£880,000 colt heads big day in Donny for Mehmas

The Goffs Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster belonged to Mehmas on Wednesday. Topped by a colt who dominated proceedings by selling for £880,000, Mehmas fired in five six-figure lots to end the day with an average of approximately £140,000.

The £880,000 colt, bought by Anthony Stroud, was the highlight of a successful draft for Tally-Ho Stud, which saw us finish as the sale's leading vendor by aggregate and average (with more than one sold).

The colt is a half-brother to Listed winner Hastalavistababy and the Listed-placed Mia Mento and was bred by Con Marnane out of the Exceed And Excel mare Mia Divina.

“He did a very good breeze, he has a good pedigree and he looks like a Royal Ascot two-year-old,” reported Stroud. “We’re all trying to buy them to run at Ascot and he fits that brief. Tally-Ho do a fantastic job. He just had the make and shape of what we’re looking for in a breezer. 

“Obviously it’s a great deal of money, a lot more than one would’ve liked to have spent, but that’s the competition of the sales ring. Everyone wants to win so you have to stretch. I don’t know who’ll train him yet, we just need to come up for some air and I’ll be told where he goes later.  

“I’d anticipated he’d make that price, as I’m sure everyone else did too. Richard Brown was bidding, as was Kia [Joorabchian of Amo Racing], all the people you’d expect. It just shows that if the horse is here then the people will be here too. That says a lot.”

Roger O’Callaghan said: “First I have to pay tribute to Con, Amy and Olivia [Marnane], as they bred him. The team at Tally-Ho put a lot of hard work into results like this too. I’d say we have some of the best riders in the country at Tally-Ho. 

“This colt always stood out and you just get a hunch, just a feeling, about horses like that. He delivered what we expected him to in the breeze and in the shows, and that always makes it easier to sell. It was some bidding battle, very cool.

“We want to be good at the job, and want to be perceived to be good at the job, so when horses sell well and do well on the track and make people happy, it’s hugely gratifying, and has hopefully resulted in some return business.”

Reflecting on Mehmas, O’Callaghan added: “Mehmas is deadly. Deadly. He’s the gift that keeps on giving.  He’s like Ronaldo. Ronaldo scores in every game and Mehmas has a good horse every year. That’s what sets him apart. We’re lucky to have him.”

Another highlight for Mehmas was our colt out of Rebecca Rocks, who sold for £180,000 to Blandford Bloodstock. Blandford also snapped up Mark Grant's colt out of Surround for £160,000.

It was also a good day for Starman, whose draft was topped by a filly out of Karalara who was sold by Gary Bloodstock for £155,000 to Amo Racing.

Billy Jackson-Stops of JS Bloodstock and Pythia Sports also went to £90,000 for Knockanglass Stables' colt out of Boston Belle.

Persian Force's first two-year-olds also sold for £125,000 and £105,000 to cap a good day for our young sire that also featured the winner Dragon Force.

Many thanks to everyone who supported us today and we look forward to seeing them on the track - hopefully there is another Powerful Glory or Dream Ahead among them.