Windsor Park Stud shuttler Mastercraftsman provided the standout colt during the second and final session of the Doncaster Bloodstock yearling sale on Thursday.
Coolmore agent Eddie Fitzpatrick did best in a duel with Blandford Bloodstock with a final bid 185,000 pounds for a colt from Forest Wildcat mare Weekend Fling. Consigned by Croom House Stud, the session topper’s dam is a half-sister to the USA G1 winner Archarcharch.
“He’s by a sire whose progeny are very exciting,” Fitzpatrick said. “He was beautifully prepped and came from a great nursery.”
Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer) replaced fellow Coolmore sire High Chaparral for his first southern season in New Zealand in 2010. During an undefeated juvenile campaign, he won the G1 Phoenix Stakes and G1 National Stakes at the Curragh.
He trained on to become a leader of his generation as a three year-old winning the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and G1 St James’ Palace Stakes. The first NZ bred Mastercraftsman yearlings will be available at the 2013 NZ Bloodstock Karaka Premier Sale.
Second on the DBS leaderboard was an Acclamation – Shishangaan (Mujadil) colt for 130,000 pounds. Trainer Ed Dunlop bought him on behalf of Shadwell Estates. “He was probably my favourite colt here,” Dunlop said. “The sire has obviously been very successful – I train one by Acclamation called Kohala who has won three times this year – and we’re lucky to have been able to get him.”
Doncaster Bloodstock director Henry Beeby said the sale is very important to the British and Irish bloodstock industry as a whole. “It sets the tone that is often followed throughout the autumn,” Beeby explained. “On that basis the industry should be quietly confident of a steady and solid round of sales in 2012 as we have been delighted to return some really good results once again.”
DBS reported the 2012 results largely mirrored those of last year with turnover of 10.62 million pounds at an average of 26,892 pounds. The median was 20,000 pounds and the clearance rate improved three points to 85%.