Strong Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale Headed by 155,000 Guineas Calyx Filly

A strong renewal of the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale concluded with a 155,000 guineas CALYX filly heading eight lots to realise 100,000 guineas or more in the ‘breeze up’ section. A record 42 lots realised 50,000 guineas or more and the median was a record-equalling 30,000 guineas. The ‘horses in training’ section of the sale saw turnover of 1,442,700 guineas and a clearance rate of 91%.

Middleham Park Racing Strike for Albany Stud’s Calyx Filly at 155,000 Guineas

The highest priced lot of the day was the CALYX filly consigned by Albany Stud who was knocked down to Middleham Park Racing for 155,000 guineas with bloodstock agent Alex Elliott the underbidder.

Albany Stud’s Paul Commins was reduced to tears after the sale of the homebred filly which was the best breeze up result enjoyed by the stud to date. Albany Stud purchased the filly’s dam LAMSA for 3,200 guineas at the Tattersalls July Sale and she has since bred four winners for the family-run operation, who have just a handful of mares and breezed only two two-year-olds this spring.

This sale was the conclusion of a long-term plan held by the family with Paul Commins, who works alongside his father Don on the Thurles farm, revealing:

“When this filly was a foal we decided to breeze her. We never entered in a foal or a yearling sale. Everything has always been so easy for her, she has never come off the bridle at home. When she came back from the breeze she bit me when waiting for her food! She is so laid back you would not think she is a sprinter, she is so laid back she goes to sleep.”

Of expectations, he revealed: “After her breeze we were quietly confident and knew that we had done ok, we were hopeful of a good time and it was better than expected. We didn’t really have a figure but the right people came to her door.”

“The second she was born my father said she was fast! He fell in love with her and almost lived inside her stable. I really do think she is good, and I have been saying all week she is an Ascot filly!”

That view was shared by purchaser Middleham Park Racing as Tom Palin joked: “We bought her from Albany Stud, let’s hope she wins the race of the same name in six weeks!”

He added: “She is a stunning filly, we thought she breezed particularly well. Sadly, we recently lost Malc, a Craven Breeze Up purchase and a Calyx colt we had with Richard Fahey. He finished second in the Norfolk Stakes for us and he is a sire we have always liked, Richard has done well with the sire, so we thought it was right to bring another back to Richard and by Calyx.

“She was an obvious one really, she has a lot of size and substance, timed well and ticked all the boxes. We had to stretch a bit more than we wanted, but this sales season has been very hard to get stuck in, so you have to be a bit punchy on the ones you want. She is a queen and is a standout physically.”

In addition to Group 2 Norfolk Stakes second MALC, Middleham Park Racing’s lengthy record of success from Tattersalls breeze up sales includes Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye winner THE PLATINUM QUEEN who was purchased for 57,000 guineas at the Guineas Breeze Up Sale and subsequently sold for 1,200,000 guineas at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

150,000 Guineas Ten Sovereigns Colt Leads Excellent Day for Knockgraffon Stables

Stephen Byrne’s Knockgraffon Stables enjoyed an excellent day in the Tattersalls sales ring headed by a colt by TEN SOVEREIGNS who realised 150,000 guineas to Rabbah Bloodstock. The March-born colt is a grandson of the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes winner LONG LASHES, a half-sister to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap winner COMBATANT.

“He was bred by Michael Downey and he sent him to us in November, and we broke him and prepped him for the sale,” revealed Stephen. “Michael has been a great client for us over the years. The horse was very straightforward and has taken everything here like a champ, and did a savage breeze.

“We don’t clock them at home, but his work at home has always been very good and it was a pleasant surprise to see him go so well. We are just delighted that it all fell into place for Michael, and I’d just like to thank all who were bidding on him.”

Knockgraffon Stables had earlier enjoyed an excellent pinhooking result with their LOPE Y FERNANDEZ filly, purchased for 8,000 guineas at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale and sold for 92,000 guineas to Highflyer Bloodstock, and Byrne added: “She was brilliant over here, breezed great and is a queen. I am delighted Tessa Greatrex got her and hopefully she is lucky for them.”

The filly’s dam BURNT FINGERS is the dam of five winners from five runners and Byrne joked: “She will be six from six next, and will have a bit of black-type too!”

Knockgraffon also sold a SAXON WARRIOR filly for 80,000 guineas to Spanish Champion trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta and a KODI BEAR filly for 40,000 guineas to JS Bloodstock/Pythia Sports/T Clover Racing, concluding the sale as leading consignor with four lots sold for 362,000 guineas.

Ghrghar Strikes for Mehmas Colt at 145,000 Guineas

The GS Bloodstock consigned MEHMAS colt was predicted to be one of the day’s highlights and duly did not disappoint in the sales ring, selling for 145,000 guineas to an online bid by Omar Esmil Ghrghar and Global Equine. GS Bloodstock is comprised of jockeys Gary Halpin and Sean Davis with the duo making their consigning debut at the Craven Breeze Up Sale in 2023.

A delighted Davis reported: “He was bred by Noel O’Callaghan of Mountarmstrong Stud and he has been a massive supporter of us. We are delighted that the colt has rewarded his breeder, he has been a brilliant horse to do all winter. He clocked a good time and did a very good breeze – but he has been doing that all winter. We are excited about him and I really hope he goes on and is lucky for his purchaser – I think they have bought a very nice horse.”

He added: “The Mehmas horses have great minds, they are professional and are athletes. He has been so easy to do since he got here – made our job easy! I can’t thank his breeder enough for sending such a nice horse our way.”

The February-foaled colt is out of the SHOWCASING mare ORANGE BLOSSOM, a half-sister to the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes winner GOOD VIBES and the Japanese Listed winner YAKUSHIMA.

Burke Secures Veblen Good for 110,000 Guineas

The highest priced lot of the Horses in Training section of the sale was the promising three-year-old VEBLEN GOOD who was offered by Consign Ltd. and knocked down for 110,000 guineas to trainer Karl Burke, bidding online.

Previously trained by Burke, the son of STARSPANGLEDBANNER finished second on debut at Sandown in September before breaking his maiden at Wolverhampton over five furlongs in October. He was beaten just a head on his only start this season at Pontefract in April over six furlongs by the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup entry STRONG WARRIOR.

“He ran great on his last start and is a real progressive sort,” Burke commented. “Hopefully he can step up to some black-type, and the plan is to go to Newbury in a couple of weeks for a Listed race.”

Bred by Mountarmstrong Stud & Alexander B/Stock and previously raced by Mountarmstrong’s Noel, Paul & Charles O’Callaghan, VEBLEN GOOD is a half-brother to the Group placed NOCHE MAGICA out of a half-sister Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes winner and dual Group 1 placed ANTHEM ALEXANDER and successful sire DANDY MAN.

Chairman’s Statement

At the conclusion of the 2025 Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“The momentum from the recent, record-breaking Craven Breeze Up Sale has been well and truly carried into the Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale, which has seen a record number of 50,000 guineas lots and a record-equalling median for the breeze up section. Buyers continue to be drawn to a sale whose recent results include three individual Group/Grade 1 winners and 42 Group or Listed performers since 2022 – arguably making it the best value breeze-up sale in Europe.

“We have welcomed a diverse and international group of buyers to Tattersalls – a hallmark of our sales at Park Paddocks. This follows promotional visits in recent months to America, Australia, Bahrain, Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Sweden in conjunction with our extensive network of overseas representatives.

“We now look forward to the Tattersalls July Sale, Europe’s leading midsummer sale, which offers buyers an enticing mix of top-class horses in training and high-quality breeding stock on the eve of the July Festival at Newmarket Racecourse.”