Craven

More records were sent tumbling at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale on Wednesday when Amo Racing out-muscled Godolphin at 1.75 million gns for a Havana Grey (GB) colt that was consigned by Malcolm Bastard.  Part of the allure of the Havana Grey colt came from the fact that he was consigned by a man who seldom has a horse feature among the top 15 or 20 per cent on the timing sheets at the breeze-up sales.  So, when Bastard, who ought to consider changing his first name to Jammy, sent...

DUBAI, UAE--Owners Jim and Claire Bryce have admitted to feeling "like kids in a sweet shop" ahead of Saturday's UAE Derby where their own Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.) could help jockey Saffie Osborne create history by becoming the first female jockey to win a race on Dubai World Cup night. Trained by Jamie Osborne, who won the same race 11 years ago with Toast Of New York (Thewayyouare), Heart Of Honor is the most high-profile Flat performer for the husband-and-wife owners who admitted to having mixed emotions...

Tattersalls has released the catalogue for the Craven Breeze-Up Sale, of which dual Group 1 winner Vandeek (GB), Champion Two-Year-Old Native Trail (GB) and more recently G1 Futurity Trophy winner Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) are alumni. The sale is set to take place between Monday 14 and Wednesday 16 April.  A total of 182 juveniles have been catalogued for the Craven Breeze-Up Sale, which features progeny by top-class sires like Dubawi (Ire), Blue Point (Ire), Kingman (GB), Mehmas (Ire), Too Darn Hot (GB), Wootton Bassett (GB), Havana Grey...

The action at Tattersalls continued apace on Thursday as Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale kicked off with a Whitsbury Manor Stud-offered Havana Grey (GB) filly fetching 200,000gns to Alex Elliott on behalf of Amo Racing. That result matched the record price at Book 3 and became the most expensive filly ever sold at the sale. Overall, trade was good with the 6,451,000gns turnover down just 1% on last year. The average rose by 7% to 26,331gns, the median fell by 5% to 20,000 and the clearance rate was...

DEAUVILLE, France--The temperature is rising at Arqana and so, too, are the stakes. Breeze-up consignors young and old have made no secret about the fact that trade this year has been tricky, particularly at the middle to lower tiers.  All duck or no dinner, feast or famine--whatever way you want to describe it, vendors have had to negotiate some choppy waters, meaning a lot is still on the line at Arqana when the sale gets underway at 11am on Saturday. But, weirdly, the optimism is palpable. Maybe it's the baking...

Whether it was Roderic Kavanagh working his magic once again, Katie Walsh clearing seven figures on the only two horses she brought to Park Paddocks or Charlie Poste enjoying a dream debut at the first major breeze-up sale of the year, there were no shortage of feel-good stories to emerge from the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale.  However, agent Richard Brown, consignor Mark Grant and trainer Jamie Osborne agreed that, while the top end of the market was arguably stronger than ever, the middle market remained tricky at Tattersalls this week. ...

Just past the halfway mark during Wednesday's session, lot 147, a son of Blue Point (Ire), was knocked down to Anthony Stroud for 800,000gns at Park Paddocks. Consigned by Station Yard, the bay colt is out of Platinum Coast (Speightstown), herself a half-sister to multiple graded winner Istanford (Istan) and will race for Godolphin. Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Reddy Coffey, the colt made €78,000 on the bid of Blandford Bloodtstock/Station Yard during the 2023 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale. Three lots later, a bay son of Kingman (GB) and...

Less than 10 lots into the second session of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, lot 98 quickly equaled Tuesday's top price of 525,000gns, going, once again, to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin. Consigned, just like Tuesday's New Bay (GB) colt topper, by Katie Walsh's Greenhills Farm, the Havana Grey (GB) filly is a full-sister to four-time winner Secret Guest (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) from the family of G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}). She was picked up for 80,000gns out of the Tattersalls...

Alice Haynes and Ado McGuinness, who have emblazoned the value on offer at the breeze-up sales by hitting the ground running with their respective purchases this season, have described shopping in that market as a hugely important aspect of their business.  Well-known breeze-up consignor Eddie Linehan of Lackendarra Stables agrees with Haynes and McGuinness that the value has favoured the buyer when it has come to shopping at the middle to lower tiers of the market due to the amount of choice in that sector. However, Linehan, who admitted that...

Five years ago this week, Katie Walsh took Relegate (Ire) from going nowhere to the Cheltenham Festival winner's enclosure when galvanising the mare to come from last to first to take the Champion Bumper in pulsating fashion.  Little did we know at the time, but that Cheltenham success was to be Walsh's last, as she bowed out on a winner at her beloved Punchestown Festival the following month. A lot has changed in those five years since. Along with her husband Ross O'Sullivan, a prominent trainer in his own right...

The catalogue for the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, which features 168 juveniles to breeze on the Rowley Mile on Apr. 12 before selling at Park Paddocks on Apr. 13 and 14, is online. The Craven sale has produced 49 stakes winners in the last five years, and in addition to black-type, graduates of this year's Craven sale will be chasing two bonuses: the £250,000 Craven Royal Ascot/Group 1 Bonus, and the £15,000 Craven Breeze Up Bonus. The catalogue includes 20 2-year-olds out of group or listed-winning mares including a Frankel...

NEWMARKET, UK—Thunder is indeed expected in Newmarket as the scorching hot snap comes to an end but it appeared early at Tattersalls on Thursday when Darley's up-and-coming sire Night Of Thunder (Ire) was represented by the leading juvenile, at 575,000gns, of the Craven Breeze-up Sale. With Jane Chapple-Hyam one of the early determined bidders, the bragging rights eventually went to Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock, who played the winning shot in a game of ping-pong in the seats between himself and underbidder Mark McStay. Johnny Collins of Brown Island Stables...