‘It’s not a vanity project – if it goes badly wrong it’s going to hit us hard’ – Station Yard out to build on stunning breeze-up debut

Twelve months ago, Charlie and Francesca Poste presented their maiden breeze-up draft. To say things went rather well would be an almighty understatement. Their Blue Point colt put in a clock-busting workout that saw his value soar from €78,000 yearling to 800,000gns Tattersalls Craven Sale two-year-old. 

Subsequently named Corolla Point, the youngster looked to have a bright future when landing a Yarmouth novice on his debut for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby. That result sets the bar extremely high, but the Station Yard team are ready to return to the breeze-ups and prove there was more than beginner's luck at play. 

“Francesca and I never expected in a million years it would go as well as it did last year,” says Charlie Poste. “Going into the Craven we were very happy with the horses, especially the Blue Point colt. We thought we had a nice horse, but for him to do what he did, breeze in the quickest time and sell like he did was beyond our wildest dreams.

“Does it ramp the pressure up this year? Inevitably in sport and in life, people are always there to knock you. Some will say, ‘Maybe it was a fluke’ and ‘Will they be able to do it again?’ But hopefully we can. I’m not saying for one second we’ll have the fastest horse in the sale, but we’re bringing some nice horses and, touch wood, we have a lot of confidence in them.”

Of course, the team were far from complete sales rookies as Station Yard is a well-established brand in the National Hunt sphere. In the build-up to that maiden breeze-up offering, Poste spoke candidly about the pressure that comes with entering into a new, uncharted area of the bloodstock market. The success of year one was not only a source of relief and belief but provided some important learnings along the way as well. 

Working closely with Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock, they have assembled a group of eight juveniles to be offered between the various sales at Tattersalls, Doncaster and, for the first time, Arqana. There are plenty of in-vogue stallions represented among the draft, with Havana Grey, Mehmas, Night Of Thunder and Sioux Nation all featuring. Having upped their investment and been stricter on pedigree, Poste believes the upcoming offerings are a step up on last year’s squad. 

The Blue Point colt out of Platinum Coast, subsequently named Corolla Point, at Tattersalls last yearCredit: Laura Green

“When we looked back on it, the reflection was that we could do with increasing the pot a bit and trying to have a better spread of sire power and immediate winners in the pedigree,” he says. 

“I think as a physical bunch they’re a better group than we had last year. Whether that means they go as fast, who knows? But we’re very excited about them.”

Pinhooking breeze-up prospects became increasingly challenging as last year’s yearling sales wore on, particularly once trade reached unprecedented levels at Tattersalls in October. This saw plenty of speculators giving significant sums for yearlings, a point illustrated by 27 of the 182 lots in the Craven Sale having already changed hands for a six-figure price. However, Poste says they were content to back their judgement while hunting for diamonds in the rough. 

“From our point of view, one thing we can bring across as pinhookers from the National Hunt sphere is that we’re used to the up-and-down nature of liking horses, walking into the ring but having to walk away, so that was never a problem,” he says. 

“We don’t have any desire to be spending that sort of [six-figure] money for this operation. We’ve reflected on that with the National Hunt operation as well. For us, pinhooking should be trying to buy something that the end user has maybe overlooked, and that you then elevate through performance. 

“Yes we’ve got a syndicate of investors, but we’re heavily involved in that, so it’s always been our own money on the line and we have to try to run a business. It’s not a vanity project, it’s all our own money. If it goes badly wrong it’s going to hit us hard. We’ve seen it in the store market as well. There are some brilliant operators that spend incredible money on stores and manage to make that work, but it just isn’t a viable thing for us.” 

The burning question heading into the spring is: will the fierce competition witnessed at the yearling sales continue into the breeze-ups? Poste is optimistic that will be the case, at least in one area of the market.

“You’re shooting for the top end of the market, and I see no reason that sector won’t be buoyant,” he says. “Whether you’re being naive or just dreaming, you’re hoping to get to the top end and that one of the horses will sell very well. 

"I’d be surprised if the middle to lower end wasn’t sticky again because that seems to be the way of it right now, especially with what’s going on in the world.” 

Charlie Poste: "Whether you’re being naive or just dreaming, you’re hoping to get to the top end"Credit: Tattersalls Cheltenham

While the team refined their selection process at the yearling sales, Poste says the methods employed at their Stratford-upon-Avon base have remained the same. There will also be continuity on the track, as the vastly experienced Gordon ‘Flash’ Power will put all bar one of Station Yard’s youngsters through their paces. Adam Farragher has been called upon to deputise on the one horse Power can’t partner at Doncaster. 

With so many of the hard yards done, the team are relishing getting back to business.

“The mood in the camp at the moment is excitement,” says Poste. “Inevitably in these times there’s always some sort of hiccup, so you’re just keeping everything crossed. As much as this is still a new venture and it’s only year two, we want to consolidate and show people it wasn’t a flash in the pan. 

“We’ve been around it long enough with other ventures that we know we need to keep expectations chilled. You never quite know in this job, especially in this side of the business. One stumble or slight jink during the breeze and you lose two or three-tenths of a second – and they’re big margins in this arena."

‘I’d love to think she’s one that could win her maiden and go to Royal Ascot’ – high hopes for Craven-bound trio

Station Yard’s season kicks off with a three-strong draft at the Tattersalls Craven Sale, which takes place after racing in Newmarket on Tuesday and Wednesday. The profile of the Sioux Nation colt out of Carsulae (Lot 21) quite literally stands head and shoulders above the others. 

“He’s a massive horse, he’s got serious movement and we’re pretty sure he can shift,” Poste says of the 40,000gns pinhook. “The sire is very strong and he’s got a decent pedigree. 

"Jerry McGrath looked at him and said if this was a store by Affinisea in the Arkle Sale you wouldn’t bat an eyelid! 

“There’s the same sort of excitement as we had about the Blue Point last year. They’re different physically, Corolla Point was a handy horse whereas this lad is a big brute, but there's the same sort of excitement around him, for sure.” 

The draft also features two lots by first-season sires, both of whom are already off the mark at stud. The Starman half-brother to Spycatcher (34), a £60,000 pick-up, was stabled beside his sire’s first winner, Lady Iman, at last year’s Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, something Poste hopes will prove a good omen. 

“The Starman has been brilliant to do anything with,” he says. “He was very sharp and got on with the job, and he’s carried that on right the way through his prep. He eats well and has a very good mindset when it comes to his work. I think he’ll front up and do his job because he’s ready-made for the track. 

“Quite a few people have said they see the Starmans as horses for seven furlongs down the line, so it’ll be interesting to see how he breezes because he shows plenty of toe at home. It was a real relief when the sire had his winner. She was a belter and was on our list but stretched on beyond our budget.” 

The Craven consignment is completed by a 68,000gns A’Ali filly out of a half-sister to Jimmy Styles (112). Her sire, himself a breeze-up graduate, is also up and running courtesy of Ali Shuffle’s debut two-length success at Redcar earlier in the month. 

“The A’Ali has been a gorgeous filly from day one,” says Poste. “She’s got bags of quality. Physically she’s not as big as the two colts, but she’s got balance and a lovely action; she’s just quick. 

"She’s another that if someone said she was going to debut tomorrow, I’d have absolutely no fears about her pitching up and doing her job. I’d love to think she’s one who could breeze well, sell well, win her maiden and go to Royal Ascot.”

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