Mocklershill

DEAUVILLE, France--So many of this season's Classic trials in France have been run in testing conditions but the forecast rain stayed away from Deauville on Thursday morning, allowing the breeze session for the Arqana sale to be conducted amid a pleasant mix of sun and breeze on ground that looked forgiving and fair.  Certainly the various consignors appeared to have a pretty relaxed air about them as their horses galloped on the back stretch of the racecourse in front of a decent-sized crowd gathered on the makeshift grandstand. "The ground...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- A colt from the third crop of boom American stallion Gun Runner (lot 18) was hammered down to Stephen Hillen, agent for prominent owner Dr Jim Hay, for €543,210 to top Tuesday's second renewal of the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale, held in the parade ring at Meydan Racecourse. On behalf of the Scotsman, Hillen also acquired the second-dearest offering of the evening, a Justify half-brother to GISW Fog of War (War Front) (lot 2), for the equivalent of €518,519. Following the withdrawal of 10 horses,...

LEXINGTON, KY--You may have seen in the news last week how they've just realised that a Mondrian masterpiece has been hanging the wrong way round for 77 years. That's just a year longer than Willie Browne has been accumulating his own perspectives on life and, when he looks at the filly he has brought to the Breeders' Cup, he pretty much knows that same, upside-down feeling. Because his long quest for the secrets of equine potential--which has so often brought him to this same town, wearing a very different hat--has...

KHK Racing's 2-year-old twice-raced colt Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}--Shortmile Lady {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}), a promising debut second at Windsor in August, attained 'TDN Rising Stardom' with a wide-margin demolition at Haydock on the first of this month and repeated the dose with another imperious performance in Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. at Newbury. The 4-5 favourite was alert from the stalls and found a smooth rhythm in a handy third through the early fractions of this black-type bow. Tanking forward to loom large on the bridle...

Breeze-up king Willie Browne, who sold G1 1000 Guineas heroine Speciosa (Ire), G1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris (Ire) and many more top-notchers, is allowing himself to believe that recent graduate Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) could be the real deal after he coasted to an effortless victory at Haydock on Thursday. The 76-year-old bought Sakheer for $65,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sales in 2021 before producing the colt to top the Arqana Breeze-up Sale in May of this year. Sakheer was bought by Oliver St Lawrence for...

KHK Racing's once-raced 2-year-old colt Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}--Shortmile Lady {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}), who shaped with a deal of promise when posting a debut second going six furlongs at Windsor last month, was a class above his rivals in Thursday's Auction Finance EBF Novice S. over the same trip at Haydock and attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with a mightily impressive display of raw power. Swiftly into stride for an early advantage, the 1-2 favourite was untroubled from halfway and extended clear in hand to easily rout Acai (Ire)...

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin DEAUVILLE, France--It wasn't until the wild-card selection after the end of the main catalogue that the day's top lot walked the ring at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, and that honour went to Willie Browne's Mocklershill team and their colt by the late Zoffany (Ire), who sold for €550,000. Oliver St Lawrence had kept his powder dry for much of the day, but having warmed up with a €520,000 bid for a Siyouni (Fr) colt from Longways Stables, he went strong again for the session...

Already in action for a €520,000 Siyouni (Fr) colt (lot 124) earlier in the day, Oliver St Lawrence added a €550,000 Zoffany (Ire) colt (lot 148) near the end of the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. A member of the Mocklershill draft, the February-foaled bay and new topper is a half-brother to dual group winner Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass), who was also third in the GI Beverly D. S. at Arlington Park.

DONCASTER, UK--Look, we all know to refrain from any bold pronouncements in such an uncertain world. But the same market that was last year first to be broadsided by the pandemic has now made consecutive statements: first one of cautious optimism and now, remarkably, one of record-breaking confidence. For if we left Newmarket last week reminding ourselves that a single swallow does not a summer make, then flight after flight seemed to fill the air at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale. Whatever the ups and downs that inevitably still await,...

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...

A year after War Of Will (War Front) won the GII Risen Star S., another Arqana Breeze-up Sale graduate, Mr Monomoy (Palace Malice), landed the same race (which was divided this year) and is also on course for the American Classics. The Brad H Cox-trained colt currently heads the leaderboard on the road to the Kentucky Derby with 52 points and he is not the only graduate of the 2019 sale in Deauville to have an eye on the Run for the Roses. Ete Indien (Summer Front) was runner-up to...