Godolphin set to unleash 1,000,000gns purchase Volkan Star

Godolphin made six seven-figure purchases at last year's edition of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, including the 1,000,000gns Volkan Star, who is set to debut in the 32Red British EBF "Newcomers'' Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket on Friday evening.

A son of Sea The Stars, the Charlie Appleby-trained colt was bred by Forenaghts Stud and Samuel Mencoff and is the first foal out of the Azamour mare Chicago Dancer.

The dam may have failed to win during her own racing career, with her best Racing Post Rating of 60 achieved when behind Found on debut, but her pedigree entitles her to fare better in her second career.

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She is a half-sister to the Group 3 Prix Edmond Blanc winner Skins Game and the Listed-winning Epatha. The dam of that trio, Mouriyana, is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Mouramara, who in turn produced the Group 1 scorer Mourayan and the high-class hurdler Mourad.

Further back it is also the same family responsible for Lancashire Oaks heroine Endless Time.

Volkan Star is from the seventh crop of his sire, meaning he was conceived at a cost of €125,00.

However, that investment was well rewarded when the resulting foal was sold through Tinnakill House to Gerry Dilger of the Kentucky-based Dromoland Farm for €330,000 at the Goffs November Sale.

Sea The Stars: due to be represented by pricey progeny on FridayCredit: Patrick McCann

It speaks of the colt's physical prowess that his price increased so dramatically from foal to yearling, because just ten months later Stroud Coleman Bloodstock signed for the youngster at 1,000,000gns when he was offered through Longview Stud at Tattersalls.

After the hammer came down, Longview Stud's manager Diego Romeo said: "It was a pricey pinhook but he's a gorgeous colt and we've loved him from the beginning. Everything has gone to plan with him and he is very straightforward. Sea The Stars is a fantastic sire - we're very happy."

Volkan Star is not the only pricey purchase due to line up in the Newmarket contest, with John Gosden set to unleash the Cheveley Park Stud-owned Baptism, who is also a son of Sea The Stars.

The colt was signed for by Capital Bloodstock at €460,000 at the same foal sale Volkan Star fetched €330,000.

He is the second foal out of Holy Salt, a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor who won over a mile in France and whose siblings include four black type performers, a quartet headed by the Australian Group 1 winner He's Your Man.

Sea The Stars is looking for his third two-year-old winner of the current British and Irish campaign. It is worth bearing in mind what he lacks in quantity he more than makes up for in quality, with his two juvenile winners this year the hugely promising Sacred Dance and Miss Yoda - who made a striking debut at Kempton on Monday.

Also in opposition are Many A Star, a 200,000gns Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale buy by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and trainer James Given, and Vindicate, a son of Lope De Vega homebred by the Queen and from the family of elite-level winners Aquarelliste and Artiste Royale.

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