War In Front Yet Again at Craven

By Emma Berry 
Twelve months have passed, but the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale headline looks remarkably similar to last year, with a Mocklershill-consigned son of War Front (lot 113) selling to the Coolmore team to head proceedings. The top price of 850,000gns was slightly more modest than last year’s 1.15 million gns sales-topper, but it was still 500,000gns clear of the rest of the catalogue, and the second-highest price ever paid at a European breeze-up auction. 

Jamie McCalmont did the bidding last year but this time around his former assistant Alex Elliott was charged with the responsibility, and was pushed all the way to hammer fall by the China Horse Club’s Michael Wallace after some early interest from Tony Nerses. 

Elliott, who signed for the colt jointly with his former boss, for Michael Tabor, said, “The guys [Willie Browne’s Mocklershill] rolled the dice to give $400,000 for this colt at Keeneland and it’s paid off for them. The Factor was in training during my time in America and I think this is probably the closest I’ve seen to him in looks.” 

The transaction aided Mocklershill in becoming leading consignor once again at the sale, with 10 juveniles sold for a total of 1,960,000gns. 

A significantly stronger second day at Park Paddocks saw the sale as a whole achieve a record median price of 71,000gns–up 1% on last year. The session average rose by 11%, to 119,809gns, but dropped for the entire sale by 9% at 103,057gns. The turnover of 9,893,500gns was down by 6% but the clearance rate climbed 8% from 2014 to an encouraging 79% for 96 lots sold from 121 offered. 

Exchange Well-Rated in Newmarket… 
The most expensive filly of the sale was also by an American-based son of Danzig and sourced at Keeneland. The daughter of Three Chimneys’ Exchange Rate (lot 117) is a half-sister to prolific winner and black-type earner Toccet’s Charm (Toccet), but she will ply her trade on the other side of the Atlantic after being bought by Oliver St Lawrence for 350,000gns.

“She’s for an existing client and she’s just a lovely filly with a good pedigree,” St Lawrence said of his new Exchange Rate filly. “Hopefully she can add some more black-type to her family. She breezed in a very nice time but that’s not the be-all and end-all.” 

The filly’s return represented the best pinhooking result of the sale for Norman Williamson of Oak Tree Farm, who bought her last September for $45,000. 

Exchange Rate was responsible for another of the more expensive offerings of the second session when lot 114 boosted Gaybrook Lodge Stud’s successful draft yet further when selling to Yorkshire trainer David Barron for 190,000gns. The late April colt is a half-brother to the Washington Oaks-placed Champagne Gal (Yes It’s True) out of an unraced half-sister to Grade II winner Imperialism (Langfuhr). 

Darley America-based Elusive Quality looks set to have a pretty fancy runner in Denmark following the sale of lot 125 to Ger Hourigan for 300,000gns. 

“He’s a gorgeous colt and he breezed really well. Let’s hope he’s lucky,” said the agent after signing for the three-quarter brother to GII Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner Cary Street (Smarty Jones) on behalf of an undisclosed Danish client. Mags O’Toole selected the colt at Keeneland for $90,000 on behalf of consignor Eddie O’Leary of Lynn Lodge Stud. 

Qatar and China Pair Up Again… 
Qatar Bloodstock and the China Horse Club went into partnership at Tattersalls back in December when paying 4.5 million gns for Classic winner Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) but the two entities didn’t have to part with such a large amount this time around when pooling resources to buy lot 142, an Exceed And Excel (Aus) colt from the family of G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Belle Et Celebre (Fr) (Peintre Celebre). 

As is common in France, where he was bred, the colt has already been named Jackfish, and he is the first foal of the Oasis Dream (GB) mare Torentosa (Fr). The Marquesa de Moratalla homebred was consigned by Mocklershill on behalf of The Channel Consignment. 

“His sectionals were really good and he impressed us with his time and his action,” said the China Horse Club’s Michael Wallace, standing with Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and his racing and bloodstock manager David Redvers. “He’ll stay in the UK and we’ll have a chat about who will train him. He’s by a stallion who’s proved he can do a good job and he has a lovely pedigree.” 

Donald Comes Up Trumps… 
Alastair Donald was busy for Hong Kong clients through Wednesday’s session and resumed his spending spree on the final day of the sale when signing for consecutive lots–both colts by Showcasing (GB)–at 200,000gns and 240,000gns, respectively. 

The more expensive of the two, lot 96, was consigned by Jim McCartan of Gaybrook Lodge Stud, who bought the chesnut son of Nizhoni (Mineshaft) for 55,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 3. 

Donald said, “He did an excellent breeze and is an extremely athletic and speedy-looking horse. He’ll go to Ed Walker.” 

The preliminary trainer for lot 95 is as-yet unknown, but he looks likely to remain in England for the time being, though Hong Kong is his ultimate destination, having been bought for George Moore. 

“The stallion has done so well and his stock seem to like firm ground, which is ideal for Hong Kong,” added Donald. 
The SackvilleDonald agent struck again later in the session when giving 290,000gns for an Exceed And Excel (Aus) grandson of Grade III winner Buffalo Berry (Ire) (Sri Pekan). Catalogued as lot 127, the Grove Stud consignee is another to be joining Ed Walker’s stable at the historic Warren Place in Newmarket. 

Team Valor Strikes For a Brace of Colts… 
Barry Irwin’s Team Valor added a pair of juveniles to its string within a couple of minutes when agent Gordian Troeller went first to 160,000gns for a first-crop son of Dream Ahead (lot 84), and then to 100,000gns for a neat colt by last season’s European champion freshman sire, Lope De Vega (Ire) named Speak To Me (Fr) (lot 86). 

The former, out of the listed-placed Hussonet mare Maramaba, is a half-brother to the dual winners Wakeup Little Suzy (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) and Taper Tantrum (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) and cost €58,000 as a yearling at the Goffs Orby Sale. 

Troeller commented, “I thought both colts were exceptional individuals. The Dream Ahead is a good-looking horse with plenty of scope and size–he really took the eye. The Lope De Vega colt is a May foal and is a bit smaller so he’s likely to need a bit more time. Michael Fitzpatrick always presents then really well and he had a bit of quality about him.” 

Fitzpatrick, who consigns under the Kilminfoyle House Stud banner, spotted the French-bred colt when he was the last lot through the ring at the Arqana October Sale and picked him up for €52,000. He wasn’t the only son of Lope De Vega to sell well on the night; Derryconnor Stud consigned a March-born colt out of the unraced Riverman mare Saik, which was knocked down to Jamie McCalmont for 200,000gns. Originally bought as a foal by Luke Barry for €32,000, the half-brother to eight winners missed the yearling sales but has more than compensated for the time and money invested in him by delivering a handsome profit. 

Chairman’s Assessment… 
Summarizing the trade after a particularly buoyant final session, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “Last year’s record breaking Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale was always going to be a hard act to follow, especially with a smaller catalogue, but the second-highest price ever for a European breeze-up 2-year-old, a record median and a considerably improved clearance rate are all positives to take from this week’s sale.” 

“Competition at the top of the market has been the real feature of the sale and the number of different buyers active at the upper levels has been notable,” he added. “Demand from throughout the world, particularly from Hong Kong, North America and throughout the Gulf region, has again demonstrated the truly global reputation of the Craven Breeze-up Sale.”