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

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A palpable sense of trepidation hung over day one of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, with much of the concern centred around the absentees from the Park Paddocks buying bench. 

Who does and doesn’t play will be revealed in due course, but while there was a succession of chunky prices for the two-year-olds who hit all the right markers in their pre-sale workout, Tuesday’s trade proved conspicuously all or nothing. 

Matching the giddy highs of 12 months ago always rated a tall task, particularly considering the wider backdrop to this year’s sale, and turnover duly dropped 29 per cent to 6,678,000gns. The average price was also down ten per cent at 133,560gns, although the median went in the opposite direction, climbing six per cent to 96,500gns. 

After a slew of late withdrawals, a total of 64 lots were offered and 50 found a buyer for a clearance rate of 78 per cent. 

The first significant spend came after a mazy round of bidding for Kilminfoyle House Stud’s Lope De Vega colt. When the music finally stopped, Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown held the winning hand after an offer of 400,000gns. 

The youngster was making his third appearance at the sales having been previously sold to JC Bloodstock as a €150,000 foal. Yesterday’s result vindicated connections’ decision to retain the youngster at 160,000gns during Book 2 of last year’s October Yearling Sale. 

“He’s bred to be a mile-and-a-quarter horse plus,” said Brown. “He’s a great moving colt, he has a very fluent action, and he showed plenty of speed in his breeze as well. Obviously a lot of the time we’re trying to buy horses for Royal Ascot, but, for me, this is a horse that needs time. He’s the sort of horse you’ll see in August or September. He’ll get some time off now and we’ll bring him back towards the back end. 

“The stallion is phenomenal and this colt is out of a Sea The Stars mare. It all adds up, it just doesn’t necessarily add up to what you think of a lot of breeze-up horses being. I thought the style of the horse and his action, and the fact that he showed speed up against quite a lot of speedily bred horses, had to be a positive. I’ve always said, ‘all good horses have speed, no matter what distance they run at’.” 

Brown added: “Mick [Fitzpatrick of Kilminfoyle House] sold Believing here and has sold so many good horses. He’s a thorough professional and it’s a great nursery. Hopefully this can be another good one to add to his roll of honour.” 

Kilminfoyle House Stud's Lope De Vega colt out of Freely is knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock for 400,000gns Credit: Alisha Meeder

Brown has mined previous year’s breeze-up sales for a host of significant talents who ended up in the Wathnan Racing silks, including the likes of Aesterius, Leovanni and Shareholder. However, he revealed this purchase had been made on behalf of another notable owner. 

“I’ve bought him for Saeed Suhail,” he said. “I’ve never bought a breeze-up horse for him before and I was umming and ahhing about ringing him, but I said, ‘I’ve never rung you from a breeze-up sale before but I love this horse.’ 

“We’ve always had the brief from him to be buying mile-plus horses. Obviously he’s won the Derby twice and that’s the race he loves, but I said, ‘I’ve seen a horse here that could be a very smart horse at a mile plus.’

“He had a great year with Never So Brave and More Thunder last year and he’s got a lot to look forward to this season, and he’s always game. I’m very lucky to be able to pick the phone up two hours ago and have somebody back my judgement. Let’s hope I’m right!”

Brown surpassed his own high mark later in the piece when going to a session-topping 450,000gns for a well-related son of Palace Pier from Tally-Ho Stud. The youngster, whose dam, Majmu, won two Grade 1s in South Africa, was pinhooked through Hamish Macauley Bloodstock at 100,000gns. 

Brown was unable to reveal who this purchase was made on behalf of, but said: “He’s a big, strong colt, a very impressive physical. I’m a big fan of the stallion too, I think he’s made a very good start. I actually loved this horse as a yearling, I vetted him and did everything, but I didn’t have anyone for him. 

“I don’t have the best memory but I remembered him, so I was interested to see how he’d done. He’s from a vendor that I’ve had so much success buying from over a long period of time now. He did a tremendous breeze. He’s a very powerful galloper and I don’t think he enjoyed the course. If he’s any good I’d be very worried about coming back here. I think a Flat track will suit better, or maybe a course with some rising ground.” 

He added: “He’s a horse I think we can move forward with. We can try and get him to Ascot, but if he doesn’t make it then we’ve got a horse for the future. The mare was very talented and it all added up.”

Stars align for Kilminfoyle House

It proved to be a productive start to proceedings for Kilminfoyle House as just a few lots after the 400,000gns Lope De Vega colt changed hands, the operation sold the Mehmas filly out of Grade 3 scorer Grizzel for 380,000gns. 

James Tate and Anthony Stroud went toe-to-toe for the filly, with the latter eventually winning out. The youngster is not only a half-sister to the Listed-placed sprinter Ferrous, but is bred on the same Mehmas-Kodiac cross as Believing, who was sold by Kilminfoyle House at the 2022 Craven Sale. 

Fitzpatrick summed up the mood among traders by saying: “All vendors are nervous here, and there’s no rhyme or reason, we probably just got lucky with the horses we had, and that they stayed sound. You need an awful lot of stars to align to get this sort of result. I do have to say a huge thank you to my staff – Pamela, Shannon and Gabriel. This means a lot to them.” 

After signing the docket, Stroud said: “She’s for Victorious Forever. She did a very good breeze and we were all impressed by her. Shaikh Khalid particularly liked her. She could be the next Believing.” 

Kilminfoyle House Stud's Mehmas filly out of Grizzel makes 380,000gns to Stroud Coleman BloodstockCredit: Alisha Meeder

Stroud said training plans remained fluid, adding: “It depends on what happens today [Tuesday] and tomorrow.” 

The agent was back in the thick of the action a short while later when going to 350,000gns for the Havana Grey filly out of Hot Secret from Yeomanstown Stud. The youngster, a 135,000gns pinhook, is a sibling to three winners and is out of a half-sister to the dam of El Caballo. 

“This was one of Shaikh Khalid’s picks,” said Stroud. “He really liked her and he showed great determination to buy her. Obviously she’s by Havana Grey, who’s had Vandeek and a huge amount of success.” 

Asked for his early market reflections, Stroud said: “I don’t think they’re making anything like last year, but when you take where the world is at the moment, it’s completely understandable.” 

Minzaal colt makes his mark

There was a big result for first-season sire Minzaal when Alastair Donald went to 300,000gns for Mocklershill’s colt out of the Group 3 scorer Maimara. The youngster, an €85,000 foal purchase by HP Bloodstock, is one of 116 juveniles in his sire’s debut crop. 

“He’s been bought for a Hong Kong client, Mr Siu, who’s been very lucky at this sale,” said Donald. “He bought Stormy Antarctic here. It’s still to be decided whether the horse will race here first and go to Hong Kong later. He’s a great physical, has a great mind and did a great breeze; he has a lovely fast ground action. He’s a May foal, so he’ll grow a bit, but he looks such a pro.” 

Mocklershill's Minzaal colt out of Maimara makes 300,000gns to SackvilleDonaldCredit: Alisha Meeder

Donald added: “I’ve been super impressed by the sire, his stock are very much a type and a Hong Kong type – they cover a bit of ground and have that fast ground conformation and seem to have very good minds.” 

The Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale continues on Wednesday, with the second and final session beginning after racing at 5.45. 

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