Emerging superpower strikes as rapid Starspangledbanner filly goes from overlooked yearling to 900,000gns Craven Sale star

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

High-rolling agents Anthony Stroud and Richard Brown have dominated the European breeze-up market in recent years, and the pair’s impact was perfectly encapsulated when a daughter of Starspangledbanner fetched 900,000gns shortly before 8pm during day two of the Tattersalls Craven Sale. 

The rivals were stationed down the two stairwells opposite the famous Park Paddocks rostrum, with Stroud standing to auctioneer Simon Kerins’ left and Brown to the right. Six-figure bids bounced back and forth throughout a protracted duel until Stroud gave the decisive nod.  

The Gaffney family’s Churchtown House Stud, who bred the youngster with Hawes Stud, had twice attempted to sell the filly, but took her home from the foal and yearling sales after her price reached 75,000gns. Those unsuccessful sales visits saw her entrusted to Mark Flannery of Egmont Stud, who said the top lot had always been a natural athlete. 

“She did an exceptional breeze, she’s just been a very straightforward filly from the word go,” he said. “She belonged to the Gaffneys, who do an amazing job and have been huge supporters of ours; they were the first men to ever send us horses. 

“We’ve been lucky enough to break in some very good horses for them like Castle Star, Wannabe Better and Fastnet Mist, and when you’re getting horses off a farm like that, you always have a serious chance of ending up with something like this. She’s always been exceptional, always, and I hope she’ll be very lucky for the next people now.”

Palace Pier colt caps Craven Sale at 450,000gns as breeze-up season gets off on ‘nervous’ footing

Egmont Stud has enjoyed success before, including when producing Landshark to go from 5,000gns yearling to €210,000 breezer. However, this result rated a clear personal best for the Cork farm. 

Flannery said: “It’s been a while but it’s great to get another one. We always knew she had loads of ability, we just didn’t know how she’d compare to everyone else’s. It just gives you a bit of confidence when you come here and she does something like that. It means you know what you have for the rest of the year, if you think you have a couple of other good chances. It’ll be hard to find another one like her, though.” 

He also stressed the result was very much the result of a team effort. “It’s not just me, there’s my wife, Jess, my sister Paula, William O’Hanlon and the main man is Pierce Gallagher who rides them all for me and did an unbelievable job with her, as usual,” he continued. “The credit goes to everyone, I’m just the one who gets to turn up here on the day.” 

He added: “It’s unbelievable when you get something like that. It doesn’t happen often, not to me anyway. It’s great to have one work out. There’s been great judges on her all the way along. She hasn’t missed a beat. From the moment she got off the box, practice breeze, breeze, she’s been foot perfect.” 

Anthony Stroud signed for Egmont Stud's Starspangledbanner filly at 900,000gnsCredit: Edward Whitaker

The filly was one of four purchases signed for by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, with the quartet costing a combined 1,810,000gns. 

As was the case with day one’s recruits, Stroud revealed his purchase had been made on behalf of Victorious Forever, the burgeoning racing operation run by Bahrain’s Shaikh Nasser bin Hamed Al Khalifa and his brother Shaikh Khalid

“She’s been bought for Victorious Forever but a trainer is to be decided,” said Stroud. “She did a very good time [in her breeze], she comes from a very good farm and we’ve had a lot of success there. Shaikh Khalid takes a very keen interest in the breeze and has had enormous success with Vandeek and others. His input is so vital. It’s a team effort picking them but his involvement is huge. He makes his own mind up, and obviously I follow his instructions.” 

Asked if had anticipated the filly reaching such a lofty price, the agent said: “No, I didn’t, but that’s a horse sale for you. Last year Victorious Forever bought Zanthos and she made more than I anticipated [at €1,000,000], but, again, it was his judgement and it’s proved correct because she’s a very good filly. You always have to go the extra mile when you see something you really like.” 

Last year’s record-busting Craven Sale saw Amo Racing purchase seven lots while Godolphin signed for two. The pair, whose combined spend totalled 5,210,000gns, were notable by their absence only this time around. 

With some key players sitting out the first European breeze-up of the year, an eventuality that seemed almost inevitable given the sale has taken place against a backdrop of conflict in the Middle East, Stroud said the support of Victorious Forever had been warmly received. 

“It’s fantastic that Victorious Forever are here because there’s so much going on in the world,” he said. “It’s hugely admired that they’re participating, and it shows how much they love racing here. I think they deserve huge credit.” 

Although trade remained behind the giddy highs of last year, the second session did at least prove more solid than the first. 

All told, the two days of selling brought turnover of 15,450,500gns, which was 18 per cent behind last year’s record renewal. The average price was down 13 per cent at 136,730gns, although the median held firm at 100,000gns, a figure underpinned by a record-equalling 11 lots making 300,000gns or more. The clearance rate reached a respectable 81 per cent as 113 juveniles sold from 140 offered. 

Blandford back in familiar territory

Richard Brown might have been beaten on the top lot but he had been straight into the thick of the action once the post-racing session got up and running. On day one the Blandford Bloodstock man landed the top two lots, but surpassed those prices when bidding 550,000gns for a son of Mehmas offered by Tally-Ho Stud around an hour into Wednesday evening’s session. 

“It’s all about the breeze, and he did an exceptional breeze,” said Brown, who was again bidding from down the back stairs. “The first time I saw him I thought he was quite a nice colt, and then saw him again three or four times, and the more I saw him the more I liked him. I thought he put up a really cool show out there and he looks like he’s got a great temperament. He’s a very straightforward colt.”

The youngster is the third foal out of Superiority, a Tally-Ho bred daughter of Exceed And Excel. In turn, Superiority is out of Janina, who joined the O’Callaghans’ broodmare band at a cost of 39,000gns in 2016 and went on to produce dual Group 1 scorer Campanelle. 

The dam has bred one winner from as many runners, with the Mehmas colt a brother to wide-margin debut scorer Naughty Eyes. Unlike so many of the lots on offer, the Tally-Ho-bred colt was making his sales ring debut. 

Richard Brown: did some umming and ahhing before bidding 400,000gnsCredit: Alisha Meeder

“He’s by a top sire who can get you a really early one,” continued Brown. “The aim, like it will for a lot of people buying these horses, will be to try and get him to Royal Ascot. He’s not scopeless though and there’s more to him than just that. The plan will be a short break and try to get him to Ascot.” 

The buyer was unable to disclose details of who will own and train the six-figure colt. 

Brown also dipped into the Tally-Ho Stud draft when purchasing the session-topping Palace Pier colt who fetched 450,000gns on day one. Having sourced the likes of Ardad, Dream Ahead and Perfect Power from the O’Callaghan family’s operation, the buyer said he was only too happy to return to the same source. 

“We’ve been very lucky buying from Tally-Ho and we’ll continue to buy from them,” he said. “We’ve got two tonight so far and they’re both off Roger [O’Callaghan]. It’s somewhere I feel very confident shopping.” 

Blandford Bloodstock topped the purchasing charts with nine recruits signed for at an outlay of 2,465,000gns. 

Ryan gets his man

Tally-Ho’s fingerprints were also on the evening’s next big transaction as Richard Ryan went to 235,000gns for a colt by the outfit’s fire on sire Starman. 

This individual, a 120,000gns pinhook signed for by Katie Walsh’s Greenhills Farm, was offered by Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm. 

“He’s a gorgeous individual, we liked him from the minute we saw him,” said Ryan, bidding from the other set of back stairs. “He didn’t clock the sexiest time, but that’s because Norman, being the horseman that he is, minded the horse for the future. He’s a big bull of a horse and probably wants seven furlongs. I would’ve thought an aggressive breeze would’ve shattered the finishing time he ran. Norman has been raving about him for a number of days.” 

The youngster is a sibling to four winners, most notably the Inns Of Court filly Mighty Eriu, who finished runner-up in the 2024 Queen Mary Stakes. 

“Dare I say it, I was very close to buying Native Trail [also sold by Oak Tree Farm], but it’s a good home to get one from, as we know,” continued Ryan. “Starman is a big pedigree upgrade on the mare’s previous efforts, and she’s had a filly go very close in the Queen Mary. This colt will get further; he’s a slab of a horse. He fits the Teme Valley mould.” 

Oak Tree Farm's Starman colt during his 235,000gns sale to Richard RyanCredit: Alisha Meeder

Teme Valley have already tasted success with the progeny of Starman, with Leading Dancer carrying the operation’s maroon and yellow silks to Listed success last year. While that filly was trained by Karl Burke, the new recruit will remain in Newmarket under the care of George Boughey. 

“George is very excited, he loves him as well,” said Ryan. “We've talked about no other horse for the last two days. We’ve only got one by Starman but she won the Radley Stakes last year. She’s been held up with a little niggle that means she’ll probably be missing the Guineas, but she was training well and I think she’ll be a good stakes filly this year. 

“The stallion did incredible things last year and from a limited book compared to what he’s got coming through. The future for him is huge, I think he’s going to be a name to be reckoned with for years to come.”

Big update fuels family success for Bushypark

Bushypark Stables’ Matt Whyte was one of the vendors to land a touch when his St Mark’s Basilica filly progressed from €62,000 yearling to 230,000gns two-year-old. Agent Mark McStay struck the winning bid and duly signed the ticket on behalf of Coolmore’s MV Magnier, O'Brien, Linda Shanahan and John Barrett. 

The filly is a sibling to five winners and three black-type performers. One of her siblings, the Listed-winning and Group 2-placed Too Soon To Panic, provided an eye-catching update as she is the dam of Thesecretadversary, another by St Mark’s Basilica, who was last seen landing the Group 3 Red Rocks Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday. 

“She’s a real attitude filly,” said Whyte, who was joined by his 17-year-old son Charlie. “It was a lovely update at the weekend and she did a lovely sweet breeze. She’s very balanced and has never put foot wrong since I bought her. 

“It’s Charlie's first visit to Tattersalls and he’s pretty much done all the work with her. She gave him great confidence, and the pair have grown as the sale went on. It's a great result.”

The Bushypark Stables-offered St Mark's Basilica filly takes a turn around the ring during her 230,000gns saleCredit: Alisha Meeder

There was a busy end to proceedings with the top lot followed promptly by Rob Speers’ purchase of a No Nay Never filly from Grove Stud at 400,000gns. The filly was pinhooked by Blue Farm Bloodstock at €130,000. 

Speers certainly knows plenty about the pedigree as his purchase was made on behalf of owner Ibrahim Araci, who also owned the dam’s Solario Stakes-winning brother Aktabantay. 

“Mr Araci has been very lucky over the years with purchases at the Craven Breeze-Up and he’s very sorry he’s not here,” said Speers. “It’s a family we know well, Aktabantay stands out, and we know how good he was. He had an unlucky injury in a stall at the Breeders’ Cup, which curtailed his career. 

“We also had another out of [second dam] Splashdown called Baydar, who was rated 105. This filly put up a very nice breeze, she vetted well enough for us, she looks like a filly we can get on with, but has a bit of scope for the future. She will be one for the broodmare band and, hopefully, we can nick a bit of black-type before.

“She goes to George Boughey. We’ll give her a week to ten days rest now, get her to George and see where we are with her. The dream with a filly who breezed like that, and with that type of pedigree, is to get to Royal Ascot, but it’s not the be-all and end-all for us, we will do the right thing by her and let her tell us when she is ready to go. We thought she’d make that sort of money. I think the fact that we know the family was big for us.” 

Prior sees positivity against challenging backdrop 

At the close of trade, Tattersalls’ managing director Matthew Prior said: “The Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale is the first major European bloodstock sale to take place since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, which has created a degree of trepidation and uncertainty amongst bloodstock professionals heading into this week. 

“Against this backdrop, we can only be pleased that the sale has returned turnover surpassed only once in its history. We have witnessed strong competition for the best breezers, with a record-equally 11 lots realising 300,000gns or more. Whilst not reaching the heady heights of last year’s sale, nevertheless it is pleasing to see a clearance rate in excess of 80 per cent. 

“Demand has come from both domestic and international purchasers, including a significant number of buyers from the Middle East, Hong Kong, Australia and the USA, attracted by the consistently high-class results achieved year after year by the sale’s graduates.

“Once again, we must pay tribute to the professionalism of the breeze-up consignors whose horsemanship and dedication form the backbone of the sale and make it an unmissable fixture each year. That said, we acknowledge that the market has been selective, and that the sale has not been easy for all consignors. We now look forward to the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up and Horses-in-Training Sale and to welcoming buyers to Newmarket on the eve of Guineas weekend.” 

Read more:

'I think they'll go on to do a lot of good things' - Terence O'Brien optimistic ahead of Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale 

The renowned Racing Post cover girl who excelled on the track and left a lasting influence on the breed 

‘The whole thing is much more dangerous now’ - Willie Browne still living life in the fast lane at 80