Meadowview's midas touch on show with 140,000gns Tattersalls top lot

It hasn't all been plain sailing for breeze-up consignors this year, but the Slattery family of Meadowview Stables in Killenaule had 140,000 reasons to celebrate on Wednesday after their Excelebration colt topped a solid Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale when bought by Alan King and Highflyer Bloodstock's Anthony Bromley.

The colt brought a tidy bit of pinhooking profit, having been picked up by Meadowview for €18,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale.

And though the farm's Brian Slattery reported the youngster has always shown considerable talent throughout his preparation, his elated reaction spoke volumes about his delight at securing the sales-topping sum of 140,000gns.

"He's always been a very nice horse," he said. "He was in a league of his own here but he's always looked like a very good horse since the moment he was broken. You never know quite how it'll work out at the sales, but we knew we had a really nice product and two of the best agents in the world went at it so I'm very happy."

The sale-topping Excelebration colt breezes up the Rowley MileCredit: Laura Green

Past Meadowview graduates include the likes of My Dream Boat and Richmond Stakes winner Strike The Deal, and Slattery said he feels that Wednesday's top lot possesses just as much talent.

"We think he's very good," he said. "We were prepared to keep him if he didn't make a fair price, but a fair price is a lot less than what he's made! We've sold 11 breeze-up horses this year and we've three left to go to Fairyhouse. It's a family run business so it's great to have days like this."

View full Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale results and stats

King has enjoyed some notable success from a relatively small number of Flat runners, with Coeur De Lion, Scarlet Dragon and Who Dares Wins providing the trainer with a hat-trick at this year's Royal Ascot.

King and Bromley's past breeze-up purchases include Tritonic, who ran second to Highland Chief in the Golden Gates Handicap during the royal meeting.

Anthony Bromley: 'He's got size and scope, the unfortunate thing is that he did a bit of a time during the breeze'Credit: Laura Green

"He was our favourite horse of the sale, though we didn't expect to have to go that far," said Bromley. "He's got size and scope, the unfortunate thing is that he did a bit of a time during the breeze. We don't buy on times but he clocked a quick time, and that's what made it harder for us."

Expanding on his approach to buying breeze-up horses, Bromley said: "We tend to go on the individual and a nice stride, but the vendors tell you how fast they've gone so you end up knowing about the times. I take a bit of confidence from David Redvers being the underbidder as he's a good judge, he's had much more success at the breeze-ups than I have."

King said the colt, a half-brother to four winners and from the further family of Falbrav, was bought on behalf of owners Max McNeill and Niall Farrell. "That price wouldn't buy you much of a National Hunt horse these days!" he added with a wry smile.

Dolmen in dream land

The previous lot into the ring also brought a six-figure sum, with Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock going to 105,000gns for the Make Believe filly out of Olivia Pope.

The filly was another to bring a handsome profit, having been picked up by the Dolmen Bloodstock team of Justin Timmons and Danny O'Donovan at just €10,000 at part two of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale.

"She did a cracking breeze and the right people were on her but that was more than we expected, although I think she deserved it," said a delighted Timmons. "The sire looks very good too. She's a very progressive filly and she has an engine on her. A good judge bought her too, which is great."

Justin Timmons: 'that was more than we expected'Credit: Laura Green

Dolmen Bloodstock is based at Ballysax Manor Stud on The Curragh, and O'Donovan added of the pair's set up: "We do it all ourselves; riding work, mucking out, the whole shebang!"

The filly, who is out of the winning Lilbourne Lad mare Olivia Pope and shares her page with the likes of Balmont Mast, Gregorian and Midnight Legend, was taking her third turn in the ring, having been pinhooked as a foal by FCJ Bloodstock at just €4,000.

The result continues a hot spell for Make Believe, with the Ballylinch Stud resident having supplied his breakthrough Group 1 winner when Mishriff landed the Prix du Jockey Club on Sunday.

Jake Warren on the Derby trail

Gestut Graditz stallion Lucky Lion has had just one representative at this year's European breeze-up sales, though that number could well rise in future based upon the success the Tally-Ho Stud-consigned colt enjoyed having gone the way of Jake Warren for 95,000gns.

A son of High Chaparral, Lucky Lion defeated Noble Mission when landing the Grosser Bayerisches Zuchtrennen and also won the German 2,000 Guineas and finished second in the Deutsches Derby, and Warren said he expects his purchase to flourish during his own Classic season.

"To breeze as well as he did gave us tremendous confidence that he can make into a lovely horse," he said.

"The bulk of his career will come next year. Tally-Ho do a great job of educating their horses though, and if we get him into the right hands I wouldn't be surprised if we can have some fun with him this year. But this horse could win the Derby, he's got all the credentials to be a proper middle-distance horse next year."

Jake Warren: 'This horse could win the Derby'Credit: Laura Green

The colt, who is out of a placed Galileo mare and shares his page with rags-to-riches success story Pyledriver, was pinhooked by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for €21,000 at the BBAG September Yearling Sale.

Warren, who said his latest buy was sourced on behalf of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, said of the market during the European breeze-up circuit: "The market at the moment is allowing us to have a proper crack at the horses we really want to buy.

"Trade has been up and down, but without some key players in the market pushing hard, there are some opportunities. We've been oversubscribed for the horses we've bought for Highclere so far."

Tate bags 'standout' Kodiac filly

James Tate's former charge Far Above graced the cover of this year's Guineas Sale catalogue, and the Newmarket-based trainer has another graduate to look forward to having gone to 90,000gns for the Kodiac filly offered by Katie McGivern's Derryconnor Stud.

Tate said of his purchase: "She did a very fast time and I thought she was the standout filly in the sale; she's a very fast-looking filly. I'm not sure if she'll end up being the most expensive but I thought she was decent value at that and hopefully she'll be running in July. She's been bought for Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum."

The strong-looking filly boasted one of the catalogue's stronger pages, being out of the Group 3-winning Fair Nashwan, which also makes her a half-sister to the Listed-winning Fair Dubawi.

James Tate collects the docket for the Kodiac filly out of Fair NashwanCredit: Laura Green

The filly was another to take her third turn through the sales ring on Wednesday, having first been signed for by the Fairway Partners at 65,000gns as a foal, before being bought back by her vendor Nafferty Stud at 42,000gns at the yearling sales.

"She clocked the fastest time in the breeze and she's a lovely filly who's very straightforward," said McGivern, whose previous Guineas Sale graduates include the smart Daban.

"I hope she's a stakes filly for her new owner, she's got loads of ability. She's been very straightforward from day one and the good ones are generally easy to work with, that's the case in my barn anyway. She was always a powerful filly, she's always looked like a colt and she's ready to run."

Reflecting on the state of trade across the breeze-up season, McGivern said: "I've sold everything I've offered so far and there's been great trade at every sale I've been at.

"It's been no different to any other year, bar the precautions we have to take, but, for me, there's a good, solid market at every level. That's not always the case at the breeze-ups but it seems to be this year."

Quinn seeing Stars again

John Quinn has enjoyed some notable results with the progeny of Starspangledbanner sourced at the breeze-up sales, having won the 2014 Coventry Stakes and Prix Morny with The Wow Signal. The Malton-based trainer now has another son of the Coolmore sire to go to war with after his son and assistant trainer Sean went to 77,000gns for Knockanglass Stables' offering.

"He did a very pleasing breeze and what I liked most is that he got stronger as the breeze went on," said Sean Quinn. "I didn't have any intention of buying a breeze-up horse but he caught my eye so I discussed it with dad and we decided he'd be a good addition."

Quinn went on to explain that he hadn't been on the Rowley Mile when the colt, whose dam is out of a Listed-winning half-sister to Cherry Hinton scorer Dazzle, but said the video evidence of that two-furlong workout piqued his interest.

"I watched the breeze at home," he said. "It can be a long week if you're down here for the whole thing and we're very busy at home at the moment. I watched it online and John [Kilbride] was here and he watched it live and gave me a bit of help.

"He's been bought for an existing owner in the yard, so he's happy. Starspangledbanner is a very good stallion and this looks like a nice horse. He's a very late April foal so we'll get him home and see how he is, but there's certainly no rush with the horse, we'll just let him tell us."

The colt was making his third appearance in the sales ring and duly turned a tidy profit, having gone unsold at 22,000gns as a foal before he fetched 16,000gns from Kilronan at Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale.

Tylicki lands a touch

Freddy Tylicki was also among the pinhookers to turn a profit on the day when a Lawman colt he picked up for 28,000gns was sold on to budding trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy for 72,000gns through CH Thoroughbreds.

"He's a strong and very attractive colt," said De Foy, who is currently assistant trainer to James Fanshawe.

"He showed himself very well so I'm very happy to buy him. I'm setting up my own yard towards the end of the year so I might train himself or he might go abroad first."

Freddy Tylicki: pinhooked lot 76Credit: Laura Green

The colt, who is out of a winning daughter of Cheveley Park Stakes third Royal Shyness, was offered by up-and-coming consignor Cian Hughes, whose talents have been well advertised in the jumps sphere by Supreme Novices’ Hurdle third Chantry House.

"He has a good pedigree and he’s a horse for the future," said Hughes. "He’ll benefit from a bit of time and should be a nice three-year-old - he’s a very good physical. Freddy bought him as a yearling - I pretrained a couple for him through the winter too - and I’m delighted with this result for him."

Final figures

By the close of trade, 94 of 116 offered lots had sold for a clearance rate of 81 per cent. Turnover stood at 2,680,000gns - down 23 per cent year-on-year, albeit from 19 per cent fewer lots than were offered in 2019. The average was up by one per cent to 28,510gns and the median was down by 28 per cent to 17,250gns.

Eight of the sold lots were purchased online, with those transactions totalling 177,500gns. Five other lots were underbid by online participants, with 57 internet bids accepted on 23 lots from 17 different bidders.

In his end-of-sale statement, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said: "In the current climate we are all looking to accentuate the positives and I think we can reflect on solid if unspectacular trade at this year’s renewal of the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up. This is, however, a year where 'solid if unspectacular' is a positive outcome and we would like to thank all those who have participated at today's sale for their contribution.

"The buyers have worked incredibly hard and the breeze-up consignors have had to endure uniquely difficult conditions in the run up to the 2020 breeze-up sales season, but ultimately everyone can look back on sales which have largely exceeded expectations.

"It has been challenging staging events of this nature with the prevailing Covid-19 related regulations still in place but, despite continued travel restrictions, today's Guineas Breeze-Up has seen demand from throughout the world including Australia, Bahrain, Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Kuwait, Qatar and Spain.

"The international demand has been accompanied by spirited bidding from the domestic British and Irish buyers and has resulted in some notable pinhooking successes, while the overseas buyers have made use of every possible means at their disposal to participate in the sale, including extensive use of our new live internet bidding platform as well as telephone bidding.

"It is a tribute to the resilience of the global bloodstock market that we continue to experience this level of international demand and we expect to see further widespread use of the live internet bidding platform at our two-day July Sale which commences tomorrow morning at 10am."

More sales news:

Entente cordiale prevails as £650,000 War Front filly tops Arqana Breeze-Up Sale

Goffs UK breathes life back into breeze-up market as £290,000 Kingman colt stars

Jump jockey Andrew Lynch lands a £165,000 touch at Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale