Mark McStay

Cairo Purchased By Kuwait's Refai Alghuraban Ahead Of Dubai Turf Bid

Group 3 winner Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) has been purchased by Refai Alghuraban, a leading owner in Kuwait. The deal was brokered by Avenue Bloodstock's Mark McStay. Successful in the G3 Killavullan S. in 2022 for the Coolmore partners and trainer Aidan O'Brien, the bay was second in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas to Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) last May. He kick-started his 4-year-old campaign in his 10th lifetime start with a close runner-up effort in the $500,000 Listed Irish Marketing Cup in Doha, Qatar, in February. The son of...

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McStay Extends to 220K Gns for Sea The Stars Filly at Tatts Online

Cloudbreaker (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Deveron, by Cozzene) realised a final bid of 220,000 guineas from Avenue Bloodstock's Mark McStay during Thursday's Tattersalls Online December Sale. The 3-year-old, who earned black-type in August when finishing second in the Listed Aphrodite S. at Newmarket, was also fourth in the King George V S. at Royal Ascot earlier in June. Out of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac placed Deveron, the Charlie Fellowes-trained filly is a half-sister to listed winners Lamar (Ire) and Haddaf (Ire). "She's a lovely filly and has been extremely...

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Full House in Newmarket as Mares Grab the Spotlight at Tattersalls

NEWMARKET, UK -- There are no hotel rooms left in Newmarket. Visitors to Tattersalls are not only spread far and wide across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire but have come from far and wide too. The largest ever contingent from Japan is expected at Park Paddocks this week, and with most of the stallion farms in the region displaying signs saying 'open house' it's the perfect time for international breeders also to consider using a local stallion to cover a new purchase before export. The locals are pretty good after all. Frankel...

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McStay Makes Hay In America – And Anisette Looks Another Stateside Star

In running out an impressive winner of the G2 San Clemente S. at Del Mar last weekend, Anisette (GB) (Awtaad {Ire}) capped a memorable few months for bloodstock agent Mark McStay, who helped source the filly privately on behalf of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.  McStay had already been provided with one of his biggest kicks in racing this summer when Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio), who he purchased on behalf of a host of American owners, landed the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot.  Porta Fortuna could well be aimed at the...

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Porta Fortuna Is Medallion Racing's Lucky Charm at Ascot

Ever since Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio)'s win in the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. at Naas last month, bloodstock agent Mark McStay had been pestering Taylor Made's Mark Taylor to make his plans to come to Royal Ascot. But the Taylor family is more known for probity and hard work than they are flights of fancy, and Taylor demurred, citing preparations for upcoming sales in America. But when Porta Fortuna launched a determined bid and got up for the win in Friday's G3 Albany S. at Ascot...

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Youth To Fore At Tatts Ireland As O'Donovan Leads Way With 270k Zelzal

A man knows he is in clover when there's a bloodstock agent outside his door waiting to see his horse before he's even had time to chuck his breakfast into the feed pot on the morning of the sale. But that's exactly the scenario Danny O'Donovan faced into with his Zelzal colt on Friday and it proved a good omen with the €35,000 yearling purchase going on to top the sale at €270,000 to Peter and Ross Doyle.  This was a result that rubber-stamped an exceptionally good year for O'Donovan,...

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The Major Talking Points From The Premier Yearling Sale At Doncaster

The first major yearling sale of the autumn in Britain or Ireland, the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale provided entertainment from the beginning to the end, but most importantly, boasted impressive figures. Brian Sheerin was in attendance and discusses the major talking points from the sale. Figures on the up The team at Goffs UK could hardly have wished for a better start to the Premier Yearling Sale. The day one figures were off the charts. Of the 218 lots offered on Tuesday, 199 were sold, representing a clearance rate...

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McStay Strikes For £230k Night Of Thunder Colt At Doncaster

The opening day of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale followed a familiar theme with Mark McStay, who was busy at the first European yearling Sale of the year at Arqana just over a week ago, once again opening his shoulders back to secure the top lot at Goffs UK-170, a colt by Night Of Thunder (Ire). The sire of last Friday's breathtakingly-good G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Highfield Princess (Fr), Night Of Thunder was labelled a rock solid stallion by McStay, who felt lot 170-for all that he looked like...

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Record Figures Across The Board as Arqana August Concludes

By Emma Berry, Brian Sheerin and Sue Finley DEAUVILLE, France--Monday may have felt like Sunday in Deauville as the French observed the holy day of the Assumption of St Mary, but business continued apace at Arqana, with strength in depth to the final session hitherto unseen at the August Sale and new record figures set in all sectors. Reworked this year so that the former select evening sessions held over the weekend with a supplementary session on Monday were all rolled into an alphabetical singular sale, the new format may...

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Hotter Than July At Tattersalls

NEWMARKET, UK--The legacy of Sheikh Hamdan still casts a long shadow over the bloodstock world, and the influence of his bloodlines was once more evident at Tattersalls on Wednesday when Rihaam (Ire), a 9-year-old daughter of Dansili (GB) in foal to Dark Angel (Ire), led the first day of the July Sale at a new record price of 540,000gns. With a buying bunch greatly enhanced by the returned freedom of international travel, several records were set at Park Paddocks, which saw the two top prices ever at a July Sale...

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Shamardal Fillies Lead Tattersalls February Sale

With the wildcard bumper winner Noble Yeats (Ire) (Yeats {Ire}) failing to make his 300,000gns reserve, the first session of the Tattersalls February Sale had a more regular top lot in the breeding prospect Beautiful Illusion (Ire) (Shamardal), who was the sole horse to break the six-figure barrier during the first day at 120,000gns. Sold by her breeder Godolphin as lot 194, the well-bred 4-year-old was initially trained by Charlie Appleby to win at Wolverhampton and Chelmsford last year. The daughter of G3 Sweet Solera S. winner Long Lashes (Rock...

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Virtual Reality For Tattersalls 2021 Opener

When the curtain came down on the 2020 December Sale, all participants could have been forgiven for hoping that it would be the last we would see of Covid-restricted sales. Regrettably, the situation in Britain has subsequently worsened, meaning that Tattersalls, which managed to stage all of its scheduled sales last year, along with a few extras and a few delays, has been forced to conduct its first auction of 2021 entirely online. The mixed February Sale is perhaps the one through the year which could withstand some disruption best...

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