Red-hot form of Cool Silk breeze-up buys fuels more Royal Ascot dreams

Few owners can boast a two-year-old team in as red-hot form as The Cool Silk Partnership, whose familiar white silks and purple cap have been carried to victory by three exciting-looking juveniles in recent days.

The hat-trick was completed by Summer Sands, who had clearly learned plenty from his promising York debut as he ran out a game winner of the Truckingby Brian Yeardley Two Year Old Trophy Conditions Stakes at Beverley on Saturday.

Majestic Sands got the ball rolling last month when the son of Kodiac provided the owners with a one-two in a Leicester novice stakes having seen off Cool Sphere. Next came Flaming Princess, with the daughter of Hot Streak showing toughness and talent in equal abundance to make a winning debut in a Nottingham fillies' maiden.

Moreover, the owners were arguably unfortunate not to record a juvenile double at Beverley on Saturday, with debutante Moon Of Love enduring a luckless run up the rail when delivering her challenge in the Hilary Needler Trophy won by Liberty Beach.

Peter Swann (left) and other members of the Cool Silk Partnership cheer on Prince Of Lir in the 2016 Norfolk StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst

All three winners are in the care of Richard Fahey and were sourced by bloodstock agent Matt Coleman, who unearthed the talented triumvirate from the latest round of breeze-up sales.

Summer Sands was bought from Robson Aguiar for £85,000 at the Tattersalls Ascot Breeze-Up Sale, where Flaming Princess was also secured for £60,000 when offered by Dunsany Stables.

Summer Sands and Flaming Princess will now return to the Berkshire track for Royal Ascot, and Coleman explained that there is an added incentive to head to the flagship meeting with the precocious pair.

"Chris Swann [son of The Cool Silk Partnership's Peter Swann] and I went to Ascot and bought two horses, Summer Sands and the Hot Streak filly Flaming Princess, who won first time out at Nottingham," said the agent.

"The two of them are eligible for the £100,000 bonus Tattersalls have put on for any horse sold at the Ascot breeze-up sale who wins at Royal Ascot, so we'll send them both there for something and have a go.

"We bought Sands Of Mali at the Ascot breeze-up back in 2017, so it's always been a lucky sale for us. The bonus was definitely in our minds when we went there. It's not easy to win these things but we've got two horses who've both won and will go and have a shot at it."

Matt Coleman: 'We bought nine breeze-up horses this year and they've got off to a very good start'Credit: Laura Green

Coleman and The Cool Silk team haven't just struck gold at the Ascot breeze-up sale this year, as Majestic Sands was a 90,000gns acquisition from the Star Bloodstock draft at the Tattersalls Craven Sale, the same sale and vendor responsible for 120,000gns purchase Cool Sphere.

"I tend to treat every sale individually and just go there to try and find the sort of horses we like," explained Coleman. "Peter and Chris were very keen to support the Ascot breeze-up sale, so we went there to buy a select few and hopefully we've come away with two nice horses.

"It's a big team effort at the sales; we all have our say so they deserve just as much credit as I do.

"We bought nine breeze-up horses this year and they've got off to a very good start. We've had three winners, a runner-up and an unlucky third. Hopefully all five of those will now run at Royal Ascot - they all deserve their place given what they've shown."

The Cool Silk Partnership have already tasted success at the royal meeting courtesy of the breeze-up sales, as Prince Of Lir - another winner of the Brian Yeardley Two Year Old Trophy - carried their colours to victory in the Norfolk Stakes in 2016.

As well as witnessing the three Cool Silk horses break their maidens, Coleman has also earned bragging rights over his business partner in Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, as when Flaming Princess scored at Nottingham she saw off the well-touted Al Raya, who Anthony Stroud secured for a Doncaster record price of £450,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale.

"It's all part of the game!" Coleman laughed. "There might be a bit of friendly ribbing in the office but it's all a team effort at the end of the day. They're two nice fillies so it's great they were able to finish first and second."

Related news:

Star Bloodstock's Matt Eves gives a vendor's perspective on the breeze-up season

Cool Silk Partnership enjoying a hot spell with its breeze-up purchases