In what was deemed to be a very positive two-day Craven breeze-up sale at Tattersalls in the UK, 31 lots made six-figure sums, including two-year-olds by Darley sires Dubawi, Cape Cross, Exceed And Excel, Elusive Quality, Holy Bull, Street Cry and Kheleyf.
Lot 37, a bay colt by leading second-crop sire in Australia, Exceed And Excel, was the fifth top price of the opening session, selling for 190,000gns ($296,217) to Anthony Stroud. Out of the dual juvenile winner Classic Vision, a half-sister to G3-winning sprinter Orientor and Royal Ascot winner Yeast, the colt was consigned by Willie Browne’s Mocklershill operation. Another of the stallion’s colts was among Blandford Bloodstock’s top picks of the day when making 92,000gns ($143,431).
Later in the evening, Peter Doyle, principal agent for top trainer Richard Hannon, signed for an Elusive Quality colt from Kilminfoyle House Stud at 160,000gns ($249,446). His dam Kumari Continent won the G2 Hollywood Oaks and was placed in the G1 Santa Anita Oaks.
Another Irish-consigned colt was Powerstown Stud’s son of Holy Bull, who fetched 130,000gns ($202,675) and was bought by Kern Lillingston Association. His dam Uforia produced last year’s G3 Dee Stakes winner Tajaaweed and is a half-sister to the Mr Greeley and Majestic Legend, the latter being the grand-dam of Kentucky Derby Street Sense.
Kheleyf, who stands for Darley at Kildangan Stud in Ireland, was last season’s leading first-season sire in Europe. One of his second-crop sons, consigned by Bansha House Stables, was yet another to figure among the day’s best prices when being purchased by Blandford Bloodstock for 120,000gns ($187,103). His dam Marju Guest is a grand-daughter of champion two-year-old filly Shoot Clear.
The demand for American-based sires has been strong at this sale in recent years and Street Cry, now sire of nine individual Grade or Group One winners, was responsible for the fifth top-priced filly of the session when his daughter from juvenile winner Clever Dorothy fetched 100,000gns ($155,915) for the Hillwood Stud consignment. Another Street Cry filly out of Lil Lisa Can sold for 75,000gns ($116,936).
