Kodiac all the rage again as £360,000 colt breaks auction record

Kodiac topped the bill at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale last year, when two of his sons both raised £170,000 before going on to win at Royal Ascot just a couple of months later. And once again it was the Tally-Ho stallion who was the talk of Town Moor on Wednesday, smashing the sale record at a figure that would have bought both Prince Of Lir and Ardad.

Dick O’Gorman, representing John Ferguson, paid £360,000 for a colt consigned by Kodiac’s own stud, beating the previous mark of £300,000 set in 2012. "He's for Godolphin," O'Gorman confirmed. "He did a very good breeze and is by a successful sire."

The colt, bought back as a yearling for €58,000 at the Orby sale, is out of the Noverre mare Sodashy, already dam of dual winner Ponty Royale. She is a half-sister to Cornwallis stakes winner Ponty Acclaim from the fast family of Bishops Court and Astonished.

"We bought him as a foal but couldn't sell him as a yearling," said Roger O'Callaghan of Tally-Ho. "He was a lovely horse, very easy, and we wish them all the best with him. In fairness to Donny, they've done a very good job, the buyers are here. But then after last year, people had to pay attention."

The previous record was held by another Tally-Ho graduate in Fire Eyes, a son of Exceed And Excel bought by David Redvers for Qatar Racing. He won first time out and was then Listed-placed on his next start but then lost his form.

Tally-Ho later sold a homebred Zebedee colt for £100,000 to Stephen Hillen and Kevin Ryan.

Brown the toast of two pinhookers

There was a tremendous result for pinhooker Justin Rea of Fairgreen Stables as his Lonhro colt, bought for $17,000 at Keeneland last September, sold for £210,000 to Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock.

Rea learnt his trade under Johnny Collins and, like his mentor, has enjoyed productive returns off his trips to America. Last year, for instance, he sold a Sidney's Candy filly here for £150,000.

"It's hard to believe," said Rea, "although I did think he would sell well. He was very professional here. Last year was the second year I went to Keeneland. I enjoy buying out there and came back with six."

The colt is from the final American crop of Lonhro, who shuttled briefly for Darley. He is a half-brother to a winner and out of a winning daughter of Queen Mary Stakes heroine Dance Parade.

Justin Rea pinhooked this Lonhro colt for $17,000 at KeenelandCredit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs UK

Brown also made the day of Michael Byrne of Knockgraffon Stables after paying £140,000 for a Tamayuz filly let go by Shadwell for just €12,000 at last year's Goffs Open Sale.

She is the first foal out of Arsheef, a dual-winning granddaughter of Listed winner Sarayir, dam of Ghanaati and Mawatheeq. Her fourth dam is Height Of Fashion, also the granddam of Tamayuz.

"She goes to John Gosden," said Brown. "I thought she did a very good breeze. She was very green at the beginning but finished well - the further she went the better she went and she galloped out very well.

"I think Tamayuz is an underrated stallion and her dam could run a bit too - she had an RPR of 97. She's also inbred to Height Of Fashion. If she got a bit of black-type, she would be a very valuable addition to a broodmare band."

Reflected glory for Whitehead

David Redvers is hoping that lightning will strike twice after going to £190,000 for a Showcasing filly from Tom Whitehead's Powerstown Stud. It was at this sale two years ago that Whitehead sold a Showcasing filly - and she turned out to be Quiet Reflection.

Bought for 37,000gns through the BBA Ireland at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Sale, this one the first foal out of 2010 Marygate Stakes winner Primo Lady.

"She did a sensational breeze and is by the right sire," Redvers said. "She looks precocious and strong and like everyone who's buying here, I hope she's a Royal Ascot two-year-old."

He added: "I haven't told him yet but hopefully she'll be going to Richard Hannon."

Redvers later went to £135,000 for a first-crop son of Tweenhills stallion Havana Gold. Sold by The Bloodstock Connection, the half-brother to Winter Derby winner Grendisar provided a fine return on the 22,000gns he cost through Jeremy Brummitt as a yearling.

Rock on a roll

Regardless of the success of Kodiac, the loss of Society Rock last year looks like proving a very tough one for Tally-Ho. His first yearlings made a big impression last autumn and now, less than two weeks into the turf season, he has already produced a brace of impressive winners in Rock Of Estonia, for Charlie Hills at Windsor on Monday, and Corinthia Knight, for Archie Watson at Lingfield the following day.

Such a start has naturally got people here talking, so it was no surprise to see the first two lots through by the stallion command their share of attention.

David Redvers was active in the Goffs UK market on WednesdayCredit: Sarah Farsnworth/Goffs UK

Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman had the winning say at £75,000 on a colt out of the unraced Gift Of Time, a €15,000 pinhook by H & H Bloodstock and a good start for vendor Thomond O'Mara of Knockanglass Stables.

Jamie Osborne was the underbidder on that colt but had better luck with the next lot through the ring, the Society Rock half-sister to none other than Ardad - for whom he outbid Sean Quinn at £70,000.

Hong Kong adding spice to market

The Hong Kong Jockey Club aren't normally strong players within the European breeze-up market but that looks set to change over the next couple of weeks.

They struck early with the purchase of another son of the inevitable Kodiac for £100,000. A brother to multiple winner Outback, he was bred by Lynn Lodge Stud out of an unraced Pennekamp half-sister to Group 2 winner Helen Of Spain and is from the further family of Bushranger.

"He was the one we most wanted after the breeze," said Mark Richards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. "He has a lovely professional way about him, a lovely walk, and it's nice he's a brother to a multiple winner. I liked him here as a yearling and was tempted then, and he's obviously gone the right way.

Richards added that the Club also plans to be active at next week's Tattersalls Craven Sale as well as the Arqana May Sale later in the season.

Swiss heir for Prince?

Swiss Spirit is another young stallion to have created a good early impression and Matt Coleman paid £78,000 for a colt out of triple winner Marmot Bay. Like last year's Norfolk Stakes winner Prince Of Lir, he will carry the colours of Peter Swann's Cool Silk Racing, a staunch supporter of this sale over the years.

"We bought Prince Of Lir here last year from Con Marnane, and Con said to me that this horse is this year's Norfolk horse," Coleman said. "He didn't breeze as well as Con wanted him to but he's a very good-looking horse and Swiss Spirit has obviously had a good start.

"Prince Of Lir breezed like an aeroplane whereas this horse just did a nice breeze, but Con said he's not really got hold of him at home and he ran a bit green, that's why he didn't really light the clock up.

"We've had luck buying off Con before, I bought Robin Of Navan from him, and he's adamant this is a very special horse so we've taken his word for it!"

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