets to the track and wins she will be a breeding prospect further down the line," he added.

"I don't often buy at breezes, but we took a look at her and she has a nice personality. I don't know yet who will train her but I will have a chat with my son Tim who is currently show jumping in Spain. It is really exciting, and I can name her!"

Consigned by Jim McCartan's Gaybrook Lodge Stud, the filly was bought as a yearling for 70,000gns by MC Bloodstock from Galloway Stud at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale.

Chairman's statement

Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony commented: "The array of lucrative Tattersalls bonuses on offer for all Craven Breeze Up purchases continues to attract owners and trainers in all sectors of the market and the domestic buyers have faced stiff opposition from a diverse crowd of overseas buyers, all of whom have contributed to a Craven Breeze Up Sale which has posted gains in the key metrics of average, median and turnover, albeit with a clearance rate which has not matched last year’s record level. In addition to the strong overseas contingent from America, Bahrain, Dubai, France, Italy, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, we have had live internet bidders registered from Hong Kong and Japan and the global profile of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up continues to rise."

FINAL SALE FIGURES

Current Year Previous Year Change %

Catalogued 164 169 -3

Withdrawn 30 32 -6

Offered 134 137 -2

Unsold 31 16 +94

Sold 103 121 -15

Aggregate (gns) 11,939,500 10,408,500 +15

Median (gns) 90,000 68,000 +32

Average (gns) 115,917 86,021 +35

% sold 77% 88% -13