The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale got off to a solid start, with a colt offered by Tally-Ho Stud from Australian bred G1 winning Redoute's Choice mare Majmu topping proceedings at 450,000 guineas. The opening day saw 11 lots sell for 200,000 guineas or more and a median up 6% from the equivalent session in 2025.
Palace Pier Colt Sells for 450,000 Guineas to Blandford Bloodstock
Richard Brown struck to secure the two-year-old from the renowned breeze up operation, Tally-Ho Stud. The colt was the result of a fine pinhook, having been purchased at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 100,000 guineas by Hamish Macauley Bloodstock.
“He is a fine, strong horse and has a very impressive physical”, reported Brown. “I am a big fan of the stallion, and I think he has made a very good start”. The purchase prompted a memory for Brown as he shared: “I loved this horse as a yearling and vetted him but did not have anyone for him. I don’t have the best memory, but I remembered him!”
Brown was full of praise for Tally-Ho Stud saying, “he is from a vendor who I have had so much success buying from, and the colt did a tremendous breeze. I don’t think he enjoyed the course here. When he hit the rising ground here, he came out powerfully, and I think that is a good sign”.
The future scope of the colt was one of the key reasons for his purchase as Brown explained, “although he is one of the biggest colts in the sale, I think he is a horse we can move forward with. We can try to get him to Ascot, but if he doesn’t make it, then we have a horse for the future. The mare was very talented and it all added up.”
The mare in question is the dual Group 1 winning MAJMU, who was Champion two-year-old in South Africa. She is the dam of three winners, two of whom have placed at black type level.
Majmu was bred by Arrowfield Stud and made $300,000 at the 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling when bought by Shadwell and was then sent to South Africa where she became a champion.
Kilminfoyle House Stud’s Lope De Vega Colt Sells For 400,000 Guineas
Michael Fitzpatrick’s successful reputation at this sale continued as Blandford Bloodstock made this colt their first purchase of the day. Out of an own sister to Group 2 winner CALL ME LOVE, the colt hails from the family of Group 1 winner FIELD OF HOPE.
Blandford’s Richard Brown explained: “He is bred to be a 1m2f+ horse and is a great mover. He showed plenty of speed in his breeze and has very fluent action. He needs some time and is the sort of horse you will see hopefully in an August or September maiden”.
Commenting on the strength of the colt’s pedigree and his breeze Brown surmised: “Lope De Vega is phenomenal, and he is out of a Sea The Stars mare. It all adds up, but not necessarily to the typical type of breeze up horse. I just loved the style of the horse and the fact that he showed speed against a lot of speedily bred horses. I have always said that the good horses have speed, so hopefully this will stand him in good stead.”
Brown sang the praises of the colt’s consignor Michael Fitzpatrick saying: “Michael sold Believing here and a lot of good horses. He is a thorough professional, and it is a great nursery. Hopefully, this horse is another good one to add to his roll of honour.”
The colt is a first ever purchase at the breeze up sales for prominent owner Saeed Suhail. Brown shared: “I said to him, I have never rung you from a breeze up sale before, but I love this horse. The brief from him is to buy a horse that wants a mile plus. He has won the Derby twice and loves the race”.
Purple Patch for Kilminfoyle House Stud As Their Mehmas Filly Fetches 380,000 Guineas
Michael Fitzpatrick enjoyed a thrilling ten minutes as he achieved his two highest prices as a vendor at the Craven Breeze Up Sale within ten minutes of each other. After selling the aforementioned LOPE DE VEGA colt for 400,000 guineas, his MEHMAS filly out of Group 3 winner GRIZZEL made 380,000 guineas.
Anthony Stroud signed on behalf of Victorious Forever, with James Tate filling the role of underbidder. The filly represented an impressive financial return for Fitzpatrick as he purchased the filly for 100,000 guineas from Mount Coote Stud last year.
“We bought her in Book 1 and she is bred on the same cross as Believing,” explained Fitzpatrick. “It is a great start to the year, and we have just got lucky. You need an awful lot of stars to align. A huge thank you to my staff – Pamela, Shannon and Gabrielle.”
History Repeats Itself as Stroud Purchases a Havana Grey Two-Year-Old
Anthony Stroud purchased the dual Group 1 winning two-year-old VANDEEK for KHK Racing at this very sale in 2023, and he now stands at Cheveley Park Stud. The agent returned to the same sire today when spending 350,000 guineas to secure a HAVANA GREY filly from Yeomanstown Stud.
KHK Racing has taken on a new identity in Victorious Forever, after Bahrain brothers HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamed Al Khalifa and HH Shaikh Khalid merged their racing interests last summer. “This was one of Shaikh Khalid’s picks,” said Stroud after buying the filly. “He really liked her and he showed great determination to buy her. Obviously, she’s by Havana Grey, who’s had Vandeek and a huge amount of success.”
Yeomanstown proved their pinhooking prowess once again, as they purchased this filly as a yearling for 135,000 guineas from Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. She hails from a strong family being out of HOT SECRET, who is a half-sister to the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner TEMPLE MEADS. Hot Secret is also a half-sister to the dam of the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes winner and now stallion, EL CABALLO.
The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale continues at 5.45pm on Wednesday, 15th April.
