Havana Grey

NEWMARKET, UK--"If we don't believe in our stallions, who will?" So said breeder and consignor Ed Harper after topping the second day of foal trade at Tattersalls, though in the case of lot 793, the sire in question, this season's leading freshman Havana Grey (GB), has already garnered the support of plenty of breeders and buyers. But to justify the day's top price tag of 250,000gns at this stage of his young life, the colt had to have plenty more going for him, and his half-brother Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable...

The Havana Grey (GB) train is showing no sign of slowing down and, after a booming debut season at stud that saw his fee at Whitsbury Manor Stud bumped up to £18,500, he supplied the sales-topping filly on the final day of what Henry Beeby described as a "sensational" November Foal Sale at Goffs. That €68,000 filly (lot 962) was signed for by renowned judge Paul McCartan of Ballyphillip Stud, best known for breeding speedballs Harry Angel (Ire) and Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), and was consigned by Olive O'Connor...

Four wildcards have been added to the Tattersalls November Online Sale, which begins Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. and closes 24 hours later. The newest entries are headed by the 4-year-old Apollo One (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), who is being offered by Peter Charalambous and James Clutterbuck's Pond House Racing. Already a four-time winner at the races, the chestnut most recently validated 100-30 favouritism in the Unibet London Sprint Series final at Kempton Nov. 9, earning a shade more than £41,000 for the victory. Rated on 96 following the effort,...

Havana Grey (GB), Whitsbury Manor Stud's champion-elect first-season sire of 2022, will stand for a fee of £18,500 next year. The 7-year-old son of Havana Gold (Ire) started his stud career at £8,000 and has covered the last  two seasons at a fee of £6,000. "After such a phenomenal year it's taken a lot of thought as we're trying to keep him within reach of the breeders that have supported him thus far," said stud director Ed Harper. "It's already clear that demand will far outweigh supply, and I just...

NEWMARKET, UK -- Even in what proved a record-breaking edition, Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year yielded just a couple of six-figure sales. On Thursday, we had two in the first half hour. Any prospectors who had staggered out of the opening two books gasping for some oasis of affordability already knew what they were up against. To be fair, trade would not remain quite as consistently wild as had been the case across the two preceding catalogues. While unsatisfied demand from Book 2 was transparent...

NEWMARKET, UK--There are plenty of troubling stories out in the big wide world at the moment, but buyers at the yearling sales so far this season appear not to be concerned or affected by a cost-of-living-crisis, with the Tattersalls Somerville Sale the latest to benefit from a boom in demand for young stock. The Somerville is only in its second year but it has already been pegged as an important fixture in the run of yearling sales and the 2022 renewal posted huge gains in all sectors. Four six-figure lots...

NEWMARKET, UK--There's no let-up in a sales calendar that becomes more packed every year, and the yearling action now switches to Newmarket, with the Tattersalls Somerville Sale sandwiched between last Friday's BBAG Yearling Sale in Germany, and a new French sale at Arqana this coming Thursday and Friday. This is in effect only the second year of the Somerville, a sale that grew out of the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale, which itself only existed for four years, having been moved to Newmarket during the first year of the pandemic. That...

The first major yearling sale of the autumn in Britain or Ireland, the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale provided entertainment from the beginning to the end, but most importantly, boasted impressive figures. Brian Sheerin was in attendance and discusses the major talking points from the sale. Figures on the up The team at Goffs UK could hardly have wished for a better start to the Premier Yearling Sale. The day one figures were off the charts. Of the 218 lots offered on Tuesday, 199 were sold, representing a clearance rate...

With another 60 yearlings standing out in the field at home in Westmeath, it was important for the team at Tally-Ho to begin the domestic sales season with a bang, and that's exactly what they did in sending out the top lot at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale--the Blandford Bloodstock-bought lot 278, a filly by Night Of Thunder (Ire).  Mark McStay went to £230,000 to secure a colt by the stallion [170] on Tuesday but it was Tally-Ho's first foal out of the five-time winner and listed-placed Thiswaycadeaux (Ire)...

DONCASTER, UK--New dreams abound for Natalie Folland and her partner Matt Bowen, who offer their first yearlings at this year's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale under the banner of Folland-Bowen Bloodstock.  Many people will know Folland from her days of managing Elkington Stud. She met her partner Bowen, who worked at a neighbouring farm, during that time but now the pair are concentrating on going it alone at Fonthill Stud in Wiltshire.  Not long after the pair welcomed daughter Imogen (2) into the world, Folland-Bowen Bloodstock was formed, and this...

Purveyors of Twitter will have noticed that Luke Lillingston has made his way onto timelines on an almost daily basis in recent weeks but the Mount Coote Stud operator had his name pegged into lights on Saturday when dear old Sir Busker (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), a horse he bought for just €25,000 in 2017, bagged the G2 Sky Bet York S.  Whether it's buying or breeding winners, Lillingston has enjoyed a year to remember and, not only did he source Sir Busker on behalf of Kennet Valley, but he...

An unusually quiet Sunday on the European circuit allows a pause before the meeting that should only ever be referred to as Glorious Goodwood, and also some reflection on a truly special result at Ascot on Saturday afternoon. William Muir, a baby-faced veteran of the training ranks who now shares his licence with Chris Grassick, assessed the greatest win of his 30-year training career as "a big, big moment", and he deserves to enjoy that moment for days and weeks to come.  By now, the story of Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour...