Munnings Colt Starts Craven Breeze Up Sale on High Note

Oliver St Lawrence may just have unearthed a Classic winner at last year's breeze ups, with KHK Racing's Sakheer  on course for the Two Thousand Guineas (G1). And the agent was back in action on Day 1 of the Tattersalls Craven Sale the evening of April 18 with designs on landing other big prizes this season, having gone to 360,000 guineas (US$468,357, 1gn = US$1.3009) for the session-topping Munnings   colt. 

The youngster was offered by Longways Stables and is set to switch to the care of Roger Varian, who is overseeing Sakheer's preparation and was alongside St Lawrence and Fawzi Nass when the docket was signed. 

"He's a very taking horse," St Lawrence said. "I was keen on him, as was Roger. He looks like a horse we could possibly go to Ascot with. We've had luck with Munnings before, as Fawzi trained Shahama, who did well in Dubai and then went out to America. I'm a times person and he did a perfectly nice time without setting the world alight. Mick (Murphy, Longways Stables) seems to bring them along nicely and doesn't push them too hard." 

Varian added: "He's a strong horse, so hopefully he's one we can get home and continue with." 

The colt (Lot 47) was making his second appearance at public auction as he was added to the Longways team with the help of Ted Durcan at a cost of $150,000 during the Keeneland September Yearling Sale last year. The colt is out of Separate Forest , a grade 3-winning daughter of Forestry whose four successes at paddocks include the stakes-winning Uncle Mo   mare Hendy Woods . 

Sakheer stepped up his Classic preparation with a racecourse gallop ahead of Day 1 of the Craven meeting at Newmarket, and his trainer reported it was all systems go with the son of Zoffany . "He's fine and was in good shape this afternoon," Varian said. "He didn't have a tough workout, but he did what we wanted to do and we're all pleased with him. We're training him for the Guineas and he's on target." 

There were plenty of flashpoints through the evening session as 11 Lots sold for 200,000gns or more. However, consignors reported some fairly unforgiving market conditions, which was evidenced by a clearance rate of 69%. Some 86 Lots came under the hammer and 59 found a buyer, which in turn generated a turnover of 6,495,500gns ($8,450,594), up 3% from 19 more sold lots, an average of 110,093gns ($143,230), down 9%, and a median of 77,000gns ($100,176), down 10%. 

The Tattersalls Craven Sale continues April 19 at 5:45 p.m. (local time).