Timely updates and a red-hot sire provide interest to the beginning of Guineas week

A hearty breakfast is advised for all those invested in the action at Park Paddocks on Thursday, with the bell ringing at 9.30am for the first of what will be around 100 going under the hammer as part of the Tattersalls Guineas Horses in Training Sale. By early afternoon, another 150 or so two-year-olds will begin selling for the Guineas Breeze-Up. Year-on-year stats continue to show that this is not as high-rolling an event as last month's Craven Sale, but racing's movers and shakers will be in Newmarket ahead of a three-day Classic meeting and the catalogue also offers a bit more breathing space for some of the smaller consignors to showcase their wares. Here are a few to look out for during the lengthy session.

Lot 154

2yo f Sea The Stars x Pinkster (Vicarage Farm)

The saga of last year’s non-payer, named by the Racing Post as Saleh Al Homaizi, of more than £20 million-worth of yearlings is almost over, with the companies left holding the babies having mostly found private purchasers or conducted various closed-house sales for them. 

This filly, the most interesting inclusion of the horses-in-training section, had shown herself up well among the Newsells Park Stud draft at Book 1, making some 600,000gns. Her dam is an unraced half-sister to the Lancashire Oaks winner Pongee as well as to Plutonic, who has produced the dynasty of Chicquita and Magic Wand through her daughter Prudenzia. Pinkster’s first foal, Paz, had been unbeaten at time of purchase and ran as if something was amiss on her return in the Prix de la Grotte. Even if it seems difficult to imagine she’s going to reach the same price seven months further along, this is a filly of considerable value on pedigree alone.

The Sea The Stars filly out of Pinkster is reoffered after her sale at Book 1 fell throughCredit: Laura Green

Lot 216

2yo f Ardad x Totally Lost (Houghton Bloodstock)

There are very few Ardad juveniles around this year, with only 19 currently registered, and his yearlings sold for an average of more than £70,000 on the impressive results from two crops on the ground and a flagbearer in Perfect Power. The Overbury resident will have far higher numbers in the seasons to come but the two consignors bringing a filly by him to this sale have a bit of rarity value in hand. Lot 216, from a family that has produced the Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Marianafoot, was one of the better value Ardad yearling purchases at 58,000gns, but has a Harry Angel half-sister in Tiger Bay who looked a nice prospect for Henry Candy in winning at Lingfield recently. George Peckham's Ardad filly (lot 258) also has a young winning sibling.

Lot 252

2yo f Inns Of Court x Best Steps (Tally-Ho Stud)

Tally-Ho consigned last year’s 160,000gns top lot, the Beresford Stakes winner Crypto Force, as well as 57,00gns The Platinum Queen, who was a rare two-year-old Prix de l’Abbaye winner and changed hands for seven figures - for all that this is hardly the only evidence to suggest that each of the operation’s representatives need the closest of looks. A timely first winner aids the profile of Tally-Ho freshman Inns Of Court and owners the O’Callaghan family bought this filly for €32,000 as a yearling. Half-sister Ti Amo Siempre was brought through by the shrewd Robson Aguiar and could not quite fulfil her early promise on the track, but there is out-and-out speed on the page tracing down to Titus Livius and someone will no doubt take a view that another good one can appear from it

Lot 277

2yo f Ten Sovereigns x Eclairante (Charlie Clover)

A couple of pretty fantastic updates have come the way of this filly, who last went through the ring for 17,500gns at Book 3. They have arrived through her Sioux Nation half-sister Estrosa, who was useful at two in Italy but last month achieved a Listed victory over a mile in Milan and on Monday chased home the impressive Shavasana for second in the Italian 1,000 Guineas.

Eclairante, a High Chaparral mare who did not reach the track, is from a Juddmonte family and has a number of siblings who showed early promise for Andre Fabre in France. 

A stellar start by the first crop of Blue Point has created demand for his progenyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Lot 342

2yo c Blue Point x Moon Shaddow (Knockanglass Stables)

There was a feeding frenzy over the Blue Point progeny here last month, highlighted by a 625,000gns top lot and the Darley new boy ending up leading sire on both average and aggregate. 

With even more winners since then, perhaps some will be kicking themselves that there’s just the one on offer at this sale. From a large consignment by Thomond O’Mara’s Knockanglass, he’s the first foal of a young unraced mare by Galileo who is a half-sister to Group 3 Bengough Stakes winner-turned sire Lightning Moon and to two-year-old Listed winner Song Of My Heart.

Lot 357

2yo c Ten Sovereigns x Leala (Diego Dias Bloodstock)

Switched from the Craven Sale to here as a late wildcard, this colt is a half-brother to Obviously, who began his career in low profile in Ireland but became a triple Grade 1 winner in the United States and rounded off a fine spell by landing the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. He boasts a very international pedigree which includes Japan’s Stay Foolish, a winner of staying prizes in Dubai and Saudi Arabia last year, while his older half-brother Relevant Range has recently discovered the winning habit in Ireland.

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