Michael Owen has sales focus after Ever Given's York victory

Those who could envisage Kodi Bear kicking on with his second crop continue to be rewarded, with Ever Given proving another lucrative earner for the Rathbarry stallion in the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes at York on Thursday.

There was certainly a smile on the face of Michael Owen, whose colt is trained at his Cheshire stables by Tom Dascombe for the Dandy Boys, a small syndicate of friends of the former football star which includes major owner Steve Parkin.

Ever Given cost £40,000 at last year's Premier Sale when bought by SackvilleDonald from Rathbarry, with Dascombe just about to train his full-sister Harmony Lil to win two races last autumn.

The younger sibling had already won twice and taken fourth in the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes, so was already close to repaying that price tag before a hard-earned victory as 3-1 favourite for the restricted sales event saw his earnings skyrocket.

View result and watch race replay here

Not only was there first-place money of £98,360, but the Premier Prizes scheme, offered by Goffs UK in association with York and Theault Horse Boxes, threw in a voucher worth the equivalent of the 2020 sale average, £34,007, to redeem at next week’s Premier or Silver Yearling Sales, as well as some racecourse hospitality for the owners and a free six-month lease of a two-stall box for Dascombe.

"When you're sharing it with mates, it's particularly special," said Owen. "The sales season is about to start again so we'll be back to Doncaster next week buying again."

Ever Given was produced when Kodi Bear, a smart miler for Clive Cox, was standing at an €8,000 fee, which dropped to €6,000 this year.

Another from that vintage has been Go Bears Go, who became the sire's first Group winner when landing the Railway Stakes and returned to the Curragh for a third in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes.

Credit: Goffs UK

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