The top three lots at DBS's Doncaster Breeze-Up sale on Wednesday April 20 were all sired by Darley stallions, headed at £140,000 by a Hard Spun colt ex Saudia. Bought by trainer John Quinn he is a granddaughter of the G1-winning mare Bint Pasha. Hard Spun stands at Darley America for $30,000, and his first foals race this season.
The second-top lot of the sale was a Teofilo (pictured) colt, which sold for £110,00 to Robin O'Ryan, assistant trainer to Richard Fahey. The first foal of G3 winning dam Mamela, O'Ryan commented after the purchase "We like Teofilo as a stallion and have a nice filly by him at home." Teofilo, who stands at Kildangan Stud in Ireland for €15,000, has already had a winner this season when his first ever runner, Parish Hall, was an impressive winner at Leopardstown.
Completing the trifecta was a Shamardal colt ex Genoa, a stakes-placed mare from the family made famous by the Hollingsworth family that includes Bireme, Buoy and Yawl. Knocked down for £105,000 to David Redvers for owner Sheikh Fahad Al-Thani, a trainer as yet to be decided for the colt. Standing at €50,000 this season, Shamardal sired five Group winning juveniles last season, more than any other stallion in the northern hemisphere.
Not only were Darley stallions responsible for the top-three lots overall, they also had the top two fillies at the sale. Norman Steel went to £80,000 to buy the Dubawi filly out of Lady Angharad, making her a half-sister to recent G3 Nell Gwyn winner Barefoot Lady. Slightly later in the day, Blandford Bloodstock bought the Exceed And Excel filly ex Mosaique Beauty, a winning half-sister to G1-scorer Subtle Power, for £75,000.
