Anthony Stroud remained a focal point of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale deep into Book 3's opener Oct. 15 when he materialized for 150,000 guineas (US$208,291; 1 guinea=US$1.39) Havana Grey filly from Whitsbury Manor Stud.
Through his long-standing alliance with Godolphin, the agent has been responsible for the single largest haul of purchases in this modern era with an astonishing 27 million guineas outlay during Book 1 and again dominated the standings during the second section.
Stroud was quick to explain that this particular filly (Lot 1509), snapped up during a frenetic spell as darkness began to fall, fell under his separate Stroud Coleman hat for an established but unnamed client.
As well as playing his part in the ascendancy of Havana Grey's stallion son Vandeek by claiming him at the Craven breeze-up, Stroud had another big prompt. The latest find is a very close relative of the Havana Grey mare Rosy Affair, who added the listed Cecil Frail Stakes in late May to an impressive haul for Oaks-winning owner Shapoor Mistry, having been sourced at this very same act of the sale for 115,000 guineas.
Rosy Affair is a half sister of this filly's dam Adaay Secret, tracked back down by Whitsbury's Ed Harper after emerging as a crowd favorite on the Sicilian circuit.
"I purchased Rosy Affair here, she was very similar, and I bought a filly called Shimmering Sun (also for Mistry), who won a listed race (at Dundalk Racecourse) the other day, and she's by Havana Grey out of an Adaay mare," Stroud said. "I liked her as an individual and Whitsbury is such a good nursery of 2-year-olds. My client liked her, too. Havana Grey is a very good, solid stallion and we've had a bit of luck with him."
Harper, whose Havana Grey continues to prove an absolute one-off for the Hampshire farm, said: "The mare was a bit of a local celebrity in Sicily, she ran and ran and ran. I bred her and I wanted to sneak her back. It was a four-day box journey, she was very grateful to get home at the end of it and she's paying us back in spades."
Day 1 of Book 3 saw 255 lots sold for 7,704,500 guineas (US$10,698,500), with an average of 30,214 guineas (US$41,954), and a median of 22,000 guineas (US$30,549). The day also set a new record for the number of six-figure lots sold, with nine yearlings reaching 100,000 guineas or more, while the clearance rate reached a healthy 89%.
Of trade overall, the thoughtful Harper added: "I'd say it's been 20% stronger than I thought it was going to be. We're in a lucky position that we've got a very hot stallion who was probably always going to be popular, but I've been pleasantly surprised from start to finish these two weeks. Today, we've had a bit of selling all sorts, from the really smart ones to the lesser ones and they've all found new homes."
