Friarstown Pair Top Opening Day Of Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up

Two two-year-olds consigned from John Egan’s Friarstown Bloodstock headed trade on the opening day of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up. The first session saw a total of 51 lot sold for 4,007,000 guineas, at an average of 78,569 guineas and a median of 52,000 guineas. The turnover for the day was up 17% compared with the opening session last year, whilst the average rose 24% and the median dropped by 5%.

The top lot on the opening day was the MORE THAN READY colt out of the IN EXCESS mare MARY ELLISE who was knocked down to Anthony Stroud for 320,000 guineas. The colt, who was consigned from John Egan’s Friarstown Bloodstock was knocked down to Stroud who commented: "He's been bought for an old established client.

"He is a very nice horse, by a top stallion and on our timings did one of the fastest breezes, if not the fastest. He stays in England, but a trainer has not yet been decided."

The sale provided a fruitful one for the Egan who had purchased him for $90,000 as a yearling and commented: "He is a lovely horse - definitely a future Group 1 winner."

Friarstown Bloodstock's good evening continued late in the evening when their ARCH colt out of the STORM CAT mare TOUCH OF TRUTH was knocked down to Richard Frisby for 270,000gns.

"He'll be trained in Newmarket," said Frisby. "He is beautifully bred, out of a mare who has proven she gets tough, durable and top class horses.

"There is an international cast of performers under the second dam – he has a stallion's pedigree, if it happens."

By the KRIS S stallion ARCH, the March colt is from the family of REFUSE TO BEND, MEDIA PUZZLE, CASUAL CONQUEST and the US sire GO AND GO.

The competition to secure the ROYAL APPLAUSE brother to the ‘Budapest Bullet’ OVERDOSE proved an International one with Richard O’Gorman, David Redvers alongside Sheikh Fahad and the Japanese-based Chika Racing all staking their claim, but the trio failed to improve on the 215,000 guineas bid by agent Oliver St Lawrence and OVERDOSE’s Hungarian owner Zoltán Mikóczy.

"I thought he'd make more," said Mikóczy, his Hungarian translated by his daughter Lilla into English. "I came for him and so had no need to bid early. He will come back to Budapest and go into training with Jozef Roszival - maybe he will be in the next stable to Overdose!

"He moves a lot like Overdose, who is a hero in Eastern Europe."

The sale provided a huge pinhooking profit for consignor Con Marnane’s Bansha House Stables who bought him at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for just 35,000 guineas.

Former jockey Philip Robinson signed for the INVINCIBLE SPIRIT colt out of the SPINNING WORLD mare QUAD’S MELODY. Consigned by Brendan Holland’s Grove Stud, the colt was knocked down to Robinson for 210,000 guineas on behalf of Hong Kong-based clients.

"He is a lovely horse," said Robinson. "He did a very good breeze. I think I am done now, but I might come back tomorrow!"

The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale continues on Thursday, April 18 at 6pm.