2010 Craven Breeze Up Sale Day 2 Press Release

The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale finished on a positive note after a competitive second session which saw 18 lots sell for 100,000 guineas or more with turnover of 4,069,000 guineas for the 50 lots sold. The average and median on the second day returned 81,380 guineas and 58,500 guineas respectively, taking the two day sale total to 96 lots sold for 7,656,500 guineas, at an average of 79,755 guineas and a median of 70,000 guineas, rises of 17% and 7% respectively.

Top billing on the second day and for the sale was the ELUSIVE QUALITY colt from Willie Browne’s Mocklershill Stables which was knocked down to Italian agent Federico Barberini for 400,000 guineas. The son of the Grade 3 winning PARTNER’S HERO mare LOVE MATCH had a raft of admirers including Tweenhill Stud’s David Redvers, McKeever Bloodstock’s Johnny McKeever, Barberini and Cumbrian based owner Andrew Tinkler, purchaser of yesterday’s top lot. The battle to secure the gorgeous colt soon settled down to a match between Tinkler and Barberini with the Italian agent finally securing the colt on behalf of agent Oliver St Lawrence and his Bahrain based owner Fawzi Nass. The sale proved a pinhooking success for Browne who has purchased the colt for $150,000 as a yearling last year.                                      

Tinkler was to be more successful four lots later when he secured the colt by SPEIGHTSTOWN out of the UNBRIDLED mare AFFORDABILITY for 215,000 guineas at the expense of underbidder Peter Doyle. The colt, which was consigned from Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm, will join trainer Michael Dods at his County Durham base and was one of seven two-year-olds purchased by Tinkler at the sale, through agent Dwayne Woods, for a total of 892,000 guineas.

Mocklershill Stables finished the sale as the leading consignor with their 15 sold lots realising 1,690,000 guineas and they were also responsible for the third highest price for the day when trainer Paul Cole signed for the MONTJEU colt out of the BERING mare HEALING MUSIC for 190,000 guineas. Cole, who saw off the efforts of Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff, indicated that the colt was purchased on behalf of Dubai based owner Jim Hay.

Brendan Holland’s Grove Stud team were celebrating a pinhooking triumph after Richard Frisby had gone to 180,000 guineas to secure the SHAMARDAL colt out of the SILVER HAWK mare LOVE IN THE MIST. The colt, which Holland had purchased at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 57,000 guineas, also caught the eye of Anthony Stroud Bloodstock’s Matt Coleman and Japanese owner Katsuhito Hirai, but the pair failed to better Frisby who indicated that he was purchased on behalf of an existing client.

At the conclusion of the 2010 Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“It was a slow start to the sale yesterday evening but, happily for all concerned, trade picked up considerably as the sale progressed and the final figures compare very favourably with last year's sale. Turnover is down, as expected with a smaller catalogue, but both the average and median have risen which is a tribute to the quality of the horses and to the professionalism of the consignors. The market has been selective at times but we have seen plenty of international competition at the top end and the success of recent graduates of the sale has clearly not gone unnoticed. Equally the Racing Post sponsored Breeze Up and Yearling bonuses have proved to be an added attraction for buyers and we would expect this to be even more pronounced at our Guineas Breeze Up Sale in two weeks time with 142 of the 146 catalogued eligible for one or other bonus scheme, and 80 of them eligible for both.

“Alongside the positive aspects, however, the prevailing economic uncertainties continue to have an impact on the European bloodstock market and the domestic demand, with a few notable and welcome exceptions, remains tentative. The recent income tax rise in Britain, combined with the usual pre-election caution, have not inspired renewed confidence and while the weakness of sterling has definitely helped our overseas buyers, we continue to face challenges on the home front."