There were some stunning pinhooking success stories at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster April 21, but none could match the result that Bushypark Stables achieved with the son of Tasleet who led the market at £230,000 (US$299,792) to the bid of Blandford Bloodstock.
Bushypark's Matt Whyte paid just £14,000 ($19,222) for the colt out of Silent Music when he was offered at the Premier Yearling Sale, but a scintillating pre-sale breeze saw the youngster fetch more than 16 times that initial outlay.
"Euphoria!" was Whyte's response when asked for his emotions after the six-figure transaction, before he explained the sale represented a marked change in fortunes. "I'll be honest, I got badly broken up in January; I fractured vertebrae and facets, the whole shebang.
"So I rang up a couple of friends to spread my seven horses around and one of them was Michael Byrne of Knockgraffon Stables. He prepped this horse for me so he deserves all the credit. I was getting weekly videos and got down to see him when I was back on my feet. We all worked together as friends but today is Michael's day because I owe him. It hasn't set in yet. I'm sure it will but we'll enjoy it."
Explaining how he came to pick up such a bargain at the yearling sales, Whyte said: "He was up in the top corner of the yard here and the consignors (Manor House Farm Stud) had done a lovely job with him; he was just very immature and a little on the raw side. I was hoping there was potential there and the fact that Tasleet has had a winner, it all fell into place."
After signing the sales-topping docket Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown said the colt was set to represent the same connections as the catalog's cover star Perfect Power.
"I've bought him for Sheikh Rashid (Dalmook Al Maktoum) and he'll be trained by Richard Fahey," said Brown. "We're at a breeze-up sale and for me this colt did an outstanding breeze. He went fast, and that's particularly important for a horse who's bred like he is, but he also showed a great action and a great attitude, which we place a lot of emphasis on.
"We bought Perfect Power for Sheikh Rashid from this sale last year and he was keen to try and find another very nice colt. Hopefully I've done that for him."
Shadwell's Nunnery Stud resident Tasleet boasts a 100% record at stud, with his first runner, Carmela, scoring impressively at Yarmouth.
Brown added: "Tasleet had his first winner at Yarmouth and he was a tough and talented horse. Last year we decided to go strong on a first-season sire and that was Ardad. History shows that was the right thing to do so let's hope we've made the right move again."
Records were set across the board as all market indices showed year-on-year gains. Turnover was up 4% at £6,467,500 ($8,427,346), the average rose by 2% to £49,750 ($64,847), and the median was up 6% at £36,000 ($46,925).
The clearance rate was 82% as 130 of 158 offered lots found a buyer. There was also a record number of six-figure lots as 17 2-year-olds fetched £100,000 ($130,345) or more.
Munnings Makes His Mark
The second top lot came late in the day when Colm Sharkey got the better of Jono Mills at £205,000 ($267,208) to secure the Munnings colt out of the Scat Daddy mare Drunk Philosophy offered by Ballinahulla Stables.
"He's the only horse I wanted to buy so I've waited all day for him," said Sharkey. "He's got a nice pedigree and did a nice, even breeze and vetted well. My client was keen to have him so he'll head to Dubai now. Hopefully he'll race at the back end once they get going in October or November."
The striking gray was pinhooked from the Fasig-Tipton October Sale, where Shamington Farms signed the ticket at just $32,000.
"It was a gamble coming here as they wanted him for Dubai," said Ballinahulla's Tadgh Ryan. "But it worked out and he ended up being the only Munnings breezer for sale in Europe this year. I'd have to say I think he's a very good horse as he loves the game.
"He was a gorgeous horse when he came off the box and he has a great mind and constitution. I'm very glad Colm bought him as we have him right up there with the best judges and he was on him from day one."
Tally-Ho in Clover Again
A red-hot run of form for Tally-Ho Stud continued on Thursday when the O'Callaghan family's operation sold the Mehmas colt out of She's Different to Michael O'Callaghan for £200,000 ($260,691). Bred by Tony Killoran, the colt is the first out of the daughter of Epaulette who won once from six starts with Nigel Tinkler.
"He's a lovely colt who did one of the best breezes of the day," said O'Callaghan. "Visually he was very impressive and he's by Mehmas, who's conquering all before him. We bought him from a hotel that we've been very lucky with before.
"We bought Twilight Jet off Tally-Ho last year and Now Or Never came from this sale as well. He came highly recommended so hopefully he can make into an Ascot type. He's a fast-looking horse but he's got enough size and power as well so he's not just an early horse."
Tally-Ho were also responsible for the Kodiac colt out of She Bu bought by Blandford Bloodstock at £160,000 ($208,548). The unraced She Bu is a sibling to nine winners, including listed scorer Ruby Rocket, dam of Qatar Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (G1) victor Maarek, and the group 3-winning Alexander Alliance.
"He's a very close relation to Ardad and comes from the same consignor," said Richard Brown. "He's a different horse to Ardad, he's a May foal and he's more backward, so I think he's going to take a bit of time. I would be keen to put a line through Ascot personally but it's not my job anymore, that's up to whoever is going to train him, although that hasn't been decided yet. I've bought him for Sheikh Hamed."
As was the case at the Tattersalls Craven Sale, Tally-Ho topped the consignors' charts with 12 sold for receipts totaling £735,000 ($958,021).
A busy afternoon for Brown also saw the Blandford man go to £125,000 ($162,851) for the Profitable brother to Queen Mary Stakes (G2) winner Quick Suzy, who was offered by Oak Tree Farm having been pinhooked for €80,000.
Royal Ambitions for Audacious Australian Venture
There is an awfully long distance between Woollahra in New South Wales and Doncaster in South Yorkshire, but that didn't stop the leading Australian-based agent and syndicator James Harron making a big impact during the early stages at Goffs UK.
Harron hatched an ambitious plan to source a Royal Ascot runner and enlisted Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock and Martin Buick of De Burgh Equine to help turn his vision into reality.
Boman threw in an audacious opening bid of £125,000 when Star Bloodstock's Kessaar colt out of Lady Lizabeth came on the market, and after a brief exchange with an online bidder the hammer fell in their favor at £160,000.
Explaining the backstory to the six-figure purchase, Boman said: "This is something a bit different as the horse has been purchased for James Harron Bloodstock. James got in touch with Martin and myself just before the Craven with a view to trying to buy a Royal Ascot horse.
"Like every Australian, he's got an opportunity to leave Australia and he's going to take it! The bidding tactics are something that's very much done in Australia and James wanted to try and disrupt things."
On the colt, the second out of the half sister to the listed-placed Mighty Empire, Boman added: "He did the quickest time for a colt in the sale; time isn't everything, but in this instance, when you're trying to buy a five-furlong horse, it matters.
"He's very physically mature and has been very well prepared. He's a horse that Martin and myself liked a lot physically, he vetted very thoroughly, and he looks like the sort of horse who can just go straight to the races. He'll be trained by Richard Hannon.
"This is the first purchase in partnership with James. He used to work with Hubie de Burgh before moving to Australia; James and I are old mates so it's great to get the friendship back together. Hopefully we're lucky."
The transaction represented a good bit of business for Star Bloodstock, whose Byron Rogers signed for the youngster at £25,000 ($34,308) when he was offered at the Premier Yearling Sale by Tally-Ho Stud. Star has a strong track record of offering high-class talents in Doncaster, having previously sold the likes of A'Ali, Abel Handy, and Malavath, and the operation's Matt Eves was hoping the Kessaar colt will follow in those illustrious footsteps.
"We've had so much success buying from Tally-Ho, bringing them back to this place and selling them," said Eves. "We bought A'Ali and Malavath from Tally-Ho and it's just such a great source. At home this horse has just been fast so hopefully he can go and win the Norfolk as racetrack results are what matters most to us. I'm delighted he's been bought by Blandford, they're great buyers and support the breeze-ups really well."
Tally-Ho resident Kessaar opened his account at stud when Tajalla made a striking winning debut at Newmarket.
The Harron-Boman-Buick axis was back in action later in the sale when they secured the Zoustar filly out of the group 3-winning and group 1-placed Ainippe from Longways Stables at £150,000 ($195,520).
Kessaar in Demand
First-season sire Kessaar had another big result later in the session when Fawzi Nass went to £160,000 for the colt out of Tisa River offered by Bansha House Stables, whose Con Marnane pinhooked the youngster for £20,000 ($27,459).
"He's going to go to Roger Varian and hopefully he'll be racing very soon," said Nass. "He's the type that could make it to Royal Ascot, hopefully. I liked him and he's a proper 2-year-old type. He's well put together and can obviously breeze with a nice stride."
The colt is the first foal out of Tisa River, a placed daughter of Equiano bred by Aidan and Anne Marie O'Brien's Whisperview Trading. The 8-year-old, a 400,000 guineas ($559,601) purchase by Blue Diamond Stud in 2020, is a sibling to five winners, most notably the top-flight scorers Iridessa, Order of Australia, and Santa Barbara.
Marnane said: "He's a gorgeous colt who did very well all winter. I've always loved him. He's got a gorgeous temperament and I've sent five mares to Kessaar off the back of him."
Kent Hails Record Trade
In his end-of-sale address, Goffs UK's managing director Tim Kent said: "As ever with a breeze-up sale, vendors can only expect to be paid for those that perform their very best when galloping prior to sale and those that ticked all the boxes sold very well today. A record-breaking 17 horses sold for £100,000 or more, with three making more than £200,000, which helped to return a record average price that was just shy of £50,000 ($65,145) for the first time in the sale's history.
"It is always great to welcome new buyers to Doncaster and we wish them and others the very best of luck with their runners. We are sure that they will be following in the footsteps of Perfect Power and others at Ascot in June and we look forward to being there to cheer them home."
