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Two colts sell for 625,000gns on second and final day on Wednesday
A record turnover of 15,357,500gns was recorded at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale when the two-day sale concluded in Newmarket on Wednesday evening, with 126 lots having sold.
This year's sale saw 22 per cent more horses sold, while the aggregate rose 29 per cent from last year's figure of 11,939,500gns. The average finished at 121,885gns, up 5 per cent from last year, however, the median fell from 90,000gns in 2022 to 80,000gns.
A total of 21 lots sold for 200,000gns or more compared to 15 at last year's sale and 60 sold for over 100,000gns.
Oak Tree Farm in Ireland was the leading vendor by both average and aggregate having sold three two-year-olds for 1,185,000gns at an average of 395,000gns.
Darley shuttler Blue Point (Shamardal), whose first European-bred crop are two-year-olds, was the leading sire with eight lots selling for 1,915,000gns at an average of 239,375gns.
Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, who bought the two sale topping colts for 625,000gns a piece, was the leading buyer having bought four lots for 1,795,000gns.
Sold in succession, the first lot to make 625,000gns was a son of young Whitsbury Manor Stud-based sire Havana Grey (Havana Gold). Sold as Lot 198 by Glending Stables in Ireland, the colt is out of the placed Exceed And Excel (Danehill) mare Mosa Mine. She has produced four winners to date and is from the family of Anabaa (Danzig).
"Havana Grey has done really well, he is a legitimate sire and had the good filly win today," said purchaser Anthony Stroud. "The colt breezed well in good time and looks a two-year-old type."
The colt was bought last year for 42,000gns at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale.
Glending Stables' Roderick Kavanagh commented: "Havana Grey has done so well and had the Group 3 winner today and an impressive one at that.
"You hope all the interested parties are going to pitch up and it has obviously got late in the sale and it is a bit lonely, but they all got there. We had some great judges on him. He is an athletic horse with a bit of scope and I don't think he is just a sprinter type, hopefully he will get seven furlongs or a mile."
He added: "This easily our best result, most of them make 25,000 guineas! When it happens, it happens. We have had a good week and the two have breezed so well, they are naturally fast horses. We are delighted. Cormac O'Flynn buys most of them with me, he is the brains of the outfit, I just get to hold the reins!"
One lot later the Blue Point colt out of Group 3 winning mare Most Beautiful (Canford Cliffs) realised the same price.
"He is for Godolphin," said Stroud.
"Blue Point has made a great start, this colt comes from a top consignor and he fits the profile. He will go to Charlie Appleby, who has a few by the sire and likes what he has."
The colt was sold by Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm.
"All spring people have been telling me that they had Blue Points that could run. I kept my powder dry but I knew I had a good one and am thrilled," said Williamson.
"Although Native Trail went from this sale and won just six weeks later, this is a sharper sort than him and just feels like he is one to point and shoot - he feels fast. It has been a great week. It is what you do it for and the team have done a top job."
Williamson sold champion winner Native Trail (Oasis Dream) for 210,000gns at this sale two years ago.