‘This is crazy’ - Tattersalls record tumbles as 1,400,000gns Acclamation colt brings huge pinhooking profit

“Oh my God!” were the only words Willie Browne could muster at Tattersalls yesterday evening. And with good reason. 

Around an hour into the opening session the master of Mocklershill saw his Acclamation colt, a €70,000 pinhook, transfer to Godolphin for a Craven Sale record of 1,400,000gns. 

The Godolphin buying team of Anthony Stroud and David Loder were not alone in their desire to land the youngster, who put in an eye-catching workout during Monday morning’s breeze. 

Alex Elliott, standing in the bidders’ area with Amo Racing principal Kia Joorabchian, ultimately filled the role of underbidder, while Jamie McCalmont, bidding beside Coolmore’s Paul Shanahan, was also involved beyond the seven-figure mark. 

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Asked if he had expected to face such stern opposition, Stroud said: “I definitely did not, no. He did a very good breeze, a very good gallop out. He’s a lovely horse, and it just shows you how vibrant the breeze-up sales are. There weren't just two people bidding, there were four or five in there. 

“It just shows you the appetite to buy horses at this sale. I always thought it would be strong, but I didn’t think that particular horse would be quite that strong. We’ve got a few on the list and he was one of them. It just shows Godolphin’s appetite for horses.” 

The agent added: “He’ll go into training with Charlie Appleby. The pressure goes to him, the poor man! There’s no-one who can do a better job though, he’s up there with the best around. It’s great for Willie Browne because he’s been doing it a long time. It’s lovely for him and keeps everything ticking over.” 

The transaction broke the previous Craven highmark by clear water, with the War Front colt General Marshall bringing 1,150,000gns from Coolmore in 2014. The son of War Front was another presented by Mocklershill. 

Wellwishers practically formed an orderly queue to offer their congratulations to Browne, who brought his first breeze-up draft to market at Doncaster in 1978.

Renowned consignor Willie Browne sold the record-breaking coltCredit: Tattersalls

“I thought it would be good but I can’t believe it was anything like that,” he said after regaining his composure. “He’s a special horse. I believed he’d breezed very well, he didn’t let me down. He’s never been in the stable for two days, we had 13 or 14 vets. I still thought maybe five or six hundred [thousand]. This is crazy.” 

The colt was bred by Corduff Stud from the Exceed And Excel mare Blue Willow. He is a sibling to two winners, including his full-brother Viridian, while his dam is a half-sister to Park Express Stakes scorer Oh Goodness Me and the Listed-winning Eradicate. Another half-sister, the Lingfield Oaks Trial runner-up Colima, has bred the black-type winners Brimham Rocks and Chamade. 

“I bought him at Goffs,” said Browne. “He was a beautiful horse but nobody wanted him, so he was 70 grand. On February 1 when we started doing a bit of work, straight away he showed up. For such a big, heavy horse that ground yesterday [Monday] was probably quick enough. He’s been so sound and so easy to train. He’s got a great mind. I do believe he’s a very special horse.” 

Marnane marvels at thrilling start

That seven-figure sale capped a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it start to proceedings that also saw Godolphin snare a son of Havana Grey for 650,000gns. Con Marnane’s Bansha House Stables presented the six-figure colt, who was subject of an early square-up between Stroud and Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown.

Brown was stationed down the back stairs opposite the rostrum, while Stroud stood with Loder behind the partition in the packed gangway. There was a long period of deliberation between the Godolphin colleagues after Brown lodged a bid of 625,000gns, but the Blandford man was left visibly dejected when Stroud eventually countered with the raise that moved the bid board up to 650,000gns. 

“He was a lovely horse,” said Stroud. “We’ve bought a lot of good horses off Con and he sells a lot of very good horses. He did a very good breeze. Of course it’s a great deal of money; it was more than we expected to pay, but the cream comes to the top in this market. He’ll be going to Charlie Appleby and was bought for Godolphin.” 

Father and daughter duo Con and Amy Marnane of Bansha House Stables sold a Havana Grey colt for 650,000gnsCredit: Tattersalls

The transaction shows just what a power-packed breeze can do for a horse’s value, as the colt, who is out of the Dutch Art mare All Back To Mine, was a vendor buyback at the Somerville Yearling Sale at 50,000gns just seven months ago. He was pinhooked at the Goffs February Sale at a cost of €46,000.

“I think Anthony has bought six individual Group 1 winners off me, so I hope this will be number seven!” beamed Marnane. “He turned into an absolutely smashing horse. We had him here but couldn’t raffle him, even though he was a gorgeous horse.” 

Asked what had changed in the interim, Marnane laughed and said: “We fed him! Amy [Marnane, daughter] bought him for €46,000 and he’s always been a lovely colt. I was pleased at 100,000gns. That was the reserve on him, and away he went after that. I’m thrilled.”

Stroud was also behind the 375,000gns acquisition of a Havana Grey filly who is set to carry the colours of KHK Racing. The youngster, who is out of a Listed-winning Gregorian mare, was pinhooked by Tradewinds Stud for 51,000gns at Book 1. 

“Anthony Stroud bought two yearlings off us last year so we’re delighted to have him back, and hopefully we’ve sold him a good one now,” said Tradewinds’ Shane Power. “Obviously Havana Grey has been a very lucky sire for him and hopefully she can go on and do similar things to Arabian Dusk and Vandeek. The stallion is just phenomenal – we had two in the yard by him this year and they never missed a day’s work. It’s great to hit the back of the net like this in the first breeze-up sale of the season.” 

The result was a personal best for the Tradewinds team, who reached the 370,000gns mark with a Teofilo colt bought by Federico Barberini at Book 1 in 2023. Power added: “The breeze-ups can be a very enjoyable process but it can also be quite ruthless, as everyone knows. If you don't stack up well on the data analysis it can be a ruthless place. It's just a big relief to get one on the board and hopefully everything else falls into place.” 

Vandeek connections in clover

Vandeek has been something of a Craven Sale posterboy having swept through the Richmond, Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes after jointly topping the 2023 edition at 625,000gns. And there were real shades of the champion two-year-old when Vandeek’s consignor Glending Stables presented another steely grey youngster by Havana Grey. The filly was knocked down to Nick Bell in a transaction outside the ring worth 275,000gns.

“She’s going to the old man,” said Bell, son of Classic-winning trainer Michael Bell. “She’s been bought for Ify Madueke, who’s the dad of the Chelsea player Noni Madueke. He bought a yearling with us last year and he’s a real enthusiast so he’s dying to get a good horse to Ascot. She ticks every box and came highly recommended.” 

Bell added: “She obviously did a rock solid breeze and she’s a three-parts sister to Maylandsea, who was second in the Queen Mary for us, and there’s a lot of similarities between the two. There were a lot of similarities between her and Vandeek too. Obviously Havana Grey stamps them — he’s a phenomenally good stallion. We loved her, so let’s hope she can emulate her three-parts sister on the track.” 

Nick Bell snapped up a daughter of Havana Grey for 275,000gnsCredit: Tattersalls

The filly had already cost slightly more than Vandeek had as a yearling, with the hammer coming down at 57,000gns at Book 3 last year - compared to the 42,000gns Vandeek raised at the same stage. 

She is the first foal out of the unraced Showcasing mare Differing, making her a three-parts sister to her dam’s sibling Maylandsea, another daughter of Havana Grey who was runner-up to Dramatised in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2022. 

The filly was bred by Fiona Denniff from the savvy breeder’s signature family, with Tiana and her brood, namely Beat The Bank, Chil Chil and Auria, appearing beneath the third dam. 

Another success for Starman

Tally-Ho Stud’s first-season sire Starman has been quick out of the blocks with two winners on the board already and a filly from the O’Callaghan family’s operation made a similarly striking impact in the ring on Tuesday evening when Anthony Bromley bid 260,000gns on behalf of Phil Cunningham.

The youngster hails from a family that has performed particularly well at the breeze-ups, as her dam, the winning Canfords Cliffs mare Beignet, is a half-sister to the Listed-winning Fig Roll, who in turn bred Al Raya. That daughter of Siyouni set what was then a Doncaster Breeze-Up Sale record of £450,000 when purchased by Anthony Stroud on behalf of Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, whose colours she carried to victory in the Group 3 Prix d'Arenberg. 

“I bought the filly for Phil Cunningham to go to Richard Spencer,” said Bromley. “I bought 15 colts last year and Phil decided he should have a filly, and asked me which was the nicest here. We put a couple up to Richard and we both loved her. She was early enough in the sale, but two Starman fillies have already won. I’m keen on the stallion and this is a very athletic filly; she clocked a good time and she looks like she’s ready to roll. We will see how she settles into Newmarket life, but you would hope she will be out reasonably soon.” 

This was actually the third time the filly, who was bred by Randolf Stevens Ltd, had hit the open market. She was a vendor buyback at just 15,000gns when offered through Baroda Stud as a foal before Annaca Bloodstock reached the same outcome at €26,000 at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale. 

Bromley back for more

That was not Bromley’s only involvement on the day, as he also signed alongside Alan King at 280,000gns to secure the Too Darn Hot colt out of Fly from Lackendarra Stables. The colt was a 95,000gns pinhook at Book 2 last year.

Speaking after a marathon bidding tussle with the Amo Racing team, Bromley said: “It was a war of attrition, for sure. He took a lot of buying but we really wanted him. He’s for Martin Tedham. He’s an owner over jumps but this is his first horse with Alan, and his first Flat horse. We’ve been successful at the breeze-ups, and through the fact Alan has done well we’ve got some more interest from other people.” 

Anthony Bromley signed for a Too Darn Hot colt for 280,000gnsCredit: Tattersalls

The colt is not only by the same sire but was also offered by the same vendor as Classic hopeful Hotazhell, who sold to Silverton Hill for 200,000gns at last year’s Craven sale before going on to land the Group 1 Futurity Trophy Stakes. 

The 280,000gns colt also has the pedigree to make up into a Classic contender, being out of a half-sister to Seal Of Approval, who gained Group 1 laurels in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, and Gale Force, dam of Hurricane Lane and Sweet William. 

“This horse has a nice middle distance family behind him and Too Darn Hot needs no introduction,” continued Bromley. “We loved him as an individual and we were both very keen to get him. He was one of only two colts we put up to the client today. I didn’t know how much he wanted to spend but he was on the phone and made the decision on the bidding. It would’ve been nice to get him for less but it’s strong trade. I’m really pleased to get him. It’s nice to have a bit more money to spend and hopefully we’ll do well with him.” 

The transaction was a personal best for Lackendarra Stables, whose Eddie Linehan said: “He’s the second I’ve had by the sire, he took everything so well here. He’s bred for a mile plus so we were taking a bit of a chance. 

“We weren’t sure where to go with him and we just said we’d take a chance here and it’s worked out really well. We were expecting a good price but not that much. It was a big throw [at the yearling sales], but we knew the sire was getting better and better. It’s great. We took a chance and it paid off, and he’s gone to a very good home.” 

The Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale continues today at 5.45pm.

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