Kyllachy Son Tops Goffs UK Breeze Up

The template appeared to be set early. The first horse in the ring failed to raise a bid; the third made six figures. But if consignors at every kind of sale are getting used to the bigger players all clustering round the same few horses, then none would dispute that the Goffs UK Breeze Up Sale got things back on an even keel after that miserable start to the European breeze-up calendar last week.

At Ascot, every other lot had failed to reach its reserve. The ratio of sales achieved at Doncaster on Tuesday was three in four, at 138 of the 182 offered (from a catalogue of 207). At 76%, that still represented a decrease on last year's booming sale, where 120 sold out of 134 offered (90%). Despite the much bigger catalogue, moreover, the aggregate only crept up by 2% to £5,528,000 (from £5,408,000)–resulting in corresponding dips in average, down 11% to £40,058 (from £45,067); and median, down 13% to £25,500 (from £30,000). Nonetheless these indices all comfortably outstripped the sticky returns in 2016, and would have to be received as a fairly happy medium.

The house initiative of entering all lots for the Swedish Derby & Oaks Series paid off, too, with 13 lots going to Scandinavian buyers for £350,000–at precisely that porous level, in other words, that causes so much anxiety among vendors.

“We marketed this sale extensively and travelled worldwide to attract an international buying bench,” said Goffs UK Managing Director Tony Williams. “We achieved that, and it was wonderful to welcome a number of new faces to the Breeze Up Sale.

“Trade was strong throughout the day, and the increase in this year's six-figure lots [13 from 12] demonstrates the strength at the top of the market. The old adage 'breeze well, sell well' was clearly evident. We would like to thank our vendors for sending what was a quality catalogue of 2-year-olds and wish our buyers all the best–and hope to see them at Royal Ascot in June.”

O'Callaghan Strikes for Sale Topper…

There is enough recent precedent to make that a legitimate hope, notably in the success at the royal meeting of both the Kodiac (GB) colts who shared top billing here two years ago. One of those was Prince Of Lir (Ire), who won the G2 Norfolk S., and his consignor Con Marnane was again celebrating the top sale of the day after lot 111, a colt by Kyllachy (GB), raised £220,000 from Michael O'Callaghan.

The Curragh trainer proved the most purposeful investor on site, paying £535,000 for four lots. But little wonder, when he came away from this sale three years ago with a Tally Ho homebred for just £42,000–and went on to saddle Now Or Never (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) to finish third in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. (She has since been exported to Australia, where she won a Group 2 in October under the name Now Or Later {Ire}.)

O'Callaghan also did well with €75,000 Goresbridge graduate Blue De Vega (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who similarly managed to make the frame in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas. If he has returned to the breeze-ups with due conviction, and the funding to match, he professed no intention of coming here to make a splash.

“If they were here, they were here, and if they weren't, they weren't,” he shrugged. “Simple as that. But we had a few horses that ticked the boxes for us, and we've been lucky enough to take some of them home.”

Kyllachy was pensioned from Cheveley Park Stud last September after suffering fertility problems–but not before demonstrating an undiminished capacity to produce a Royal Ascot juvenile, with his daughter Heartache (GB) winning the Queen Mary. It was only a few days later that Marnane found this colt at the Goffs Orby Sale for €50,000.

“This was the one horse we said we didn't want to go home without,” O'Callaghan said. “He breezed very well, in a fast time, and vetted very well too–and of course he's from a good nursery. He has a lot of size, and a lovely walk. He'll carry my dad's colours, we've been lucky at the breeze-ups before and while it's early days, the dream is alive. Let's hope he lives up to his price-tag.”

As an Apr. 28 foal, this colt–out of a half-sister to G2 May Hill S. winner and Oaks third Midnight Line (Kris S.)–is not yet two. “He's an absolute superstar, with a fantastic temperament, and has developed into a lovely 2-year-old,” Marnane said. “He was a tall yearling, good-walking, and came from a very good stud in Tally Ho. Yes, he got a good price–but I think he's a very good horse and I wish the O'Callaghans the very best of luck with him.”

Despite this touch, Marnane repeated the diagnosis you hear at sales at every kind these days. “You can only sell the top ones,” he said. “It's getting very difficult below the ones everyone can pick out, that breeze well and vet well. But that's just the era we're living in. We've got to go home now and get 16 or 17 ready to travel over tomorrow for the Craven Sale, some gorgeous horses among them. Yes, we've landed a big hit today but the pressure will soon be back on. But I'm delighted for my team, they've done a super job in what's been a very difficult year, with rain and snow and everything but shine.”

Tally Ho, vendors of that colt as a yearling, themselves secured £180,000 from O'Callaghan for lot 173, a son of Kodiac. A January colt, he is the first foal of Ermine Ruby (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), a half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Maarek (GB) (Pivotal {GB}); the pair are out of the zippy Ruby Rocket (Ire) (Indian Rocket {GB}), whose half-sister produced Ardad (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) to share top lot and Ascot honours with Prince Of Lir two years ago. This is deep-rooted Tally Ho stuff, and O'Callaghan will be duly delighted if this colt can emulate the same farm's graduate, Now Or Never.

“Again, he breezed very well but he was also a lovely pull-out and a gorgeous individual,” O'Callaghan said. “It's a very good pedigree and fingers crossed he can be a good 2-year-old.”

O'Callaghan also gave £100,000 for lot 80, a Showcasing (GB) filly (consigned by Morna McDowall) whose fourth dam is Sorbus (Ire) (Busted {GB})–runner-up in three Classics, including when demoted by the stewards in the G1 Irish Oaks.

Toronado Filly Makes Splash at Goffs UK…

Everyone claims that the stopwatch is just one factor among many–but actions speak louder than words and the time apparently clocked on Monday by a filly from the first crop of Toronado (Ire) guaranteed her rather more attention, as lot 31, than when Willie Browne of Mocklershill gave just £27,000 for her here last August.

In the end Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock saw off David Redvers with a bid of £210,000. Though unable to name his client, Brown confirmed that the filly would enter training with William Haggas.

Her half-sister by Sir Prancealot (Ire) owes his black-type to finishing third over hurdles in Italy, but their dam Miss Mediator–herself a 160,000gns breeze-up graduate, by the Storm Cat sire Consolidator–is out of a mare with a remarkable record in this sector in Gender Dance (Miesque's Son).

Gender Dance accounted for two hugely productive Keeneland-to-Europe breeze-up imports of recent years. Great White Eagle (Elusive Quality) and Kings Shield (Scat Daddy) failed to attain their Keeneland September Sale reserves at $95,000 and $65,000 respectively before realising 760,000gns and 675,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. Great White Eagle proceeded to win a Group 3 as a juvenile, in 2013, but did not go on; there remain Classic aspirations for Kings Shield, however, after he preserved his unbeaten record when reappearing at Kempton only last Saturday.

But this filly's eligibility for this particular environment was hardly confined to her family tree. She was bought and broken by the doyen of consignors, and prepared for the sale by Browne's regular collaborator, Mark Dwyer of Oaks Farm Stables. “She's been an absolute star from the very start,” Dwyer said. “She always wanted to do it, and has just been very easy to deal with.”

And, to be fair, for any young horse to breeze well in the conditions on Monday suggests a good attitude. “She was the one horse in the whole sale we wanted to buy so I'm glad we were able to do so,” Brown said. “It was top whack, we were stretching, but she was top of the class so far as we were concerned. It's not all about the clock, but she blew it apart. And I think she's a filly that really wouldn't have enjoyed that ground yesterday. For a filly with that long, low action to go through it so well was outstanding.”

A Son of Showcasing for Coleman…

Another impressive pinhook was lot 89, a son of Showcasing (GB)–albeit this February colt has proved a real yo-yo at the sales. Bought for 110,000gns as a foal, he was picked up out of Tattersalls Book 2 by Johnny Collins for just 38,000gns. His breeze had been such, however, that bidding here opened at £50,000 and raced up to £200,000 before Matt Coleman was able to secure him for Peter and Karin Swann's Cool Silk Partnership, which has done so well over the past couple of years with its 2-year-old acquisitions.

“He breezed very well, and did one of the fastest times, but to me he was also the best physical in the sale,” Coleman said. “I liked his action, and the fact that he's out of a Shamardal mare–I think he's a very good broodmare sire. He's from a great family, so let's hope he's fast. I don't know who will train him yet, because Peter is in Vegas celebrating his son's 21st birthday and I've been trying to keep him awake until 5 a.m.”

The colt is the first foal of a mare whose own dam is a half-sister to G1 Lockinge S. winner Fly To The Stars (GB) (Bluebird) and to the stakes-winning dam of G1 Coronation S. winner Fallen For You (GB) (Dansili {GB})–whose 2,600,000gns son Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) won both his juvenile starts last year.

Coleman also gave £105,000 in the same cause for lot 147, a Charm Spirit (Ire) half-brother to dual Grade II winner Juniper Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) from the immediate family of the great Storm Cat.

Proven Juvenile Sires Hot Ticket Items…

After such a miserable start to their calendar at Ascot last week, consignors detected an immediate improvement in tempo as three of the first 10 lots through the ring achieved six figures. The first to break that barrier was David Redvers, who gave £125,000 for a Dark Angel (Ire) colt consigned by the Bloodstock Connection. And he sounded as though he might have been prepared to give more for lot 3 if necessary.

“I think he possibly suffered from early-through-the-ring syndrome, and I'd hope that could prove good value,” Redvers said. “He did a very quick breeze for a Dark Angel–they don't always tend to be quick [breezers], but this one was, very. You can't buy a Dark Angel yearling, when you don't know whether they can gallop. So to buy one that's sound, and clearly can gallop, would seem sensible. But obviously the racecourse will prove me right or wrong, in the near future.”

He has been proved right, so far, with the colt he bought here from the same consignors last year: Raid (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}) won his only start at two for David Simcock, a maiden on the adjacent racetrack at the last turf meeting of the year. Redvers views that colt as one of Sheikh Fahad's nicest 3-year-olds.

This colt's dam Kate The Great (GB) (Xaar {GB}) has already produced that hard-knocking sprinter Eastern Impact (Ire) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}), whose finest hour was a podium in the G1 July Cup. The third dam, moreover, is a half-sister to none other than Wind In Her Hair (Ire) (Alzao {GB})–dam of the mighty Deep Impact (Jpn).

Moments later Peter Harper signed a £160,000 docket on behalf of Sheikh Sultan al Khalifa for lot 5, a son of Kodiac (GB) setting the tone for a productive day for Tally Ho. “He's a really nice animal, and of course from excellent consignors,” Harper said. “I don't know who will train him yet, but he'll be staying in this country.”

The colt–a half-brother to five winners, out of dual Group 1 runner-up Torgau (Ire) (Zieten)–was purchased for €55,000 by Stroud Coleman at the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale last year.

Shortly afterwards another Kodiac colt made six figures when Jake Warren gave £100,000 for lot 11, Derryconnor Stud's half-brother to G3 Abernant S. winner Hamza (Ire) (Amadeus Wolf {GB}). Their dam in turn is a half-sister to Dandy Man (Ire) (Mozart {Ire}), the sire responsible for very nearly one in every 10 lots in the catalogue.

Hillen Lands Scat Daddy Colt…

Given the status of Scat Daddy's final foals, collectors' items all, lot 149 looked fair value at £110,000. Richard Hughes must be rubbing his hands to be receiving such a well-bred colt educated at Mocklershill and picked out by an agent as diligent as Stephen Hillen. He will race in the silks of Jaber Abdullah.

“I'd seen him at Willie Browne's a couple of times when I was over February and March, and like a lot of Scat Daddys he had quite a big stride,” Hillen said. “So I had him in my mind coming here, and he galloped well. Really I don't think he was expensive.”

Hard to disagree, given that he is the first foal of Come To Heel (Ire) (Elnadim), who showed plenty of ability in a career confined to just three juvenile starts for David Wachman: she won her first two and was then beaten barely two lengths in the G1 Cheveley Park S. She was carrying this colt when sold for $450,000 at Keeneland November 2015.

Hughes and Hillen later secured lot 164, a Kodiac colt from Longways Stables, in a private sale for £125,000 after he had initially been bought in for £90,000. Perseverance paid off for the vendors, then, after giving just £40,000 for the colt here last August.

But there was no immediate solution after another Scat Daddy colt consigned by Browne, a daring $220,000 pinhook when purchased through Hunter Valley Farm at Keeneland last September, was bought in as lot 194 for £185,000.

Pivotal Colt Attracts Phoenix T'Breds…

Phoenix Thoroughbreds, such an explosive new force in the market last year, made its first European purchase of 2018 when giving £140,000 for lot 199, a colt by the venerable Pivotal (GB), through Newmarket trainer Ed Vaughan.

Bred by Godolphin, he is the first foal of the stakes-placed Hoodna (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and represented a cracking pinhook–sold through the Hyde Park draft–for rider Robson Aguiar, who gave just £26,000 for him at Fairyhouse last September.

Following the parting of ways between Phoenix and Kerri Radcliffe, who was representing them until recently, this was an auspicious link-up for Vaughan. He hopes to be shopping for them at Newmarket next week, but kept the shortlist tight here on account of the demanding conditions for the breeze.

“I'm very pleased to get this horse,” he said. “He's by a stallion who can get you a Group 1 horse, out of an Invincible Spirit mare. He did a nice breeze in a good time, and seems a really nice, uncomplicated type.”