Starspangledbanner Filly Tops Tattersalls Craven Sale

High-rolling agents Anthony Stroud and Richard Brown have dominated the European breeze-up market in recent years, and the pair's impact was perfectly encapsulated when a daughter of Starspangledbanner (AUS) fetched 900,000 guineas (US$1,278,000, 1 guinea=US$1.42) shortly before 8 p.m. local time April 15 during Day 2 of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale. Six-figure bids bounced back and forth throughout a protracted duel until Stroud gave the decisive nod. The Gaffney family's Churchtown House Stud, who bred the youngster with Hawes Stud, had twice attempted to sell the filly, but took her home from the foal and yearling sales after her price reached 75,000 guineas. Those unsuccessful sales visits saw her entrusted to Mark Flannery of Egmont Stud, who said the top lot had always been a natural athlete. "She did an exceptional breeze, she's just been a very straightforward filly from the word go," he said. "She belonged to the Gaffneys, who do an amazing job and have been huge supporters of ours; they were the first men to ever send us horses. "We've been lucky enough to break in some very good horses for them like Castle Star, Wannabe Better, and Fastnet Mist, and when you're getting horses off a farm like that, you always have a serious chance of ending up with something like this. She's always been exceptional, always, and I hope she'll be very lucky for the next people now." Flannery said: "It's unbelievable when you get something like that. It doesn't happen often, not to me anyway. It's great to have one work out. There's been great judges on her all the way along. She hasn't missed a beat. From the moment she got off the box, practice breeze, breeze, she's been foot perfect." The filly was one of four purchases signed for by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, with the quartet costing a combined 1.81 million guineas. As was the case with Day 1's recruits, Stroud revealed his purchase had been made on behalf of Victorious Forever, the burgeoning racing operation run by Bahrain's Shaikh Nasser bin Hamed Al Khalifa and his brother Shaikh Khalid Last year's record-busting Craven Sale saw Amo Racing purchase seven lots while Godolphin signed for two. The pair, whose combined spend totaled 5.21 million guineas, were notable by their absence only this time around. With some key players sitting out the first European breeze-up of the year, an eventuality that seemed almost inevitable given the sale has taken place against a backdrop of conflict in the Middle East, Stroud said the support of Victorious Forever had been warmly received. "It's fantastic that Victorious Forever are here because there's so much going on in the world," he said. "It's hugely admired that they're participating, and it shows how much they love racing here. I think they deserve huge credit." Although trade remained behind the giddy highs of last year, the second session did at least prove more solid than the first. All told, the two days of selling brought turnover of 15,450,500 guineas (US$21,939,710), which was 18% behind last year's record renewal. The average price was down 13% at 136,730 guineas (US$194,157), although the median held firm at 100,000 guineas (US$142,000), a figure underpinned by a record-equaling 11 lots making 300,000 guineas or more. The clearance rate reached a respectable 81% as 113 juveniles sold from 140 offered.