Havana Grey Colt Sells For Record 1,750,000 Guineas At Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale

The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale eclipsed its previous records for highest price, average and turnover with the second session headed by the 1,750,000 guineas sale of a colt by HAVANA GREY to Amo Racing and a further three lots realising in excess of 500,000 guineas. The sale’s turnover of 18,804,000 guineas was an increase of 29% on last year’s sale, with the average and median up 25% and 15% respectively and 27 lots selling for 200,000 guineas or above.

Havana Grey Colt Eclipses Record At 1,750,000 Guineas To Amo Racing

The new record price for a lot at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale lasted barely 24 hours with a colt by outstanding young sire HAVANA GREY consigned by Malcolm Bastard setting a new benchmark of 1,750,000 guineas, eclipsing the 1,400,000 guineas for the ACCLAMATION colt purchased by Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin last night.

Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing was the underbidder on the ACCLAMATION colt but the burgeoning racing powerhouse was not to be denied on this occasion, seeing off Anthony Stroud and David Loder after a dramatic bidding duel to secure the colt out of the aptly named mare SHOW STEALER.

“I felt them [Stroud and Loder] slow at 1,500,000 guineas,” said Alex Elliott after the purchase. “I felt them think about it, usually it is bang, bang, bang with them. I said to Kia then that they were thinking… and then they really did think about it!”

Of the HAVANA GREY colt he commented: “Malcolm will say that he is first and foremost a pre-trainer and that he is not chasing times, and so when he has one who rocks up as number one on the times list, well, there was a queue at his door! We all had to get an allotted time to see the horse!

“Malcolm has been doing this a long time, and he is brilliant at his job and pre-trains some of the best horses in Europe. This horse was produced beautifully and to do what he did for Malcolm when he does not particularly train them for a speed time, tells you have a good horse. And Havana Grey needs no explaining.

“It is a performance-based sale and when a horse performs, it will get a premium. And with the Acclamation making that sum last night, well everyone had to realign. Acclamation was a superstar sire, but Havana Grey is new and he is fresh. I did not think this horse would make this, but when the horse performs, the guys get paid.”

Of plans he added: “I don’t know who will train him, all the horses bought this week so far have gone to Raphael [Freire]. It is the team’s base, we have got the Camelot filly there who cost 2.9 million guineas. The team is doing a great job and Raphael is too, so Kia is keen to support.”

Consignor Malcolm Bastard revealed: “He was with me two weeks before Christmas, he has been very straightforward. He has been pre-trained and has only been away twice to have a spin, just to see what he was like in a different environment. He is just a very nice and classy horse, he has a very good head and he is a lovely mover.

“I have had Havana Greys before but not like him – he is very, very nice. He is easy to train, and that is how it is with Havana Greys, they are pacey, quality, and have good minds, you can feed them and train them.”

Whitsbury Manor’s outstanding young sire led the Craven Breeze Up sires list with 9 lots selling for an average of 421,111 guineas and a combined total of 3,790,000 guineas.

Yulong Strike for Too Darn Hot Colt at 550,000 Guineas

The 2024 Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale produced a Group 1 winning colt by TOO DARN HOT in Futurity Trophy winner HOTAZHELL, and the sire proved unsurprisingly popular at this year’s renewal with a colt consigned by Brown Island Stables realising the second highest price of the session at 550,000 guineas. The April-foaled colt was knocked down to Ben Hyde on behalf of Zhang Yuesheng’s Yulong, with the docket signed under the Dullingham banner.

The sale was an excellent pinhooking result for Brown Island Stables’ Johnny Collins, who had bought the colt for 90,000 guineas at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and Collins commented:

“I am absolutely delighted with that. I thought coming here that he stacked up well and he didn’t let me down at the breeze. He’s obviously by an exceptional sire – I actually underbid Hotazhell as a yearling and so I was keen to get a Too Darn Hot last year if I could.

“This lad has a fair bit of Shamardal about him as well and he came well prepared from Blue Diamond Stud out of Book 2. He’s been straightforward all the way through, he’s very sound, hasn’t missed a day and has a great mind on him. I’m delighted he’s going to such a good home and I wish them all the best with him.”

The colt is out of the young SHAMARDAL mare MORNINGTIDE, a daughter of the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes winner NEW MORNING from the outstanding Ballymacoll family of Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks winner HELLENIC and Champion mare ISLINGTON.

Mehmas Colt Another for Yulong at 500,000 Guineas

Yulong struck for a second colt just two lots later securing the Tally-Ho Stud consigned MEHMAS colt for 500,000 guineas, again under the Dullingham banner, with Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian the underbidder.

Yulong’s European representative Paul Curran revealed: “Mr Zhang came here looking to pick up one or two – both are nice, early and precocious types, which is what you are trying to do here. The Too Darn Hot will go to Jessica Harrington, which makes sense with Hotazhell, and we are making plans for this Mehmas colt.”

The April-foaled colt is a half-brother to the Listed winner LADY OF SPAIN out of the INVINCIBLE SPIRIT mare NAVETTE, a half-sister to multiple Group winner and Group 1 second REAL WORLD from the deep international family of Group/Grade 1 winners LIBRETTIST, DUBAI DESTINATION, ROYAL MARINE, AGNES WORLD and TOURIST.

Tally-Ho Stud stand the colt’s sire MEHMAS who has enjoyed an excellent spring with daughter BELIEVING, herself bought at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale for 115,000 guineas and subsequently sold at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale for 3,000,000 guineas, winning the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night.

McCalmont Secures Too Darn Hot Colt for 500,000 Guineas

The progeny of TOO DARN HOT again proved in hot demand late in the session with a colt consigned by Leamore Horses realising 500,000 guineas to Jamie McCalmont, with Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown the underbidder.

“I am a massive fan of the stallion, the horse did a very nice breeze but it was the last part of the breeze that was particularly good, he galloped out very strong,” commented McCalmont. “I really like the horse, and he is from a very good breeder and an Oppenheimer family. It is Anna’s only horse in the sale and a nice result for her.”

The sale was the best result yet achieved in the sales ring by Anna Calder’s Leamore Horses and Calder revealed: “He was bought in partnership with New Zealand’s Go Racing in Book 2, I am very grateful that they decided to partner with me.

“And honestly, he has been the most straightforward horse I have had to deal with. When I was updating the owners it seemed so boring, as he is so simple. I would love to have a yard full of horses like that. All his work had been outstanding, and I knew that if he breezed as well as that we would be ok.”

The colt was purchased for 90,000 guineas at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale from Hascombe & Valiant Stud and is out of the Grade 3 winning LEMON DROP KID mare VALIANT GIRL, an own-sister to Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes winner BRONZE CANNON.

Chairman’s Statement

At the conclusion of the 2025 Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale has enjoyed a remarkable run of success over the last three years with five individual Group 1 winners including two Classic winners and this year’s Classic prospect Hotazhell. They have provided the perfect advertisement for the Craven Breeze Up Sale and this year’s renewal has attracted international buyers in abundance, all of whom have contributed to a record turnover and average along with the two highest prices in the sale’s history.

“Year after year, consignors continue to support the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up with many of the finest breeze-up two-year-olds in Europe, and it has been fantastic to see their professionalism and confidence in the sale rewarded over the past two days. Special mention must go to Willie Browne and Malcolm Bastard whose Acclamation and Havana Grey colts sold for 1,400,000 guineas and 1,750,000 guineas respectively. The pair are pioneers of the European breeze-up scene and it was wonderful to see them so well rewarded.

“As always, we’ve been delighted to welcome a wide-ranging and international group of buyers to Park Paddocks, including representation from Australia, China, Hong Kong, and the Gulf region. Their interest reflects the exceptional results achieved by graduates of the sale at the highest level of competition.

“We now turn our attention to the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale which has also delivered outstanding racecourse success in recent years with 42 individual Group/Listed winners since 2022.”