Trade was so fierce at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster April 25 that it seemed only fitting that a breathless session of selling should conclude with a record-breaking top lot.
The auditorium filled as Tally-Ho Stud's Harry Angel colt (Lot 191) entered the ring, with plenty of onlookers having heard the whispers about the highly touted youngster. An opening bid of £200,000 duly suggested big things were afoot.
Among the crowd were trainer Michael O'Callaghan, standing in his usual position by the ringside, and Kia Joorabchian, head of the in-form Amo Racing team, who huddled on the opposite side of the gangway.
After the two camps squared up deep into six-figure territory, it was O'Callaghan who sealed the deal with a nod of the head indicating a bid of £500,000 (US$624,920, GB$1=US$1.24), the biggest figure ever paid for a flat horse in Doncaster. That sum surpasses the previous best for this sale, with the group 3-winning Al Raya having fetched £450,000 in 2019.
This colt's family is no stranger to success in the Doncaster ring as he is out of Go Angellica, a listed-winning sibling to the U.S. stakes winner Bredenbury and My Lucky Liz, dam of O'Callaghan's Twilight Jet, who jointly topped the 2021 renewal of this sale at £210,000 before going on to win group 3s at 2 and 3.
"He's the best horse here, and by a long way," said O'Callaghan. "We've been extremely lucky with the vendor and he's from the same family as Twilight Jet, who's been a very good horse for us. If there's one from the sale I didn't want to leave without, it was him."
On the record-breaking price, O'Callaghan said: "I thought trade was very strong all day, so we were keeping our powder dry for that lad. We had to pay more than we thought we'd have to, but when you think one is the real deal you have to pull it out. He needs to win a group 1 now!
"This is a horse who may potentially be traded down the line but he has to go and do it now. If he reaches a high level by the middle of the summer, then who knows? He's ready to go anyway. Hopefully, we'll be getting the top hat out."
A buoyant market meant there was plenty of pinhooking profit to be had, but few successes had been as long in the making as this colt, as he was sourced by the Tally-Ho team at the 2021 Goffs November Foal Sale, where he cost €38,000.
Roger O'Callaghan, no relation to the buyer, reflected on the sale: "A class horse, always was. When we bought him, the plan was to breeze him. It's worked out beyond our expectations. He was always natural; he's got an unbelievable temperament, he was a very simple horse to breeze. When you asked him, he delivered, and when you didn't, he didn't."
When asked about the market, the consignor added: "I had no expectations but it's been a very good sale. Fair dues to Donny, they got it right. It's been a good day at the office."
Tally-Ho topped the consignors' chart with a dozen juveniles sold for receipts totaling £1,340,000 (US$1,674,786)—13% of turnover.
The session concluded with aggregate sales of £10,006,500 (US$12,506,524), a huge increase of 54%, particularly considering the number of lots offered was up by only 26 (16%). The average was up 29% at £63,330 (US$79,152), while the median rose by 11 points to £40,000 (US$49,993). The depth of the market was underlined by a remarkably solid clearance of 86% as 158 2-year-olds found a buyer.
