Breeze Up

A fierce bidding battle engaged over Malcolm Bastard's Street Boss colt (lot 354), involving bidders around the ring and in the outdoor parade ring, where Matt Coleman stood over the phone. Bids fired by leaps and bounds and it wasn't until the £620,000 mark that Anthony Stroud shook his head and let the hammer fall in favour of his business partner.

We knew we would find ourselves locking horns, commented Coleman, it's just the way it is. He is a smashing colt and had been highly recommended by Malcolm. I have heard about him for a long time and he came in the ring with a big reputation from a professional who does a very good job. He has been bought for John Size and will race in Hong Kong. He is the only horse I bid on for him today.

After securing Brown Island's Exceed and Excel colt on behalf of the Coolmore partners, Jamie McCalmont returned to the fore with the purchase of a £450,000 (€495,000) son of American Pharoah from Mocklershill. The half-brother to three-time Grade 2 winner OM will carry the colours of Marc Chan, a Hong Kong-based owner who recently made headlines in France when buying French Derby contender THE SUMMIT.

He is for a new client, a Hong Kong based, Canadian born business man. He has had a few horses in Hong Kong and is starting a stable in Europe as well. This horse will be the first he has in training in the UK and he heads to Simon and Ed Crisford. Willie always liked him and we are looking for three-year-old types to run over a mile and a quarter, which is what he looks like he could be.

Anthony Stroud was also successful for Brown Island Stables's lot 295 for £260,000. The son of Olympic Glory is the second foal out of the winning mare Money Time, from the family of GREEN SWALLOW and YELLOW AND GREEN.

Standing in the outdoor parade ring, appropriately socially distanced from the other bidders, Stephen Hillen went to £260,000 (€286,000) to secure the sole offering by Roderick Kavanagh's Glending Stables. The athletic bay is out of a Graded performer in America from a very deep Wildenstein family. He too will head to the US for his racing career as Hillen explained:

He is for a new client and will be trained by Christophe Clement. I sent him a list of three horses and this one was his pick. He looks like he will make a very nice horse on the turf. There is a good series of races there for three-year-olds and hopefully prize money will pick up next year.

The sole offering by Exceed And Excel in the catalogue was a colt prepared by Johnny Collins's Brown Island Stables, who gained many admirors following his breeze on Sunday. Bidding rose steadily, with the likes of Olivier St Lawrence and Nicolas de Watrigant expressing interest until Jamie McCalmont emerged as the successful purchaser and signed the docket at £525,000 under his own name as well as M.V. Magnier's.

Alex Elliott didn't get much time to relax during the early part of the sale, signing for a colt by Shamardal (lot 234) and a filly by Siyouni (lot 245) in quick succession.

The former came from the Longways draft and is a grandson of the Aga Khan's Gr.1 Prix de Diane victrix DARYABA, who also produced fellow Gr.1 winners DARYAKANA, herself the dam of Gr.1 Prix Ganay scorer and promising young sire DARIYAN. Lot 245 was consigned by Jim McCartan's Gaybrook Lodge Stud and is a daughter of the Aga Khan's own Siyouni from the family of PRINCE ARCH.

They are both for AMO Racing, explained Elliott. The Shamardal colt will go to Roger Varian while the filly will be trained by Ralph Beckett. She is a lovely filly by the right sire and who has every right to be a black type winner.

Anthony Stroud secured a daughter of Kingman out of the German Gr.3 winner CALYXA for €418,000 (£380,000). Consigned by Yeomanstown Stud, she was one of the eye-catchers during Sunday's breeze session.

Mockerlshill's racy colt from the first crop of Haras de Bouquetot's Shalaa attracted a lot of interest and it took Bill Dwan a bid of €506,000 to get the better of several opponents. The bay is the first foal out of Listed winner BESOTTED, herself a half-sister to the Classic heroine TIE BLACK from the family of top class milers LAST TYCOON, IMMORTAL VERSE, VALENTINE WALTZ and GLORIOUS SIGHT.

He will be trained by Joseph O'Brien for one of his long term owners, Chantal Regalado Gonzalez. Physically he is very much a two-year-old type and the chat on Shalaa has been very good. He comes well recommended by Willie Browne so hopefully he will live up to such recommendations.

Brendan Holland's War Front filly (lot 224) turned many heads during Sunday's breeze up session and the two days of inspection stamped her position as one of the talking horses of the catalogue. The second foal out of Grade 3 winner BEAUTY PARLOR, herself out of MOON QUEEN and tracing back to INFAMY, the bay impressed onlookers with her even temper and loose walk.

It was agent Kerri Radcliffe who offered the winning bid of €715,000 and said:

I am pleased to say that I have bought her for Larry Best's OXO Equine, which I believe is his first European purchase. She will head to Saratoga but I am not sure who will train. I met Larry at the sales in America and he kept telling me "ring me when you see something exceptional", so I rang him on Sunday night. This filly breezed very well and she has been an absolute queen since, she's been so professional throughout the shows. I am delighted for the vendors, who have done an amazing job keeping the horses so long in such uncertainty.

Michael Bell's son Nick has enjoyed a tremendous spring with his widely reported private purchase of THE LIR JET before his winning debut at Yarmouth. The colt went on to be bought by Qatar Racing and win the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in the care of Nick's father.

The young agent was back in business at the ARQANA/Goffs UK breeze up held in Doncaster, fighting determinately to have the final say on the first lot through the ring. Offered by Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connell's Longways Stables, the son of More Than Ready is a half-brother to two black-type horses and produced an eye-catching breeze.

After placed the €291,500 closing bid, Bell commented:

He did the fastest gallop out and is a lovely physical from a very good farm. He will go the Dad's yard and race for Kulbir Sohi.

Indian-born, Birmingham-based Sohi tasted racehorse ownership has a shareholder with Middleham Park Racing and has been a growing force since branching out on his own. He remains a majority shareholder in fellow ARQANA graduate RAYMOND TUSK.