‘I’ve been in horses all my life and I’ve never had anything like that’ - dreams come true in Doncaster as major pedigree update sees Tasleet colt sell for £350,000

“I’ve been in horses all my life in one way or another and I’ve never had anything like that,” said a stunned Paul Giles after seeing his well-related Tasleet colt bring £350,000 to top the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale on Wednesday. 

The colt had been the talk of the sales ground after his three-parts brother Cool Hoof Luke landed the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes five days earlier. That wasn’t the only source of optimism to be found on the Knavesmire last week either, as Tasleet’s reputation was also enhanced when Bradsell added his name to the Nunthorpe roll of honour. 

They say timing is everything, but the stars started to align for the man from Moyfinn Stud when Giles purchased the dam, Dutch Monument, with the sales-topping colt in utero for just 15,000gns in November 2022.

That sort of bargain sum was completely eclipsed by events in the Doncaster ring on Wednesday as a marathon bidding battle added the latest chapter to this remarkable story. 

Amanda Skiffington: "We hoped he’d cost a bit less, but with that update last week he was never going to be cheap"Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

Amanda Skiffington, standing with owner Fiona Carmichael and trainer Ed Bethell, was involved from the off. Initially it was Anthony Bromley who took Skiffington on, but when the price reached £230,000 the Highflyer Bloodstock agent gave an unambiguous shake of the head. 

No sooner had Bromley been turned away than Oliver St Lawrence appeared in the gangway below and raised a single finger to signal a counter offer of his own. 

However, when Carmichael and Skiffington continued to signal £10,000 increases St Lawrence turned on his heel and exited the scene. “Don’t get shot running away,” called auctioneer Bernard Condren, but when it became clear no response was forthcoming the gavel fell at £350,000. 

Skiffington described the bidding battle as “horrible”, saying: “It was scary because I thought I knew who I’d be up against – and I was. We hoped he’d cost a bit less, but with that update last week he was never going to be cheap.” 

The agent, who confirmed that Bethell would be tasked with training the six-figure colt, added: “He’s a lovely individual and has the pedigree too. I happen to love Dutch Art mares as well. There was a lot I really liked about the horse. The whole team loved him.” 

Henry Beeby congratulates Paul Giles after the £350,000 sale of his Tasleet colt Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

After receiving congratulations from a throng of well-wishers, Giles shared his perspective on proceedings, saying: “That sort of money was what I dreamed of, it’s not what I expected. You have to pinch yourself a bit. I’ve been in horses all my life in one way or another and I’ve never had anything like that. Matter of fact, the price I got for the other horse [£68,000, Lot 318] before was one of the biggest prices I’d ever got in my life. It’s been a good day’s business.” 

The breeder is unlikely to have ever had such an enjoyable trip from his County Meath base to South Yorkshire, as he explained he watched Cool Hoof Luke’s York victory while crossing the Irish Sea. 

“I was on the boat and we were telling a chap on there that there was a race we’d like to watch at three o’clock,” he said. “There was no coverage on the boat but the next thing the fella called us over and told us he had the race on his laptop, so that’s where we watched it.” 

Giles also cast his mind back to November 2022 to explain the backstory to the purchase of Dutch Monument from the New England Stud draft during the Tattersalls December Sales. 

“I was in Newmarket and I was looking for a mare for my two nephews and maybe myself,” he said. “I was looking for three days but everything we picked out went out of our reach. This mare caught my eye when she was coming around the parade ring, then she caught my eye again so I asked the boys what they thought. We took her out, had a look, and asked what the reserve was. Thankfully she fell within budget. It was just a stroke of luck.” 

The Tasleet three-parts brother to Cool Hoof Luke during his £350,000 sale to Amanda SkiffingtonCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

He added: “We were saying in the spring, wouldn’t it be great if Cool Hoof Luke won. Then when he was fourth at Ascot [in the Coventry Stakes] and we thought, ‘God that’s great, would he ever get to win one?’ And that’s the way it’s worked out.”

Dutch Monument, a Dutch Art sibling to three black-type winners in Italy, is in foal to Kodiac. She raced just once for Cheveley Park Stud and Richard Fahey before she was sold to Tony Nerses, breeder of Cool Hoof Luke, for just 2,000gns in 2019. 

Despite the scale of Wednesday’s sales success, Giles’ breeding operation is very much at the smaller end of the scale. 

“I own a half-share in this mare with my nephew, Patrick Giles,” he said. “There’s only four Flat mares on the farm and I don’t even own the four of them.” 

Asked what he would do with the proceeds of the big-money transaction, Giles said: “I would love to buy more land but that [money] won’t go far in Ireland, so we’ll probably try to buy another mare. I’ll pay my bills first!” 

Tasleet spent the first five years of his stallion career at Shadwell’s Nunnery Stud but transferred to Star Born Stud in the Punjab, India, for the 2024 breeding season.

St Lawrence strikes back

St Lawrence may have missed out on the day’s headline lot but he did not leave Doncaster empty-handed. Later in the piece he went to £220,000 for the Starman colt out of Merci Layan from Monksland Stables, leaving Ed Sackville to fill the role of frustrated underbidder. 

The colt is a half-brother to the Listed-placed Assertively, while his dam is a sibling to three black-type winners, including Group 1 scorer Queen Supreme. 

The Starman colt who fetched £220,000 in the Doncaster ring on WednesdayCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“He stood out for us, he was the colt we wanted the most,” said St Lawrence, whose purchase was made on behalf of Fawzi Nass’s Bahraini clients. 

“I know we bid more for the Tasleet but he was just a lovely moving colt. The Starmans are quite big horses, some of them look very big for Doncaster, Doncaster traditionally has smaller horses. We’re taking a risk on him being a good stallion but there’s some nice ones around.” 

Starman stood his first season at Tally-Ho Stud at a fee of €17,500. The July Cup-winning son of Dutch Art had 25 offspring change hands in Doncaster at an average of £52,360. St Lawrence’s purchase was the most expensive yearling by a first-crop sire to sell at this year’s Premier Sale. 

St Lawrence’s name appeared on the docket of seven lots across the two days, with his spend reaching £652,000. 

On the state of trade in South Yorkshire, St Lawrence said: “The market is stronger than I thought it was going to be and there’s a bit more depth than I’d expected. I’m sure it’s tricky for some vendors but I thought this week could have been really challenging. It gives one hope for the rest of the sales season.” 

Tally-Ho on top

The O’Callaghan family’s Tally-Ho Stud was comfortably the sale’s leading vendor, with 25 sold lots from 25 offered generating receipts worth £1,610,000. The priciest of the group was a Starman filly who sold to Daniel Creighton of Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock at £185,000. 

The youngster is the third foal out of Lady Aria, a daughter of Kodiac who finished runner-up in the Group 3 Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes in the colours of Amo Racing. The mare joined the Tally-Ho Stud broodmare band at a cost of 160,000gns in 2019. 

The Starman filly bought for £185,000 on WednesdayCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

Creighton confirmed his purchase was heading into training with Karl Burke for Fenerbahçe winger Ryan Kent. 

“We came here to try to buy a horse for Royal Ascot next year,” said Creighton. “She ticked a lot of boxes on pedigree, it’s a very fast family with a load of two-year-olds. I’ve been impressed by the Starmans that I’ve seen here and she stood out. I was underbidder on the big Showcasing colt earlier [Lot 316] but I was trying to keep a bit back for this one. Hopefully it pays off; we’ll find out next year.” 

Kent’s thoroughbred portfolio extends to six horses in training and two broodmares who board with Creighton at Salcey Forest Stud. 

Friends reunited for Fahey

There are few more potent combinations than Richard Fahey and sons of Iffraaj. The trainer has overseen the Group 1-winning careers of both Ribchester and Wootton Bassett, the latter of whom has developed into an elite stallion. 

Wootton Bassett was unearthed in Doncaster by Bobby O’Ryan back in 2009, and the agent gave team Fahey strict instructions not to leave Wednesday’s session without Weylands Stud’s Iffraaj colt out of an unraced sister to Limato. Fahey followed his orders by securing the sought after youngster on a bid of £150,000. 

‘Don’t leave the sale without the Iffraaj’ was the instruction - and it was duly followed!Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“The last thing Bobby O’Ryan said before he left yesterday was, ‘Don’t leave the sale without the Iffraaj,’” said Fahey. “The last Iffraaj he bought us here was Wootton Bassett. He actually gave more for Wootton Bassett than he was supposed to!” 

The Iffraaj colt is set to carry the colours of Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah. 

Two colts from Starman’s debut crop are making their way to Musley Bank, including a £105,000 youngster out of a Listed-placed No Nay Never mare from Tally-Ho Stud. 

“We were mad about him,” said Peter Fahey. “We bought another by the sire too; they’ve got a bit of size and scope, so we’re fans. They look hardy and tough and Tally-Ho don’t get it wrong very often.”

Eco flex buying power 

Up-and-coming ownership vehicle Eco Power Racing secured two six-figure lots through agent John Kilbride on Wednesday at a combined cost of £265,000. 

The more expensive of the pair was the Havana Grey colt out of Guarded Secret who fetched £140,000 when offered by Whatton Manor Stud on behalf of Denniff Farms. The February-born foal, whose page features names like Kachy and Beat The Bank, was signed for alongside trainer Sean Quinn. 

This Havana Grey colt headed the way of Eco Power RacingCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

Earlier in the day Kilbride signed at £125,000 for a Blue Point colt set to head into training with Adrian Keatley. The six-figure youngster was another successful trade for Tally-Ho Stud, who pinhooked the colt last year at a cost of €43,000. 

“He’s for Eco Power Racing,” said Kilbride. “It’s a new partnership that’s making an entry into the market. They sponsor Doncaster racecourse and are getting involved in a yard in Malton. They’re looking to buy some nice horses to help their trajectory and the perception of the ownership brand. 

“This looks like a fast horse. Blue Point has done very well to date, and we’re hoping this'll be another good one for the sire. We didn’t expect to pay that much but we knew we’d have to have six figures to be serious about buying a horse by that sire from the home he came from, and with all the other moving parts of the package. We missed a few this week, but thankfully he fell into our budget.”

Kilbride’s signature appeared on the docket of five lots through the two-day sale, with his investments totalling £403,000.

Sale stats and reflections

Day two’s stats followed the trend set in motion during the opening session. Aggregate sales dropped by four per cent year-on-year to £6,714,000, while Wednesday’s average price fell by ten per cent to £38,810. The median also slid by 12 per cent to £30,000. The clearance rate on the second day was 79 per cent as 173 sold from 218 offered. 

With 27 six-figure lots and plenty of competition among buyers, particularly at the top end, the event generated an atmosphere that was not necessarily reflected by the wholesale declines in the end-of-sale figures.

Turnover was down by eight per cent at £14,972,500, while the average and median prices both dropped by 14 per cent compared to 12 months ago. The former figure was £39,610, with the latter at £30,000. At 82 per cent, the clearance rate was arguably the most solid market metric as 378 yearlings found a buyer from 460 offered.

Goffs UK’s managing director Tim Kent declared the company “perfectly satisfied” with trade in Doncaster, although acknowledged the unmistakable market selectivity on show.

Kent said: “We’re perfectly satisfied with the trade that we’ve witnessed across two solid days at the Premier Sale. The car parks have been full since Sunday morning and there was plenty of traffic through the yards in advance of the sale, so we were hopeful of a good trade but there was an understandable nervousness before we started. However, the nerves were quickly settled when the sale started strongly and it has continued in a similar vein from start to finish, which was a pleasant surprise for vendors, purchasers, and the sales company representatives.  

“The top of the market was particularly strong with 27 horses selling for £100,000 or more, while four yearlings sold for more than last year’s top price of £200,000, with the £350,000 top price being the third highest in the sale’s history – a fantastic result for the Moyfinn Stud team.

Tim Kent chats to Moyfinn Stud's Paul GilesCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“While we are proud of the 82 per cent clearance rate, it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge the continued selectivity within the market, and this was evidenced by some yearlings who didn’t ‘tick all the boxes’ being sold for a price which would have been unimaginable in the past. However, when you consider that there are a huge number of factors that determine the success of a sale, many of which are out of our control, I think we will look back on Premier at the end of the sales season and reflect on a very satisfactory two days in Doncaster.” 

Kent added: “Buyers this week are all eligible for Harry’s Half Million, which was run for the first time at York last week and had a prize fund of over £625,000. It has been great to hear so many people saying that they are buying with next year’s race in mind and we look forward to seeing these horses on the racecourse, while, more immediately, we will work towards the Goffs Orby Sale on October 1 to 4 which contains the only qualifiers for the Goffs Million plus the €1,000,000 worth of bonuses available to graduates of this sale. See you there!”

Read more

‘We never thought she’d make that much’ - small breeders land a big result as Havana Grey filly hits £240,000 in Doncaster