By Emma Berry
The Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale is flying high with two Classic winners to its credit in 2022 and the catalogue for this year's season-opener for juvenile sales in Europe has just been released, featuring 202 horses.
Both Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) had strutted their stuff alongside the Rowley Mile when being offered for sale in 2021. The former, bought by Godolphin for 210,000gns, returned there to win the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. en route to being crowned European champion 2-year-old, and found only his stablemate Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) too good for him when contesting the 2000 Guineas. However, he gained his own Classic laurels later that month when winning the Irish 2000 Guineas.
Cachet broke her maiden at Newmarket a month after being bought by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing for 60,000gns at the Craven Sale, and she gained black type on the Rowley Mile in her juvenile season before returning last year to win the G3 Nell Gwyn S. followed by the 1000 Guineas. They were but two of 37 stakes-performing Craven graduates on the racecourse last year.
Among this year's entrants are full-brothers to Group 1-winning sprinters The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) (lot 9) and Wooded (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (lot 153), offered by Glending Stables and Aguiar Bloodstock, respectively. Just two Kingman (GB) colts are catalogued for sale, one being a half-brother to the Derby and Arc winner Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) (lot 151), offered by Malcolm Bastard, and the other being a son of the Group/Grade 3 winner Stellar Path (Fr) (Astronomer Royal) (lot 63).
A half-sister to Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) (lot 38), an October Book 3 and Arqana Breeze-up graduate who went on to win last season's G1 Cheveley Park S., is also catalogued. Like Lezoo, the daughter of Territories (Ire) will be consigned by Tally-Ho Stud, who sold the top two lots at last year's sale and have a draft of 10 this time around.
Eleven juveniles by last year's leading first-season sire Havana Grey (GB) have been catalogued, along with one by his sire Havana Gold (Ire) (lot 159), who died last week at Tweenhills Stud. There are also five colts in the sale by No Nay Never, whose juveniles of 2022 were led by the top-class duo of Blackbeard (Ire) and Little Big Bear (Ire).
Among the sires who will be bidding for leading freshman honours this year are Masar (Ire), Blue Point (Ire), Invincible Army (Ire), Inns of Court (Ire), Too Darn Hot (GB), Land Force (Ire), Magna Grecia (Ire), Soldier's Call (GB), Advertise (GB) and Calyx (GB), all of whom have representatives in the Craven catalogue.
As ever, there is a decent smattering of American-sourced youngsters being lined up for the sale. These include Powerstown Stud's colt by Medaglia d'Oro (lot 106) who is the first foal of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Belvoir Bay (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), while Lynn Lodge Stud consigns an American Pharoah colt out of a winning daughter of Grade II winner Lady At Peace (Lord At War {Arg}) (lot 181).
Commenting on the release of the catalogue, Edmond Mahony, chairman of Tattersalls, said, “The Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale's market-leading status has been reinforced by exceptional results on the racecourse. [The] 2021 Champion Two-Year-Old Native Trail won the 2022 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas to complete a Classic Craven double following Cachet's victory in the 1000 Guineas, whilst last year's sale has produced twice as many group/listed performers as any other 2022 European breeze-up sale, a testament to the continued strong support of breeze-up consignors. This year's catalogue has both quality and quantity in abundance and with the unrivalled bonuses on offer the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale looks certain to attract a broad cross section of domestic and international buyers.”
As referenced, the 202 horses put forward for this year's sale are all eligible for the Tattersalls Royal Ascot/Group 1 bonus which offers £125,000 for any graduate of the sale who becomes the first to win one of the six juvenile races at the royal meeting, and another £125,000 for the first to win one of 15 Group 1 races for 2-year-olds in Europe. These run in tandem with the established £15,000 Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Bonus.
Kicking off a thrilling week of action in Newmarket featuring Classic trials at the three-day Craven Meeting, the 2-year-olds will be put through their paces on the turf at the Rowley Mile from 9 a.m. on Monday, Apr. 17. The sale takes place after racing on Tuesday and Wednesday at Park Paddocks.
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