A new record was set at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster on Tuesday when a Harry Angel colt sold for £500,000 to trainer Michael O’Callaghan.
A new record was set at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster on Tuesday when a Harry Angel colt sold for £500,000 to trainer Michael O'Callaghan. It was the most expensive Flat purchase conducted at Doncaster since Group Three winning Al Raya fetched £450,000 in 2019. The Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale has enjoyed considerable success recently with seven Royal Ascot winners sold in the last seven years.
Out of the Listed Stonehenge Stakes winner Go Angellica, the colt is a close relation to Group Three winner Twilight Jet, who was purchased for £210,000 at this sale in 2021 by O'Callaghan. He faced opposition for the Harry Angel colt from Kia Joorabchian, head of Amo Racing, who have been in excellent form with wins in the Nell Gwyn (G3) and Craven Stakes (G3) this season.
Callaghan was pleased with his purchase, saying "He's the best horse here, and by a long way. We've been extremely lucky with the vendor and he's from the same family as Twilight Jet, who's been a very good horse for us. If there's one from the sale I didn't want to leave without, it was him."
Elsewhere in the sale, Blue Point continued to be popular with buyers after jointly topping the Craven Breeze-Up Sales with 625,000 guineas.
A colt out of Miss Fay was pinhooked by Katie Walsh from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 42,000 guineas and sold to Arthur Dobell of Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock for £220,000. Walsh gave some insight into the reputation that Blue Point is creating, saying "The sire's on fire, everyone's quite aware of that, and they just seem so consistent as all they want to do is go forward.
"He's been extremely straightforward; it seems like all the Blue Points have been, from the breeze-up horses to the runners on the track, they all seem to be consistent - and you can't beat consistency."
Anthony Stroud bought a striking Starspangledbanner filly for £350,000 on behalf of Bahrani owners. The filly, consigned and bred by Brendan Holland, had been withdrawn from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale due to sickness and was kept for the breeze-ups. The dam Sulaalaat was formerly part of the Shadwell breeding operation and showed some ability on the track.
A Twilight Son filly attracted many buyers after a quick breeze and fetched £300,000 for consignors Tradewinds Stud. She was sold to Blandford Bloodstock.
Goffs Managing Director Tim Kent was delighted with the sales' result, "What an incredible day at Europe's Oldest Breeze Up Sale. A record top price; record turnover; record average; record median; four horses selling for £300,000 or more; 10 horses selling for £200,000 or above and 33 horses realising £100,000 or more."
"Today's results graphically illustrate how this sale is capturing the attention of buyers from across the globe and this is purely down to the unrivalled success on the racecourse. Seven Royal Ascot winners in seven years is an incredible accomplishment for any sale and this 'royal dream' is a large part of what has attracted so many people to Doncaster today and helped to fuel this breath-taking trade. We are certain that vendors have provided the ammunition to continue this incredible success story and we look forward to welcoming these horses to the winner's enclosure in the coming weeks. Roll on Royal Ascot!"
