WHEN Willie Browne’s Acclamation colt set a new record price of 1.4 million guineas at the opening session of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, everyone wondered what this meant for Malcolm Bastard’s Havana Grey colt, who has clocked the fastest time at Monday’s breeze.

Buyers and consignors regularly remind us that times aren’t everything, but the fact that such a fast colt came from a (hugely well-respected) consignor not known for prioritising times, said more than the bare figures.

Alex Elliott drove that message home after securing the colt alongside Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian for 1.7 million guineas. In the agent’s words: “Malcolm will say that he is first and foremost a pre-trainer and that he is not chasing times, and so when he has one who rocks up as number one on the [times] list, well, there was a queue at his door! We all had to get an allotted time to see the horse!

"Malcolm has been doing this a long time, and he is brilliant at his job and pre-trains some of the best horses in Europe. This horse was produced beautifully, and, to do what he did for Malcolm, when he does not particularly train them for a speed time, tells you have a good horse. And Havana Grey needs no explaining.”

The strength of trade at the opening session prepared the Amo team for the eventual top lot, Elliott continued. “It is a performance-based sale and when a horse performs, it will get a premium,” he explained. “And the Acclamation making that sum last night, well everyone had to realign. Acclamation was a superstar sire, but Havana Grey is new and he is fresh. I did not think this horse would make this, but when the horse performs, the guys get paid.”

Malcolm Bastard appears to practice what he preaches to his students – when asked how his heart behaved during the colt’s sale, he replied: “It was steady, it takes a lot to excite me!”

The bay, who was bought by Harlequin Direct for 55,000gns as a foal, never gave Bastard cause for concern, either. “He was with me two weeks before Christmas, he has been very straightforward,” he explained. “He has been pre-trained and has only been away twice to have a spin, just to see what he was like in a different environment. He is just a very nice and classy horse, he has a very good head, and he is a lovely mover.

“He is easy to train, and that is how it is with Havana Greys, they are pacey, quality, and have good minds, you can feed them and train them.”

New faces at Yulong and Dullingham

WHILE Malcolm Bastard kept a cool head, it’s safe to say that many bidders and vendors experience a whirlwind of emotions – distress, disappointment, relief, elation, or a rollercoaster of all combined.

You’d have to wonder what auctioneer Ollie Fowlston must have felt when the former manager of Dullingham Park Stud knocked down two colts totalling 1,050,000gns to the farm’s new owners. Steve Parkin’s Newmarket property was recently sold to Zhang Yuesheng, who was at Park Paddocks this week, joined by Ben Hyde, the newly nominated bidder after the departure of Vin Cox.

Hyde was hidden behind a rival bidder at the back stairs, initially confusing onlookers as to who had secured the Too Darn Hot colt from Johnny Collins’ Brown Island Stables. After signing as Dullingham and clocking a fast time down the stairs, Hyde commented: “He was one of our picks of the sale. He did a very good breeze; we liked him as a physical and we’re very fond of Too Darn Hot."

Maintaining an element of surprise, Hyde took up a new position two lots later to buy Tally-Ho Stud’s Mehmas half-brother to listed winner Lady Of Spain for 500,000gns. Yulong’s European representative Paul Curran adopted the role of spokesperson, revealing that Jessica Harrington would train the Too Darn Hot colt, while the Mehmas colt’s destination has yet to be confirmed.

“Mr Zhang came here looking to pick up one or two, and we’ve bought two nice, precocious types, which was the plan,” Curran explained. “We’ve got a lot of two-year-olds this year, but not many of them are precocious. Buying these two will fulfil our hopes.”

Richard Brown rewarded after determined effort

BLANDFORD Bloodstock’s Richard Brown boasts one of the most impressive C.V.’s when it comes to his breeze-up buys, but endured a frustrating evening on Tuesday, underbidding a number of lots. He enjoyed a change of luck on Wednesday, when landing back-to-back lots for 230,000gns and 360,000gns.

“It’s been a frustrating two days but we’ve remained very disciplined with our values,” Brown admitted. “We’ve been patient and I think we’ve got two smashing colts.” It was a Starspangledbanner colt from Mark Grant Racing that got Brown off the mark in the ring, at a cost of 230,000gns.

“The Starspangledbanner was as good-looking horse as was here,” Brown said of Grant’s €95,000 pinhook from the Goffs Orby Sale. “He might not be a whizz bang two-year-old but he did a very good breeze, is very good-looking and we’re delighted to get him. Tom Biggs, who I work very closely with, bought Bradsell off Mark, so we’re returning to a proven source.”

Brown returned to another tried-and-tested formula when going to 360,000gns for a Starman colt from Tally-Ho Stud, from whom he’d previously bought the likes of Ardad, Dream Ahead, Perfect Power and Powerful Glory.

The sire may not yet be proven, but he’s made a bright start with two winners, as Brown acknowledged. “Starman has made a great start,” he reflected. “I’ve had very little to do with them so far but, watching his first runners, you’d have to be impressed because, yes, while it’s still very early and there’s still plenty of water to go under the bridge, it looks to me like they’ve got a bit of class.”

Blandford Bloodstock paid the same price of 360,000gns for a Havana Grey colt later in the session. It marked an impressive return for Roger Marley’s Church Farm Stables, who sourced the colt at Tattersalls Book 3 for 62,000gns. His new owners will be hoping the bay will be the best his dam has produced, given she has yet to produce a winner, from five foals of racing age.

Vendors and buyers all smiles

RICHARD Brown’s luck ran out when it came to Lot 170, as he underbid the Too Darn Hot colt offered by Anna Calder’s Leamore Horses. Jamie McCalmont was the one with a smile on his face as the gavel fell in favour at 500,000gns.

"I am a massive fan of the stallion,” McCalmont later commented. “The horse did a very nice breeze but it was the last part of the breeze that was particularly good - he galloped out very strong. I really like the horse and he is from a very good breeder and an Oppenheimer family.”

Blandford Bloodstock had signed for the colt as a yearling, when he cost 90,000gns, and Calder explained: “He was bought in partnership with New Zealand syndicate Go Racing at Book 2. I am very grateful that they decided to partner with me.

“Honestly, he has been the most straightforward horse I have had to deal with. I would love to have a yard full of horses like that. I thought he would sell well, but you can never expect that sort of money.”

New name over the door

Consignor Darragh Lordan was another who enjoyed a fruitful start with a new partnership. Formerly operating under the banner of Innishannon Valley Stud, he debuted under Rockfield Farm this week, selling in partnership with the farm’s owner Michael O’Flynn.

The combination was well-rewarded for their filly from the first crop of St Mark’s Basilica, which brought from Mark McStay’s Avenue Bloodstock, who co-signed with Patrick O’Brien.

On her appeal, McStay commented: “She’s a lovely filly with arguably one of the best pedigrees in the book, by a very exciting sire in St Mark’s Basilica. She’s not the only one of his offspring who’s lit up the ring this week.

“She looks like a filly that could take you to some special places. Everyone here is dreaming of top hats and tails, and she looks the sort that could take you there. Time is not my God by any manner or means, but they need to clock and she did clock.

“She’s been bought for a partnership to go to Fozzy Stack. He’s delighted to get her, I think he might have even seen her on his gallop when Darragh brought her to work there, so he had a bit of inside information.”

Lordan revealed he had high expectations for the St Mark’s Basilica filly and added: “I knew she’d breeze well and she’s a good marker for the rest of the horses at home. The Royal Ascot dream is alive for her.”

Lordan is no stranger to fast horses, having sold Marshman early in his career. On the dual stakes winner and Gimcrack Stakes runner-up, he said: “He was a great horse to get early in your career, because you can judge horses off him and what he was doing coming up to the breeze.”

Money talks

In general, vendors appeared relieved and buoyed by trade over the two days, having come into the first sale of the season with a degree of trepidation, agitated by President Trump’s volatile announcements. The positive atmosphere onsite was accompanied by impressive final figures, notably a record turnover of 18,804,000gns and average price of 158,017gns.

The clearance rate of 83% marked a major rise from 72% 12 months ago, while the median price increased by 25% to 100,000gns.

At the conclusion of trade, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony commented: “The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale has enjoyed a remarkable run of success over the last three years with five individual Group 1 winners including two Classic winners and this year’s Classic prospect Hotazhell. They have provided the perfect advertisement for the Craven Breeze Up Sale and this year’s renewal has attracted international buyers in abundance, all of whom have contributed to a record turnover and average along with the two highest prices in the sale’s history.

“Year after year, consignors continue to support the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up with many of the finest breeze-up two-year-olds in Europe, and it has been fantastic to see their professionalism and confidence in the sale rewarded over the past two days. Special mention must go to Willie Browne and Malcolm Bastard whose Acclamation and Havana Grey colts sold for 1,400,000 guineas and 1,750,000 guineas respectively. The pair are pioneers of the European breeze-up scene and it was wonderful to see them so well rewarded.

“As always, we’ve been delighted to welcome a wide-ranging and international group of buyers to Park Paddocks, including representation from Australia, China, Hong Kong, and the Gulf region. Their interest reflects the exceptional results achieved by graduates of the sale at the highest level of competition.

“We now turn our attention to the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale which has also delivered outstanding racecourse success in recent years with 42 individual Group/Listed winners since 2022.”