First-crop sires in demand as Havana Grey colt fetches £110,000

A handful of first-crop sires recorded some noteworthy results during the Goffs UK Premier Sale's opening session, none more so than Whitsbury Manor Stud's Havana Grey, who had a colt out of Exrating go the way of Richard Ryan at £110,000.

The six-figure youngster, whose sire stood season one priced at £8,000, was consigned by Grangemore Stud, who reaped some tidy pinhooking profit having signed for the colt at 36,000gns at last year's Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

The page had been enhanced in the intervening months by the half-brother Ehraz, a son of Showcasing who ran out an impressive winner of an Ascot maiden for Richard Hannon.

"He's been bought for Teme Valley ownership and he'll be our first horse with Clive Cox," said Ryan from his perch on the top tier of the auditorium. "I thought he was the perfect fit for him and Clive loved him too.

"He's a fantastic example of what a sharp, strong, mature two-year-old should be as a yearling and Clive is very good with that type of horse so we'll just have to hope he's got the necessary speed to make a nice two-year-old."

Ryan added: "The brother is pretty good as well, Richard Hannon trains him and he was a formidable underbidder right until the last moment - the price was a bit more than we expected but you have to push hard for the good ones."

Members of Kessaar's debut crop also received a warm reception in the Doncaster ring. The priciest of the bunch offered on day one was the colt out of Belle Diva bred by Rossenarra Bloodstock and sold by Tally-Ho Stud, with breeze-up maestro Robson Aguiar signing the ticket at £90,000.

"The plan is we'll go breezing with him and see how he goes," said Aguiar. "He's the first yearling I've bought by Kessaar, he's a really scopey colt with strength. He looks precocious and an early type, so hopefully he works out. He's the one by Kessaar in this sale that really caught my eye. He's been bought for me and some partners."

The dam, a winning Dark Angel half-sister to Listed scorer Riflescope, was bought by Rossenarra for 56,000gns at Tattersalls in 2018, while the operation was rewarded for its decision to retain the Kessaar colt at 32,000gns when offered at last year's December Foal Sale. Kessaar, the Mill Reef Stakes-winning son of Kodiac, stood his debut season at €8,000.

Harry Angel, himself a graduate of the Premier Sale, also laid down some solid foundations, with three lots sold for an average of £73,333.

The most expensive of the trio was the colt out of Heliograph consigned by Norris Bloodstock, with Peter and Ross Doyle signing the ticket at £90,000. The Group 1-winning son of Dark Angel covered his first book at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud at a fee of £20,000.

Read more

Delight for Tally-Ho with Prix Morny winner Perfect Power

Carisbrooke Stud evolution continues with Doncaster yearling sale debut

Hunt family turning small-scale breeding into an art form

Why Elzaam deserves more of your consideration than the bare stats suggest