'He looks a pretty cool horse' - Tom Ward on his £100,000 Arqana acquisition

Trade unsurprisingly proved competitive at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale but trainer Tom Ward was delighted to come home with "two nice horses", including a Dark Angel full-brother to last year's Prix Morny third Rhythm Master.

The up-and-coming Lambourn-based trainer has enjoyed a good start to his 2021 campaign, and hopes are high for his two new purchases, which were snapped up alongside Stroud Coleman for £100,000 and £58,000.

As a brother to the high-class Rhythm Master, the Yeomanstown Stud-consigned son of Dark Angel and the Group-placed Pastoral Pursuits mare Pastoral Girl showed plenty of talent in his breeze. Ward is excited for the £100,000 colt's future.

He said: "The Dark Angel is for an existing client who's very loyal to us.

"He's impeccably bred, his full-brother has been very useful and the mare was pretty good herself. He looked to breeze nicely, he looked to have needed a bit of company in the breeze, so in future I think there'll be plenty of upside to him.

Tom Ward picked up a full-brother to Rhythm Master at the Arqana Breeze-Up SaleCredit: John Grossick

"He looks a pretty cool horse and Dark Angel is a consistent stallion. He's got a great temperament and hopefully can do a good job for us."

Ward was also in action when signing the docket for Shanaville Stables' Make Believe colt - a half-brother to the Grade 1-placed jumper Max's Spirit - and from the family of Princess Elizabeth Stakes scorer Anna Nerium and Prix d'Aumale winner Middle Club.

He continued: "He was bought on spec but we've already got people interested.

"He's a lovely horse, some of his family have gone jumping, and I would love to have a good year with him. If he went the right way next year he'd be worth a bit to go jumping.

"He did a good breeze and was a lovely mover - I think he's a horse who will improve in time. His sire is really starting to get going in Europe and he's a cool stallion."

Ward, who was previously assistant trainer to Richard Hannon before branching out on his own in 2019, and is having the best month of his career with six winners so far, was also upbeat about the rearranged sale, adding there was plenty of quality on show.

He said: "There are more standouts - as you'd expect from an Arqana breeze-up - and there's money around, which is key, and I think on the whole there's a lot more quality here.

"They're really standing up and seem to be selling for the right prices."

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