Without Words carried O'Connell's colours to victory on her second start for trainer Francois Rohaut at Toulouse. There was a kaleidoscope of significance to the win and subsequent sale with Murphy revealing afterwards that his wife had recently been diagnosed with cancer and is due to undergo chemotherapy next week. 

He said, “We've had a good year but there have been ups and downs. Sarah is sick at the moment. She was diagnosed with cancer and starts her chemotherapy on Tuesday. She will be okay but she has a tough few months ahead of her.”

https://twitter.com/sazoconnell/status/1733460040399360359

It has been another successful year for Longways Stables on the track, highlighted by the Listed-winning and Group 2-placed graduate Flora Of Bermuda (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), and Saturday's result in the ring clearly meant a great deal.

Murphy continued, “We breezed her here in May. We liked her a lot and felt we weren't getting what we deserved so we bought her back at €175,000. 

“I bought her in America for $85,000 and thought that she was always going to be worth that because of her pedigree alone. We liked her, took a chance to race her, and Francous did a great job with her. He thinks she is a stakes filly. Sarah didn't want to sell her.”

Without Words is a half-sister Combatant (Scat Daddy), a Grade I winner for John Sadler, and Long Lashes (Rock Hard Ten), a Group 3 winner for Saeed Bin Suroor. She was consigned by La Motteraye on behalf of O'Connell and Murphy.

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From America to Europe, the yearling season has started in bullish fashion. A proper staying pedigree is required to last to the end of Keeneland's September Sale, which is now well into its second week, while at Fairyhouse, the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale is also in full swing. Plenty of breeze-up pinhookers have attempted the double, while some have remained in Kentucky in the hope of unearthing a bargain in the later books, no doubt mindful of the fact that Keeneland has generally been a happy hunting ground for a variety of buyers from the sector.

So far, Willie Browne, Tom Whitehead, Brendan Holland, Eddie O'Leary, Roger O'Callaghan, Katie Walsh, Roderick Kavanagh, Jim McCartan, Jerry Horan, and Matt Whyte are among the Irish breeze-up pinhookers to have appeared on the buyers' sheets at Keeneland, as well as Mick Murphy of Longways Stables, who was working in tandem with agent Ted Durcan. 

“I was intending to stay to the end of Book 4 but we got wrapped up a little bit earlier so I came home sooner,” said Durcan after arriving back to Newmarket before packing his bags again for Ireland and next week's Orby Sale at Goffs.

“I thought it was an extremely healthy market. It looked healthy at all levels and any nice horse was not being missed at all, which you'd expect, and that's worldwide now,” he added of trade at Keeneland. 

“I helped Mick last year and he bought seven. This year he bought four nice horses, all to go breezing. Three colts by Quality Road ($150,000), American Pharoah ($225,000) and Speightstown ($90,000), and then he bought a very nice Blame filly ($85,000) as well.”

Last week it was announced that the Goffs Dubai Breeze-up Sale, which is held in conjunction with Dubai Racing Club just ahead of the World Cup meeting at Meydan, was being paused as it coincides with Ramadan in 2024. Introduced two years ago, it is a sale which has been populated predominantly by Irish pinhookers selling American-bred juveniles. 

Durcan continued, “There were a lot of people out there looking at horses with that sale in mind, but in fairness to everyone involved, the announcement came before any horses had been bought. It altered out numbers a bit. We ended up buying four but I think Mick and Sarah [O'Connell] would have ended up buying a few more for that sale, but we just scaled back.”

Durcan also teamed up with an old colleague from his days of riding for Sir Henry Cecil, the Kentucky-based Irishman David Lanigan, to buy a yearling for $750,000 for owner Scott Heider. They struck early on the opening day at Keeneland for lot 31, a filly by Nyquist whose half-brother Conclude (Collected) won the GII Del Mar Derby just ahead of the start of the sale.

“David does a lot of work for Scott and he asked me to help him just because trying to have everything viewed on your own is not easy,” Durcan said.

“There's such a huge amount of horses that you can find value out there. It's not easy and it's hard work, but there definitely is value out there with the volume of horses being offered. The sale is run extremely well. Tony Lacy and his team run a very slick operation.”

Durcan expects to see plenty of reverse track, with American buyers likely to be out in force at the forthcoming sales at Goffs and Tattersalls over the next few weeks.

He said, “In recent years there's been a big appetite for people in America looking for horses from over here, especially fillies to race on the grass. You only have to look at last week and the meeting at Kentucky Downs on turf. The money on offer there was absolutely phenomenal.”

He continued, “It's a hectic few months and the sales just roll from one to the other. But it's nice to see that, from the older horses in the July Sale, then onto the first yearling sale in France, the market just looks very healthy at all levels. With the amount of horses being sold to Australia, and the expansion in the Middle East, there is a huge demand for older horses as well as yearlings. 

“I haven't been to a sale yet where I think the market is softening. If anything it's the opposite.”

Nancy Sexton has long been a regular at the Keeneland September Sale in her role as the European representative for the Kentucky-based Schumer Bloodstock agency. Along with Chad Schumer, Sexton has worked closely with a number of breeze-up pinhookers in that time and she says that the participation from Europeans buyers is as high as ever, with the news about the absence of the Dubai breeze-up failing to dent enthusiasm.

“The news that Goffs wasn't going to go ahead broke just as Book 2 was starting and that didn't affect them at all because the market to sell to places like Saudi Arabia, Dubai, is so big now and you are looking for more of a dirt-bred horse for that. I didn't see anybody pull back on investment. Looking at what's coming home [to Ireland and Britain], I'd say numbers are on a par,” she said.

“A lot of people began in Book 1, but there seem to be more people here this year working the later books, having arrived in during Book 3 and working through to the end of Book 6.”

Sexton added, “We've seen how well these dirt horses do at the European breeze-ups if they hit, and that's translating to the activity here. I also saw quite a few more trainers this year that I haven't seen here before, like Ralph Beckett and Richard Hughes. 

“[The buying] is not just restricted to yearlings by the likes of Speightstown either; Roderick Kavanagh had a good result with Catalina Cruiser last year and Tom Whitehead with a World Of Trouble, and he gave $310,000 for a Maclean's Music colt this time. They're spending plenty and the horses are hard to buy. The market is really hot.”

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Bought by Ted Durcan and Mick and Sarah Murphy of Longways Stables for $150,000 at the Keeneland September Sale, the Munnings colt turned a handsome profit and will join trainer Roger Varian.

“He's a very taking horse and Roger and I were keen on him,” St Lawrence said. “He looks like a horse who could go to Royal Ascot. We'll see, we've had luck with Munnings before. He did a perfectly-nice time and Mick seems to bring them along nicely.”

Varian was keen to compliment the job Mick and Sarah Murphy, no strangers to topping major breeze-up sales, did with the colt.

The trainer said, “He was presented in good condition, wasn't he? They didn't overcook him. He looks a strong horse so hopefully we can get him home and see where we go with him.”

Of the 86 lots offered on day one, which was 19 more than what was offered on this corresponding day 12 months ago, 59 were knocked down for an aggregate of 6,495,500gns. That represented a 3% rise on last year's figures. However, the average fell 9% to 110,093gns and the clearance rate by 12% to 69%. The median also decreased by 10% to 77,000gns.

things are progressing nicely at the #tattscraven Sale with lot 47 selling for 360,000gns.

This eye-catching colt is by Munnings and attracted the attention of plenty. @OStLawrence standing with @NassFawzi landed the final bid for the Longways Stables consigned lot. pic.twitter.com/TgZywXCjea

— TDN (@theTDN) April 18, 2023

Top Talking Points From Day One Of The Craven Breeze Up Sale

• The momentum behind first-season sire Blue Point (Ire) continued with four horses selling for a combined sum of 565,000gns, including a standout Tally-Ho Stud-drafted colt (lot 30) by the stallion who was knocked down to Anthony Stroud for 340,000gns. In fact, Blue Point was the most successful sire on the day, ahead of Starspanglebanner (Aus), who had three lots sell for 474,000gns and a higher average of 158,000gns.
• It was another productive breeze-up sale for Tally-Ho Stud, vendors of Lezoo (GB), The Platinum Queen (Ire) and Perfect Power (Ire) to name a few. The three juveniles offered by the renowned operation sold for a combined 630,000gns.
• Tally-Ho Stud's fingerprints were also all over the breakout success of Gary Halpin and Sean Davis, who are consigning for the first year under GS Bloodstock. The two men bought lot 101, a Cotai Glory (GB) colt from the family of Fairyland (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) off the stud for €65,000 at Tattersalls Ireland, and sold him to Michael O'Callaghan for 160,00gns on Tuesday.
• Norman Williamson also enjoyed a predictably good start to the opening day's trade. The Oak Tree Farm operator, who gave us Classic winners Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), sold a Mehmas (Ire) colt (lot 2) for 220,000gns to Tom Pritchard-Gordon of Badgers Bloodstock to go to Hong Kong.
• Nikki Scallan and Antonio Da Silva, who operate under the banner of A & N Bloodstock, enjoyed their best result in the sales ring to date when lot 12, an Acclamation (GB) colt, sold to Leinster Bloodstock for 220,000gns. The £38,000 yearling purchase proved a shrewd investment for the Curragh handlers.
• Willie Browne doesn't wear the title as the breeze-up king for no reason and his Mocklershill outfit ended the day as the leading consignor with four lots selling for 812,000gns, including a 320,000gns Starspangledbanner (Aus) colt to Richard Ryan acting agent for MV Magnier.
• The only Farhh (GB) colt (lot 59) in the sale went down a bomb in selling to Blandford Bloodstock and Joseph O'Brien for 235,000gns. He was purchased by Eddie Linehan of Lackendarra Stables for 105,000gns at Book 2 and was also consigned by the Cork native.

Market Commentary: John Cullinan Reports “Tough Night's Business”

Despite selling a Blue Point (Ire) colt (lot 100) for 130,000gns and a Showcasing (GB) colt (lot 31) for 100,000gns, John Cullinan reported a tricky trade for horses operating in the middle market after buying back two of his eight horses on day one.

Cullinan, who consigns under Church Farm and Horse Park Stud, described what was “tough going” for horses selling outside of the top bracket.

He explained, “It was a mixed bag-a tough night's business for some people. It's the first domestic sale of the year and people may tend to be a bit more reserved maybe.

“The middle market was tough going and even at that it was very selective. If you were lucky enough to have one that people wanted, you got well-paid but, for the rest of us, it was hard going.”

He added, “Our nicer horses did okay but we fell on our arses with the weaker ones. We had what we thought were a few suitable types for the middle market but it was tricky.

“We sold a Blue Point colt for 130,000gns and a Showcasing for 100,000gns, so that was fine, but everything in between was tough going.”

Searching for reasons why the clearance rate dropped from 78% 12 months ago to 69% on Tuesday, Cullinan suggested the breeze taking place on softer than ideal conditions may have played a role.

He said, “I don't think the ground helped. When the breeze is on soft ground, it adds another dimension into the buyers' thought process. I think it made things a little uncertain and maybe there was a lack of confidence because of that. We'll see. Hopefully it picks up tomorrow.”

Tally-Ho To The Fore With Blue Point Colt

On a day when Blue Storm (GB) provided Blue Point (Ire) with his third individual winner in taking fashion at Newmarket, just a few miles down the road, the freshman sire's reputation hardened further.

Anthony Stroud went to 340,000gns for Tally-Ho Stud's Blue Point colt, who was picked up by Roger O'Callaghan for 70,000gns at the Tattersalls December Sale in 2021.

Stroud said of lot 30, “Roger bought him as a foal and didn't bring him back as a yearling–he went for the long-term project. It looks like it paid off, too.”

The O'Callaghans enjoyed another good result when Michael O'Callaghan, who has done well with his breeze-up purchasers from the County Westmeath outfit in the past, went to 240,000gns to secure Lezoo's (GB) (Zoutar {Aus}) half-sister (lot 38) by Territories (Ire).

with a head marking like that you'd love to take him home!

Lot 30 at the #tattscraven Sale is by Blue Point who has three winners from his first crop of 2yo runners already! Anthony Stroud was the winning bidder of this Tally Ho Stud consigned colt at 340,000gns. pic.twitter.com/Eu8AnBPtSZ

— TDN (@theTDN) April 18, 2023

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Figures on the up

The team at Goffs UK could hardly have wished for a better start to the Premier Yearling Sale. The day one figures were off the charts. Of the 218 lots offered on Tuesday, 199 were sold, representing a clearance rate of 91%. 

The aggregate was up 28% to £8,954,500, the average rose 15% to £44,997 and the median climbed 27% to £38,000.

There were noticeably less people around the sales complex at Doncaster on day two. While the figures failed to match what took place on Tuesday, there were some impressive numbers recorded on Wednesday, with an 87% clearance rate on a day where the aggregate climbed 11% to £7,003,000. 

The average on Wednesday went up 0.5% while the median fell by 4% to £32,000. That came despite the fact that there was some late drama in the ring with three of the last seven lots making six figures. 

All told, the sale went well. Of the 406 yearlings catalogued, 363 were sold, translating to a clearance rate of 89%. The aggregate was up 20% to £15,987,500 while the average was up 8% and the median rose by 9%.

Big Results From Small Numbers For Fitzgerald

Alice Fitzgerald knows what she is doing. It was at the Premier Yearling Sale in 2021 when Fitzgerald sold her homebred Basil Martini (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}} out of 10,000gns purchase Under Offer (Bated Breath (GB) to MV Magnier for £160,000.

Fast forward 12 months and Fitzgerald, who never brings more than one or two to the sales, bagged another big pay-day by selling her Kodiac (GB) colt out of Night Queen (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) to Manor House Farm for £160,000. 

What's even more impressive about Fitzgerald? This isn't even her day job. 

John and Jess Dance Stock Up

Given John and Jess Dance bought six-time Group 1 winner Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) at this sale in 2016, it's only natural that the owners would have an affinity towards Doncaster, which was evident in the results. 

Under Manor House Stables, they signed for nine different yearlings at a total of £837,000, which was only bettered by the £1,162,000 that Peter and Ross Doyle spent across the two days on a whopping 17 different horses. 

However, of the top 10 spenders at the Premier Yearling Sale, nobody boasted a better average than John and Jess Dance. 

The couple spent an average of £93,000 on their nine lots, illustrating that they are seeking quality over quantity more so than ever before. 

High Praise From Doyle

Ross Doyle is renowned for being one of the best judges in the game. Along with his father Peter, he has sourced Mehmas, Barney Roy, Limato, Japan, Fairyland, Magna Grecia, Olympic Glory and much more. 

Therefore, when he praised Goffs for attracting the best bunch of yearlings that he has seen for some time, it reflected well on the quality of the sale.

Doyle signed for two of the top lots in the sale, a colt by New Bay (GB) [211] for £200,000 on day one, and a lovely Dark Angel (Ire) colt [251] the following day for the same figure. 

Grangemore signed for the Dark Angel colt at last year's Tattersalls December Foal Sales for 40,000gns and the sale to the Doyles, who didn't reveal where the horse would be trained, secured a tidy pinhooking profit. The New Bay colt will be trained by Richard Hannon. 

Two Top-Notch Pinhooks

There were a number of good pinhooks over the course of the sale but two stood out. The first was that of lot 21, a gorgeous Ten Sovereigns (Ire) filly that Jamie Railton bought for €26,000 off Ballybin Stud at the November Foal Sales at Goffs last year before selling to Richard Hughes for a cool £110,000 on Tuesday.

The second was an even greater piece of inspiration as Violet Hesketh and Mimi Wadham, who run WH Bloodstock, and transformed lot 171 from a €38,000 purchase back in February to a £120,000 yearling just six months later. 

A colt by Kuroshio (Aus), lot 171 was tipped to do well after a number of shrewd judges got him vetted and, in the end, he was knocked down to Mark McStay and it's understood the colt will be sent to Fozzy Stack to be trained. 

Kuroshio Holding His Own

Kuroshio has been around the world and back but this year represented the classy Australian's first crop of runners since he took up residency at Starfield Stud in 2020. After a slow start to the season, Dontspoilasale (Ire) has come along and won for the stallion in Ireland, and looks potentially progressive, while Jessica Harrington's Panic Alarm (Ire) should be winning races for the stallion when he gets softer ground conditions. 

All told, anyone who has backed Kuroshio will be a lot happier now than ever before as last week's figures were respectable. Away from the headline-maker, lot 171, the Baroda Stud-drafted filly [lot 258] also secured a solid sale for the stallion, and changed hands to join John and Jess Dance for £48,000. All four yearlings by the stallion were sold. 

Force Behind Highclere Stallion

Some will argue that Land Force (Ire) is riding the crest of a No Nay Never wave, and that may have been an entirely plausible summation of the situation had his yearlings not been so impressive in the flesh. 

Top judges Clive Cox-who went to £85,000 to secure lot 71-and Oliver St Lawrence bought progeny by the stallion. Some of the best in the breeze-up business, Katie Walsh, Longways Stables and Con Marnane, also rowed in behind Land Force this week. 

Jake Warren even tipped the Highclere-based stallion for first-season sire honours and, while there is a lot of water to pass under that particular bridge, the early signs are promising for anyone with a Land Force in their stable. 

Of the 17 offered this week, 14 were sold at an aggregate of £510,000, which averaged out at £36,429.

Noteworthy Buyers

A number of top agents, trainers and breeze-up buyers relayed how footfall had increased at the sale and, as a result, it was going to be even harder to smoke out a bargain. 

Well, buyers also had to contend with major competition from afar as Wesley Ward also got in on the action, signing for lot 200, a Lynn Lodge-consigned £82,000 daughter of US Navy Flag. 

Ward is clearly a fan of the stallion and why wouldn't he be? The Patrick Grogan-bred Love Reigns (Ire), whose only defeat in three starts for the American-based trainer, came when she finished fourth in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot. Time will tell if Ward has bagged himself another Royal Ascot filly. 

It should be said that, for all that Eddie O'Leary has a host of international clients, he still made time for his neighbour at Goffs. At one point in the afternoon on Wednesday, Nick Nugent on the rostrum announced, 'from one corner of Mullingar to the other,' when Roger O'Callaghan of Tall-Ho purchased a Mehmas colt [lot 349] for £45,000 off his fellow Westmeath native. 

O'Leary's Lynn Lodge Stud ended proceedings with 11 yearlings sold for £677,000 at an average of £61,545, making the operation the fifth most successful across the two days. 

Tally-Ho Dominate

It was an excellent sale for Tally-Ho. Not only was the stud responsible for the top lot, the Blandford Bloodstock-bought Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly [lot 278] out of five-time winner and listed-placed Thiswaycadeaux (Thewayyouare), but they also ended proceedings as the leading consignors with 24 yearlings making £1,544,000 in total.

That was needed, according to Roger O'Callaghan, who revealed that there were 60 more yearlings standing in the field at home in Westmeath, with 40 needing to be broken in and prepared for the breeze-ups.

Away from the excellent results posted by their own stock, Tally-Ho will have been delighted by how all the progeny of their resident stallions were received with yearlings by Kodiac, Cotai Glory, Kessaar, Galileo Gold, Mehmas and young sire Inns Of Court doing well. 

Night Of Thunder Stars

But the star of the show, without question, was Darley's Night Of Thunder. Along with Tally-Ho's sales-topping filly, the Mountarmstrong Stud-drafted Night Of Thunder [170] colt out of Pious Alexander, which ended day one on top at £230,000, ensured it was a memorable sale for the sire.

Mark McStay landed the day one leader, after which, the leading agent labelled Night Of Thunder, the sire of last week's spellbinding G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Highfield Princess (Fr), as a solid source of top-class talent. 

Classy Siblings On Show

Some pedigrees leapt off the page. The Galileo Gold half-brother [280] to Nunthorpe runner-up The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) made £170,000 to join Richard Spencer, the Ulysses (Ire)  half-brother [213] to Coventry S. winner Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) was knocked down to Dance Thoroughbreds for £150,000 and Whitsbury Manor's Havana Grey (GB) half-sister to Sandy Lane S. scorer El Caballo (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) was all the rage at £230,000 with Jack Warren of Highclere doing the buying. 

Havana Grey Shines

Of the 22 horses offered by Havana Grey, all bar one were sold for a total of £1,089,000, averaging at £51,857. Whitsbury's Ed Harper revealed that his performance is exceeding the wildest dreams but, with nine individual black-type horses in his first crop, perhaps buyers were cottoning on to the fact that they have been witnessing something special.

Soldier's Answers The Call

This game is all about looking towards the future and the early signs are that Joe Foley has another real one at Ballyhane Stud in Soldier's Call (GB). 

The man knows how to launch a stallion and must have taken great credit about how Soldier's Call cleared £563,000 from 13 yearlings sold at an average of £43,308. 

What's more, Foley was prepared to put his money where his mouth is, and bought the top lot [212] by the sire for £105,000 off Tinnakill House Stud for Steve Parkin. 

The post The Major Talking Points From The Premier Yearling Sale At Doncaster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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DEAUVILLE, France–It wasn't until the wild-card selection after the end of the main catalogue that the day's top lot walked the ring at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, and that honour went to Willie Browne's Mocklershill team and their colt by the late Zoffany (Ire), who sold for €550,000.

Oliver St Lawrence had kept his powder dry for much of the day, but having warmed up with a €520,000 bid for a Siyouni (Fr) colt from Longways Stables, he went strong again for the session leader, with both colts having been purchased for a friend of Bahraini trainer Fawzi Nass. They will be trained in Britain by Roger Varian and Charlie Hills, respectively.

Of the top lot (148), St Lawrence said, “Roger Varian saw this horse this afternoon and really liked him. They just seemed to be getting harder to buy all day. He's a big, strong horse with a big shoulder on him and he went very well and did the ninth-fastest time.”

Bought at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 80,000gns, the half-brother to G2 Kilboy Estates S. winner Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass) was unsold at $65,000 when put through the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Having led allcomers in Deauville, the colt was naturally the star of the Mocklershill draft, which ended the day as leading vendor with eight horses sold for €1,690,000.

They included a brother to Group 1-winning juvenile Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never), lot 55, who was bred by Camas Park, Lynch Bages and Summerhill, and bought by Ross Doyle for €300,000.

“He is a very good-looking and imposing horse, like his sire, and this is the type of horse he throws,” said Doyle. “The sire is also having a very good season. He's just a very nice horse who was bought for an existing client.”

The sale's figures contracted slightly from last year's record-breaking turnover and median, but the latter figure, at €100,000, was only the second time in the auction's history that a six-figure median had been recorded. The average of €131,777 was down by 4%, and the aggregate dropped by 10% to €13,573,000, with five fewer horses sold this year compared to last. The clearance rate of 84% was recorded from 103 horses sold from 123 put through the ring.

We have a new top lot @InfoArqana as lot 55, a brother to Ten Sovereigns, is knocked down to Ross Doyle who goes to €350,000 for the colt drafted by @Mocklershill1. pic.twitter.com/Y6uBOGXgbB

— TDN (@theTDN) May 13, 2022

Another 'Lucky' Siyouni For Longways

Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connell already had good reason to love Siyouni (Fr) and their “lucky sire” delivered again when their colt by the French champion left the ring with a price tag of €520,000. Oliver St Lawrence saw off a range of potential purchasers, which included Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and Alastair Donald, and confirmed that the colt out of a full-sister to crack sprinter Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), had been bought for a Bahraini owner.

“He was a horse that caught our eye. I wasn't expecting to have to pay that sort of money for him but it has been a tough day to buy the horse one wants to buy,” St Lawrence said. “He came up there very nicely and hopefully he justifies our confidence. He'll go to Charlie Hills.”

Vendors Murphy and O'Connell of Longways Stables have previously topped the Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale with a Siyouni 2-year-old and they also sold Le Brivido (Fr) here in Deauville for €105,000 six years ago. Beaten a short-head in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, he went on to win the Jersey S. at Royal Ascot.

“I love Siyouni,” said O'Connell, who was navigating the sales ground on crutches while awaiting hip surgery. “He's even a lucky sire for us and we've always had two or three by him every year from the word go.”

Despite turning this 200,000gns yearling into an expensive breezer (lot 124), the couple remarked that the breeze-up season has not been all plain sailing for vendors.

“It hasn't been a great year,” said Murphy. “We came here slightly up but we had a fair bit of money tied up in these horses so it is a relief to have sold him well.”

O'Connell added, “Everyone had expected there to have been a bit more of a buzz today. We had plenty of people looking in the last few days but the sale has been a little quieter than we thought it would be.”

More fireworks @InfoArqana as lot 124, a Siyouni colt out of a half-sister to Mecca's Angel and Markaz, is sold by Longways Stables for €520,000 to Oliver St Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/z2sv71wkDn

— TDN (@theTDN) May 13, 2022

Grove Has Good One Ready

Brendan Holland has rightly earned a reputation for being one of the best at his craft and, in producing a More Than Ready colt (lot 70) from a $90,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland in September to a €450,000 breeze-up star, he enhanced his already excellent record at this particular sale.

Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland secured the colt and revealed that he viewed him as more of a dirt performer in the making.

Donohoe said, “He's a beautiful-looking horse, very intelligent, and he did a fantastic breeze. He looks to have a fantastic temperament.”

He added, “We liked everything about him to be honest. Plans are undecided, but he could race on turf or on the dirt. He's probably more of a dirt-type horse so he will probably end up in the Middle East.”

Holland has topped this sale four times in the past and sold The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {GB}) and Ocean Atlantique (American Pharaoh) under his successful Grove Stud banner.

He said, “This horse has done really well from when he was a yearling. He's an exceptionally good-looking horse who breezed well. So far, so good. This sale has been lucky for me and we've had plenty of success on the track with horses we've brought here.”

More Than Ready stands at WinStar Farm in Kentucky and has had 12 horses break $1 million in career earnings. Holland's offering by the stallion is out of the unraced Sweet Lollipop (Candy Ride {Arg}), a half-sister to Danny Boy (Harlan's Holiday) and Meal Penalty (Tale of the Cat), who were genuine black-type performers in America.

Over halfway through proceedings @InfoArqana and it is Grove Stud's More Than Ready colt, lot 70, who leads the way after being sold for €450,000.

Michael Donohoe (BBA Ireland) bought and revealed the colt could end up in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/JHbd7nNklR

— TDN (@theTDN) May 13, 2022

Breeders' Cup-Winning Owner Buys Cracksman Filly

One of the main talking points in the build-up to this sale was the amount of international clients knocking about and Dean Reeves, who campaigned and now stands former GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno), made his presence felt by securing a Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) filly (lot 132) for €420,000.

Agent Stephen Hillen signed for the filly who will join Christophe Clement and, flanked by the leading owner, the pair could scarcely hide their delight afterwards.

Hillen said, “I saw her on the farm in Yorkshire about a month ago and really liked her. I think Cracksman could be a top sire. There have been a few by him breeze really well already and she's probably going to go a mile and a quarter. We think she's pretty exciting and she may not start until the autumn. Thrilled to get her. Well done to Dean.”

And with that, Reeves took the mic, where he outlined some ambitious plans for his new recruit. He said, “It's very exciting. We really wanted to get a nice filly to send back to the States and she fit a lot of the criteria. We think she will be very successful. The breeding is there for her to make a future broodmare so it's very exciting.”

Reeves added, “We'll take our time with her and Christophe is as good a trainer as you can find. He does a great job for us and Steven has done a wonderful job in selecting the horses. We've been very successful and that bodes well. My wife is here and we've met some wonderful people this week. Hopefully this filly will make us look pretty smart. We'll be back.”

The filly from the first crop of Darley's young son of Frankel (GB) was consigned by Church Farm and Horse Park Stud, who enjoyed a successful day as the second-leading vendor with 10 juveniles sold for an average of €150,800.

Also among their bestsellers was one of the early highlights when Anthony Stroud bid €300,000 for the second lot through the ring, a Sea The Stars (Ire) filly from the family of Group 1 winners Jakkalberry (Ire) (Storming Home {GB}) and Crackerjack King (Ire) (Shamardal). The agent revealed that she will be trained in Newmarket by John and Thady Gosden.

Power Play

Tom Whitehead's Powerstown Stud posted a pair of decent returns within half an hour of each other when two colts each sold for €280,000 to Dubaian and Saudi Arabian owners, respectively.

Colm Sharkey, acting on behalf of a client from Dubai, signed for lot 74, a well-bred Shamardal colt out of the G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis winner Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) who was bought as a yearling for 92,000gns from the Shadwell draft at the Tattersalls December Sale.

“He's for a client in Dubai and he was the only horse we wanted from a very short list. He vetted well and breezed well, and cost a bit more than we thought but my client was keen to have him,” said Sharkey of the colt whose dam is a half-sister to the G1 Irish St Leger and G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Granddam Chelsea Rose (Ire) (Desert King {Ire}) won the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and has produced five black-type performers.

When lot 82 passed through the ring shortly afterwards, it was his American bloodlines that were the deciding factor for agent Marco Bozzi, who went to €280,000 on behalf of his undisclosed Saudi client. Whitehead had paid $60,000 for the son of Good Magic when buying him from breeder Hermitage Farm at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Three years earlier the breeders had bought his dam, the stakes winner Vieja Luna (Street Hero) in that same ring for $160,000.

“He's a horse that we went to see last week in Ireland. He's for a new Saudi client and this is the horse we wanted absolutely,” said Bozzi. “He passed the vet, he passed everything, and the pedigree is right. They love [Good Magic's sire] Curlin in Saudi.”

Bozzi also bought lot 23 for €125,000 from Powerstown Stud, which was third overall on the leading vendors' table but led by average, with five sold for €223,000.

Double Delight for Derryconnor Stud

Katie McGivern had good reason to be quietly confident when she spoke to the TDN on the eve of the sale but, as every horseperson knows, it's never wise to be too confident before the horse has crossed the line in front, or exited the sale ring after selling well. For McGivern's Derryconnor Stud, the latter happened twice in three lots when the only two horses she had brought to Deauville rose sharply in value after posting professional and fast breezes on Thursday.

Marco Bozzi was in play again at €230,000 for the filly from the first crop of Sioux Nation, the Coolmore sire who has galloped off to a great start at stud with five winners from 15 runners. It would be no surprise to see this sleek, near-black filly out of Sparks (Ire) (Elusive City) join the list of winners before too long. Robustly made with an easy walk, lot 64 is the second foal of her dam, who is a half-sister to G1 Prix d'Astarte winner Marbye (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), who has in turn produced the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) winner Marcellina (Jpn).

Having paid 36,000gns for the Sioux Nation filly at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, McGivern pushed the boat out to €68,000 to secure the filly by Siyouni (Fr) at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale. Her boldness was rewarded with a winning bid of €160,000 from Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency for lot 66, out of the winning Sea The Stars (Ire) mare Stars So Bright (Ire).

“Until you go through the ring and people fall in love with them you can never be sure. I'm still shaking at the moment but I'm sure when I reflect on it I still won't believe it,” said McGivern.

“I've always said that the good ones can cope with all the pressure and they don't let you down, and these two didn't. All the team at home have worked so hard and they'll be delighted.”

De Watrigant also signed for lot 114, a Tally-Ho Stud-consigned daughter of Exceed And Excel (Aus), at €360,000.

He said, “We really fell for her. Physically she stands out and she went well in her breeze, showing a lot of quality. She's by a very good sire and I've bought her for MV Magnier, so she will be joining Coolmore.”

Barberini's Expert Eye For A Well-Bred Filly

A huge amount of patience is required to find the right horse at the sales but, in Federico Barberini's case, he had been waiting for Mocklershill's lot 49 ever since he saw the Expert Eye (GB) filly at the Tattersalls December Sale.

He explained, “I thought she was a gorgeous individual and I actually remember her from the Tattersalls December Sale. She really caught my eye last year so I remembered her. She has done really well since.”

Another consigned on the day by Mocklershill, the filly, who cost 85,000gns at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale and came back through the ring on Friday for €240,000, is out of an unraced Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}), from a strong black-type family which includes treble Grade I winner Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

Barberini added, “She comes from a very nice family and came highly recommended. The sire is going well with his first 2-year-olds and they are nice horses who look to have the scope to be more than one-hit wonders.

“She's for Apple Tree Stud, good clients based in Gloucestershire, and the plan is that she will be a very nice racehorse and then a broodmare for the farm. A trainer is yet to be decided.”

Amo Racing Continues Investment

Amo Racing swooped for Aguiar Bloodstock's Good Magic filly (lot 18) out of the Grade II-winning mare Luna Vega (Malibu Moon) at €280,000, with Kerri Radcliffe signing on behalf of the prominent owners.

Between Britain and Ireland, Amo Racing has enjoyed 16 winners already this season, including Queen Olly (Ire) (No Nay Never), who became a 'TDN Rising Star' after scoring impressively at York on Thursday.

Radcliffe hopes the Good Magic filly can prove another good acquisition and said, “She has been bought on behalf of Amo Racing who are having a great time at the minute.”

As well as being a Grade II winner, Luna Vega was Grade I-placed in America, and is the granddam of Shesawildjoker (Practical Joke), who won at stakes level as a 2-year-old in America last year.

Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “We're delighted to be back at Deauville. The sale took place in very good conditions, notably thanks to the work and professionalism of our vendors to bring their horses in the best shape. We must also salute the quality of the track at Deauville and the sun that was with us. The market was solid, without extravagance, with a very international dimension. Our buyers came from the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Scandinavia, some of whom made the trip to Deauville for the first time.”

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