Seeing stars and stripes as US-breds headline Craven Sale catalogue

There is a decidedly American feel to this year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, with nine juveniles by Scat Daddy and a pair of well-related War Front colts headlining the expanded 172-lot catalogue.

The two-day sale is scheduled to begin on Tuesday April 17 at the conclusion of racing at the Craven meeting, while the breeze will be staged on the Rowley Mile racecourse the preceding Monday from 9.30am.

The progeny of those two elite sires have enjoyed some notable results in the Tattersalls ring during the Craven Sale, most recently with the promising Kings Shield, a son of Scat Daddy who topped the 2017 renewal when bought by David Redvers for 675,000gns.

Among the nine catalogued two-year-olds from Scat Daddy's final crop are a half-brother to Japanese Grade 1 winner A Shin Forward (Lot 66), offered by Con Marnane's Bansha House Stables, and a colt from Mocklershill whose second dam is a sister to Fusaichi Pegasus (155).

War Front, meanwhile, is responsible for the two most expensive lots ever sold at the Craven Sale, with General Marshall fetching an auction-record 1,150,000gns from Jamie McCalmont in 2014. The agent and Alex Elliott then signed at 850,000gns for a colt out of Rehear the following year.

War Front's entries this year are a half-brother to Group 1 National Stakes winner Pathfork (63) consigned by Oak Tree Farm, and a colt out of Dutch Art's half-sister Meandering (166), a €220,000 Arqana August yearling who will be offered by Grove Stud.

The catalogue also includes 29 siblings to stakes winners, notably the Street Sense half-brother to top-level winners Certify and Cry And Catch Me (8) and the Rip Van Winkle brother to Dick Whittington (22).

There are also 27 juveniles out of stakes-winning mares, including a Shamardal colt out of E.P Taylor Stakes winner Lahaleeb (152) and the first foal out of Lonsdale Cup winner Pale Mimosa, a filly by Exceed And Excel (6).

No fewer than 20 freshman sires are also due to be represented at the sale, including the exciting Australia, Charm Spirit, Kingman, No Nay Never and Verrazano.

"An increased catalogue of 172 this year is testament to the consistent support from the top British and Irish Breeze Up consignors, and buyers – both domestic and international – will as ever be attracted by two-year-olds by many of the world’s most sought after sires," said Tattersalls' chairman Edmond Mahony.

Last year's sale saw records smashed across all market metrics as 98 lots sold for turnover of 14,120,000gns, an average of 144,080gns and a median of 110,000gns.

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