Tattersalls Craven top lot Divine Spirit to make an early bow

Less than a month since the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale was held, the 850,000gns top lot is set to make her first start for new connections in the 5f fillies' maiden at Ascot on Friday (2.00).

Divine Spirit, whose price tag made her the most expensive two-year-old in the auction by a margin of 275,000gns, is trained by Charlie Appleby after Anthony Stroud signed the docket for her on behalf of Godolphin.

The daughter of red-hot sophomore sire Kingman completed an excellent pinhooking coup for Tally-Ho Stud, who had given 92,000gns for her at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale just over five months earlier.

View racecard: Ascot 2.00

Bred by Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, she is out of Queen Mary Stakes runner-up Shyrl, a daughter of Acclamation whose earlier progeny include the Gimcrack, Mill Reef, Hackwood and Bengough Stakes third Raucous.

Shyrl is a half-sister to four other winners out of Finicia, a daughter of Miswaki and Prix de Flore winner and Prix Saint-Alary third Benicia.

Divine Spirit is one of seven purchases by Godolphin from this year's Craven Breeze-Up Sale, with three others named – Path Of Thunder, a son of Night Of Thunder who finished third on debut at Newmarket on Sunday; Expressionist, another Night Of Thunder colt who holds entries to debut in the coming days; and Imperial Empire, an Invincible Spirit half-brother to Erupt.

William Buick takes the ride on Divine Spirit in what looks like being a warm maiden, a race won in recent years by smart sorts such as Besharah, Rizeena and Mrs Gallagher.

Her rivals include Love Love, a Kodiac filly bought for 600,000gns on behalf of owner King Power Racing and a fair fifth on debut for Richard Hannon at Salisbury last month, and fellow Godolphin newcomer Final Song, a Saeed Bin Suroor-trained Dark Angel half-sister to three horses with Racing Post Ratings of 100 or higher in Decathlete, Poet's Society and Rah Rah.