The last ever son of the legendary stallion GALILEO lit up the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale when selling for 1,000,000 guineas on an electric evening that saw five lots realise 500,000 guineas or more, taking the sale total to a record six. The turnover for the sale was second only to last year’s record breaking renewal.
Galileo Colt Sells for 1,000,000 Guineas to Godolphin
The very last unraced horse offered at public auction by the incomparable GALILEO made headlines when selling for 1,000,000 guineas to Godolphin. The sale is only the second time seven figures has been breached at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale and is the third highest price ever achieved at a European breeze up sale.
Bidding for the colt, who had done a spectacular breeze, was initially a head to head between Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian and KHK Racing’s manager Chris Wall before Anthony Stroud, bidding on behalf of Godolphin, joined in. Joorabchian, who was stood alongside agent Alex Elliot, was in a determined mood but didn’t counter Stroud’s bid of 1,000,000 guineas.
The colt was sold by Roderic Kavanagh's Glending Stables and it is the second consecutive year that the consignor has topped the Craven Breeze Up Sale, following the sale of VANDEEK for 625,000 guineas at last year's renewal. The sale represented a massive result for Kavanagh having purchased the son of GALILEO at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale for 125,000 guineas, the same sale at which he purchased VANDEEK the previous year.
"We all thought he is a very nice horse, and he is the last horse by Galileo to go through public auction. He breezed very well," commented Stroud. "He came from the same hotel as Vandeek. The colt deserved to do well and he did well. When two people really want a horse then it can make any price, it is great for the breeze up sale."
Of the future path for the colt, Stroud said: "Charlie Appleby and the boss make the decisions regarding the onward plans, I leave it up to them."
Kavanagh was stunned to once again hit the jackpot and commented: "It is incredible, and for Amo to go that far, I had no expectations of that and for KHK and Godolphin to relay showed what they thought it would take to buy him. It is beyond our dreams.
"He has done very well, he is a natural athlete. The last month has been tense because we have thought that he was something special." Recalling the yearling purchase decision he revealed: "When this horse came up, we could feel that there was a possibility to buy something that was that unique. We did feel that we had nicked him when we bought him, and you start looking around and wondering what is wrong with him.
"I reckon that was why we could buy him, people thought there might be something missing from the puzzle. But there wasn't and when the vet came back with the green light, we were 'Wow this is a unique opportunity'.
"But it was a lot of money for us to give. We probably would not have spent that sum if we had not sold Vandeek so well last year, he has been a life-changing horse. We are privileged to be selling horses, to get our hands on horses like this. Hopefully, he will be as good as the last one."
Debut Consignors Station Yard Sell Blue Point Colt for 800,000 Guineas
Francesca and Charlie Poste, consigning as Station Yard, made a Park Paddocks sales ring debut that may never be matched after their BLUE POINT colt sold for 800,000 guineas to Anthony Stroud, bidding on behalf of Godolphin. The couple have long sold point-to-pointers, doing especially well at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sales, but last autumn decided to diversify and purchased a draft of yearlings to breeze this spring.
This colt by last year's leading first crop sire BLUE POINT out of the SPEIGHTSTOWN mare PLATINUM COAST was part of the bunch, having been purchased by Poste with help from Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Biggs for €78,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale.
After receiving congratulations from everyone, ex-National Hunt jockey Charlie Poste said: "Francesca and I are absolutely over the moon, we can't believe it! I supposed we had the right people involved. It is far more of a kick than I ever got riding a winner, and the whole team at home has done an amazing job.
"We have to thank the syndicate who backed us, especially as we have no pedigree for doing this. Tom Biggs helped buy him, and mates such as Mark Grant helped us through the whole process. I was nervous before they breezed as I did not want to be embarrassed, Francesca and I pride ourselves on doing these horses well, and the fact that he pitched up and did what he did, and he galloped as straight as a gun barrel and was seriously quick - he backed up what we had seen at home.
"But the truth of the matter is we are used to training point-to-pointers and me thinking he is fast might not mean a whole heap - it is a long time since I was riding at Richard Fahey's as an apprentice! But he came and showed us that we were spot on."
Of the idea to sell some breeze up horses he explained: "We had been interested in it for a while, but lacked the capital. Some mates suggested it to us in the spring, Francesca and I said we were interested, we met up and we got a syndicate together. It meant we could be involved without having to risk an enormous amount of capital which we don't have."
He added: "We have loved the process, and a change is as good as a rest! It has been seriously exciting for us, for all the team at home to be involved and I didn't think in my wildest dreams it would end up like this at our first go.
"We are definitely not going to neglect the pointers, National Hunt is our major passion, but it would be folly not to do this a bit more. We just want to do something that, if we do a job well, we are going to get our due rewards, and we got that and more this evening."
Kingman Colt to Godolphin for 800,000 Guineas
Godolphin also secured the KINGMAN colt out of the Listed winning mare PURE EXCELLENCE for 800,000 guineas after Anthony Stroud saw off the effort of Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown. The half-brother to the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner PARENT’S PRAYER was sold by Eddie O’Leary’s Lynn Lodge Stud.
O'Leary said: "I am delighted. I think he’s a very, very talented horse and the mare has already produced a stakes winner by the stallion. I knew he was very popular, he vetted well and he has a temperament that you just can’t buy. He’s unflappable. I hope he’s half as talented as I think he is because I think he’s a very, very good horse. I wish the new owners the very best of luck."
Godolphin, who purchased Champion two-year-old and Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner NATIVE TRAIL at this sale in 2021, ended the sale as the leading purchaser, securing four lots for 3,125,000 guineas.
Tally-Ho Stud’s Persian King Colt Realises 600,000 Guineas
Stroud Coleman’s Anthony Stroud struck again a few lots later when going to 600,000 guineas to secure the PERSIAN KING colt out of the PACO BOY mare ROBANNE. The Tally-Ho Stud consigned colt is a half-brother to the Listed winner RITOURNELLE and was purchased as a foal for €80,000.
"This colt is for KHK and is going to be trained by Richard Fahey," revealed Stroud. "You never know where you are going to find a really good one. I am pleased with the evening's work, we are very lucky to have owners who spend this sort of money. It is all about these owners who make this commitment, and we need to be congratulating these people who give us these orders."
A pleased Roger O'Callaghan said: "We really like Persian King as a sire, we tried to buy him ourselves but they would not sell. This is a cracking horse.”
KHK Strike for Havana Grey Filly at 525,000 Guineas
In a mirror of yesterday’s sale, Greenhills Farm’s Katie Walsh was celebrating again when her HAVANA GREY filly sold for 525,000 guineas to the bid of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock’s Anthony Stroud on behalf of KHK Racing. The Bahraini owner will be hoping that history repeats itself having bought VANDEEK, also by HAVANA GREY, at last year’s Craven Breeze Up Sale via Stroud.
Stroud said: "Obviously we did very well last year, this is a very nice filly who breezed very well. We have the connection with Havana Grey, it was a great deal of money but sometimes you have to stretch for the ones you like. It was more than anticipated, but the owners are very supportive of this sale and have done very well historically at the sale. She goes to Simon and Ed Crisford."
Katie Walsh was visibly emotional after the sale, and after finishing speaking on the phone to her dad, said: "I am emotional tonight, it is unbelievable, it has been a great couple of days and been really special.
"I understand how hard it is, for the last couple of weeks I have been saying 'Jesus, I can't have two of them!' It is so hard to get one, let alone two! I didn't really say it out loud, but quietly thought it at home, as we all did.
"I ride a lot of them at home, but all the lads in the yard have prepared them so well, and the pair of these seemed to have something special. Her sire is on fire and the whole thing worked."
Walsh did not buy the daughter of IFFRAAJ mare LADY MACDUFF as a yearling, she was instead purchased by Mags O'Toole and Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale for 80,000 guineas, and Walsh explained the connection:
"Myself and Ross were at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, and I liked her and they liked her too - Norman bought her and she has been with me since the hammer fell. He used to do fillies back in the day and I said I am better with the girls, I'll take her!"
She added: "It is a dream!"
Chairman’s Statement
At the conclusion of the 2024 Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;
“Above all we would like to congratulate every single consignor and all associated with the way in which they coped with the extreme weather conditions which we encountered on the morning of the Breeze. The professionalism, both human and equine, shone through the persistent wind and rain and it has been wonderful to see some memorable pinhooking triumphs despite the adversity.
“The Craven Breeze Up Sale has produced the best British two year olds of their generation in two of the last three years as well as two Guineas winners and the global participation this week reflects the sale’s reputation as a prolific source of Group 1 performers. Domestic British and Irish buyers have been joined by a strong contingent from throughout the Gulf region, with Saudi connections particularly prominent, and American participation, which has been such a feature of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale in recent years, has also been notable.
“Obviously the outstanding GALILEO colt selling for 1 million guineas, the second highest price ever for a Craven Breeze Up two year old and the third highest in Europe, was the highlight of the sale and the second consecutive year that Roderic Kavanagh’s Glending Stables has topped the sale which is a remarkable achievement. As a 125,000 guineas yearling purchase only 5 months ago the colt was a truly spectacular pinhooking achievement and there were numerous other notable successes which reflect the outstanding professionalism of the consignors. It should be noted, however, that while the key metrics of average and median compare well with last year’s record-breaking sale, the clearance rate has fallen short and there has been a selectivity to the trade which should not be overlooked. There has been no shortage of competition, both domestic and international, at the top of the market and a record number of lots selling for 500,000 guineas or more, but the lower levels of the market have not matched the robust demand at the higher end. Nevertheless, we are confident that this year’s Craven Breeze Up Sale will prove to be an abundant source of high-class racehorses to follow in the illustrious footsteps of CACHET, NATIVE TRAIL and VANDEEK.”
