'It's what we do it for' - Stormin' Norman helps Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale end on a 625,000gns high

The market erupted during the dying embers of the Tattersalls Craven Sale on Wednesday as not one but two lots brought a headline sum of 625,000gns. Anthony Stroud was among those working a late shift at Park Paddocks and his perseverance was rewarded as the pair, who came into the ring one after another, both went his way. 

Stroud was joined by David Loder to secure the second of the brace, with the Blue Point colt out of Group 3 Balanchine Stakes scorer Most Beautiful set to race in the Godolphin blue. Dubai-based trained Satish Seemar was consigned to the role of underbidder. 

The colt was offered by Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm, who sold three-time Group 1 hero Native Trail to the same connections at this sale two years ago. 

“He was bought for Godolphin and will be trained by Charlie Appleby,” said Stroud. “We thought he did a good time and Norman Williamson is a fantastic consignor and we’ve done well with Native Trail. He fitted the profile, although it’s obviously a lot of money. He’s the only one we’ve bid on for Godolphin this week and we’re lucky to have him. The choke was out though as he cost more than I’d thought. What we’ve seen from Blue Point so far is encouraging.” 

Darley's Kildangan Stud resident Blue Point has enjoyed a highly productive spell with three early winners on the track and this colt helping the son of Shamardal to supply four of the top ten lots at the Craven Sale. 

Oak Tree Farm topped the consignors’ chart by average and aggregate as the three-strong draft sold for a combined 1,185,000gns. Reflecting on the sale of the Blue Point colt, Williamson said: “All spring I’ve had people telling me these Blue Points can fly and all the rest of it. I kept my powder dry because I knew I had one that really can fly! He wasn’t sold in the ring here as a yearling so I bought him privately afterwards and I've had only joy with him, he’s been fantastic. 

“Obviously he breezed really well and he’s a very good-looking horse. He seems sharper than something like Native Trail. He feels like a point and shoot type, to a point. I’m not one for five furlong horses, I don’t try to buy them, but when you come across one it just feels like ‘this is fast’." 

He continued: “It’s fantastic to sell to someone who listens to you like Charlie does. We don’t spend six months testing them without finding something out, and if you think the horses are good then they have to be treated properly to get to that level.” 

On the joint sales-topping price he added: “Of course you hope they’re going to make more than you think but we’re absolutely thrilled. It’s fantastic, it’s what we do it for. We’ve had bad days in the past too but we’ve had a great week. It’s been outstanding. The team at home does a great job.” 

Stroud also went to 625,000gns for the preceding lot, the Havana Grey colt from Glending Stables, on behalf of a different undisclosed client. Richard Brown filled the role of frustrated underbidder. 

The Glending Stables-consigned Havana Grey colt was the joint top lot on the second day of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up SaleCredit: Laura Green

The colt, who reportedly clocked the fastest two-furlong time during the pre-sale breeze, capped a productive day for another young stallion on the up in Whitsbury Manor's Havana Grey, whose daughter Mammas Girl maintained her unbeaten record with an impressive victory in the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes. 

“He did a very good time, he’s by a very promising stallion and this looks a very nice horse,” said Stroud, who was unable to reveal where the colt would be trained. “He looked like a two-year-old type. Havana Grey has done fantastic and obviously he had the filly winning today.” 

The six-figure transaction helped Glending Stables land an almighty touch as the youngster, a sibling to four winners and from the family of Anabaa, was sourced by Rodgie Kavanagh and Cormac O’Flynn for just 42,000gns during the December Yearling Sale. 

“He’s by a decent stallion, is a good-looking horse and thankfully he can run,” said a gob-smacked Kavanagh. “We always hoped he’d do something like this as his homework has been great and the stars aligned with the sire having a Nell Gwyn winner today. You hope all the buyers are going to pitch up but obviously it’s late in the sale and it looked a bit lonely but in fairness they all got there on time. There were some great judges on him.” 

Those transactions helped an expanded Craven Sale offering generate a record level of turnover at 15,357,500gns, a 29 per cent year-on-year increase (lots offered up by 24 per cent). The average price rose by five per cent to 121,885gns while the median slipped by 11 per cent to 80,000gns. A stronger second session helped to shore up the clearance rate to some degree as 126 lots sold across the two days at a clip of 76 per cent. 

Radcliffe strikes for ‘beautiful’ Night Of Thunder filly 

When two-year-olds boasted pedigree, physique and a promising breeze then vendors invariably got well paid. All three of those boxes were ticked by the Night Of Thunder half-sister to Rumble Inthejungle who duly sold to Kerri Radcliffe for 600,000gns. 

Radcliffe had to see off a determined challenge from the Najd Stud team to land the Grove Stud-consigned youngster, but once she had the youngster became the second-most expensive filly in Craven Sale history. That particular title belongs to the Listed-placed Divine Spirit who was bought by Godolphin for 850,000gns in 2019. 

Grove Stud's Night Of Thunder filly out of Guana lights up the second day of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up SaleCredit: Laura Green

“She’s a beautiful filly physically, she’s got the pedigree, so she’s got residual value, and she comes from a great consignor,” said Radcliffe. “She did a lovely breeze. It wasn’t one of the quickest times, that’s not what I buy. I like to buy something that finishes well. When she hit the rising ground she took off and that's what you want to see. I saw her in February and loved her and she’s done very well physically since then. We’ll see how good she is but hopefully she’ll be very good and hopefully she’ll be an Ascot filly. If she’s not it’s not a problem, though.” 

Radcliffe said plans for her purchase remained fluid but added that she was aiming to source more two-year-olds on behalf of her undisclosed client in the not too distant future. She said: “She’s for a new client who’s based in London. We’ve bought quite a few in America so far and we’ll be buying quite a few in America next week. 

“We don’t know where she’s going to go yet but she could either stay in Britain, go to France or there’s a chance she could go to America as there’s plenty of good turf trainers over there. I have to get on a plane to Florida to go to Ocala in the morning so I’ll have plenty of time to think about it!” 

The filly, whose four winning siblings also include the Group 2-placed Great Prospector, was pinhooked by Grove Stud’s Brendan Holland for €90,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale, where she was offered by breeder Patrick Gleeson. 

Kerri Radcliffe: "She could either stay in Britain, go to France or there’s a chance she could go to America."Credit: Laura Green

“It’s a great result for the farm,” said Holland. “I loved her as a yearling and Night Of Thunder is a top-class sire. She comes from a really fast family and it’s quite hard to buy something that’s got speed all the way through the page, which she has. I didn’t dream I’d get the result I got today but we’ve spent all spring thinking she’s the best filly we’ve had since Rosdhu Queen.

“As a May foal she’s just kept improving but she could always run. The running bit came easy to her. On reflection she looks good value [as a yearling] but on the day 90 grand for any yearling to pinhook is no small price. Hindsight is 20-20 so of course she looks good value now, but they’re only good value when they can run.” 

Although Najd Stud missed out on the Night Of Thunder filly they enjoyed better fortune earlier in the day when Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Abdulaziz’s outfit secured a Blame colt from Gaybrook Lodge Stud at 220,000gns. The colt, out of an unraced War Front sister to the US Grade 3 scorer Bombard, was pinhooked by JB Bloodstock for $80,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

No Nay leads the way as Brown and Donald clash

As well as one of the joint top lots, Oak Tree Farm also presented the early highlight on day two as the No Nay Never brother to Listed scorer Servalan brought 340,000gns shortly before 6.30pm. 

Richard Brown, hidden away down the back stairs, and Alastair Donald, on the phone by the far partition, went head to head over the striking colt. But, just when the former party appeared to have won out with a bid of 320,000gns, Richard Hughes appeared in the crowded gangway and raised the stakes to 330,000gns. 

Hughes’ run proved short lived, however, and when Brown fired back at 340,000gns the gavel came down in favour of the Blandford Bloodstock man. 

"I’m delighted as I didn’t buy a horse last night," said Brown. "I felt the better horses were tonight, and that’s always a brave strategy but hopefully it’ll pay off. He’s a lovely horse, though I think he’s going to need some time. He’s a big horse but he’s not even two yet, so to breeze the way he did, given his birthday, I thought was pretty sensational. He’s a big-striding horse and he showed a great attitude, and he’s from a very, very good hotel - obviously." 

Breaking down the colt's appeal, Brown continued: "Everyone talks about times at the breeze-ups but he wasn’t a particularly fast horse but he did it in a very good style. 

The No Nay Never colt out of Catch The Eye leaves the ring at Tattersalls after selling to Blandford Bloodstock for 340,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

"He wasn’t slow but he was born on May 16 so he’s nearly a month off his second birthday. I’m viewing him as a seven furlong or miler. He’s a big horse and still a baby so he shouldn’t really be able to do what he did. We’ll give him a good bit of time and hopefully we’ll see him in the summer or autumn. He’s been bought for an existing client but I don’t know who’ll train him yet. He’ll certainly stay in Europe though, it’ll either be someone in Britain or France." 

The colt was making his second appearance at public auction and provided connections with a handsome return having been signed for by Mags O’Toole and Oak Tree Farm at €87,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale. 

Brown and Donald clashed again later in the session with the same outcome as the Blandford Bloodstock man landed the Blue Point filly out of Immediate from Kilminfoyle House Stud at 350,000gns. 

“She’s gorgeous, she’s a beautiful filly,” said Brown. “I think she’ll need a little bit of time, I don’t think we’ll try and make her into an Ascot filly but we’ll see. We’ll let whoever is going to train her decide that. 

“She did a good breeze but neither of the horses we bought are absolute blitzers, she just did it in a really good style and I can’t imagine she’d have liked that ground because she has a low action. It’s a good Juddmonte family and Blue Point could be a bit special so I’m delighted to get one. She’s for the same client [as the No Nay Never] and will be trained in either Britain or France.” 

The filly hails from the family of King’s Stand Stakes scorer Prohibit and was pinhooked by JC Bloodstock at 70,000gns at Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale. 

Buyers get to the Point

Blue Point supplied another noteworthy lot when Jason Kelly got the better of Marco Botti at 250,000gns to secure the colt out of Bitter Lake. That eye-catching price provided consignor Mark Grant with his biggest sales ring success to date. 

Mark Grant Racing's colt by Blue Point takes his turn in the sales ring at Tattersalls before making 250,000gns to Jason Kelly Credit: Laura Green

The colt, a three-parts brother to the Listed-place Loch Lundie out of a half-sister to Fillies’ Mile scorer Lyric Of Light, also supplied a chunky bit of pinhooking profit having been sourced for €75,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale. 

“He’s a gorgeous horse and, even though it’s still early days, the stallion looks like he’s doing the business and could be very smart,” said Kelly. “He’s a three-parts brother to a black type-placed horse already so he’s got it on the dam side too. He’s for a good friend of mine called Frank Gillespie. He’s had some luck before and hopefully we can have a bit more with this horse.” 

Expanding on what caught his eye about the youngster, Kelly added: “He’s a big horse but he breezed nicely. I liked how he sustained his gallop. It was tough going at the breeze but he got through it well for a big horse and finished off strongly, and that’s what I like to see. He’ll go into training with David O’Meara. We’ll get him back and see how he is but there’s no immediate plans.”

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