Dreams come true at Doncaster as Tasleet Colt tops the sale

“I have been involved with horses in one way or another all my life and I have never experienced anything like this,” said an astonished Paul Giles after meeting his well-related Tasleet The colt will bring £350,000 (US$461,589, £1 = US$1.3188) at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale on August 28.

The colt was the talk of the town at the sale after his half-brother Cool Hoof Luke won the Gimcrack Stakes (G2) five days earlier. That was not the only source of optimism at the Knavesmire last week, as Tasleet’s reputation was also boosted by the fact that Bradsell has entered his name in the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) roll of honour.

They say timing is everything, but the stars aligned for the Moyfinn Stud man when Giles purchased the dam Dutch Monument, with the best-selling colt in her womb, for just 15,000 guineas in November 2022.

That kind of bargain sum was completely dwarfed by events at the Doncaster Ring on August 28, when a marathon bidding war added the latest chapter to this remarkable story.

Amanda Skiffington, standing alongside owner Fiona Carmichael and trainer Ed Bethell, was there from the start. Initially it was Anthony Bromley who signed Skiffington, but when the price reached £230,000, Highflyer Bloodstock’s agent was clearly shaking his head.

Bromley had barely been turned away when Oliver St. Lawrence appeared in the corridor below, raising his finger to signal a counter offer.

However, when Carmichael and Skiffington continued to suggest increases of £10,000, St Lawrence turned on his heel and left the scene. “Don’t get shot trying to escape,” shouted auctioneer Bernard Condren, but when it became clear that there was no response, the hammer fell at £350,000.

Skiffington described the bidding war as “horrific”, saying: “It was scary because I thought I knew who I was going up against – and I did. We had hoped he would cost a little less, but after last week’s update it was clear he was never going to be cheap again.”

The agent, who confirmed that Bethell would be tasked with training the six-figure stallion, added: “He’s a lovely person and he’s got the pedigree. I also happen to like Dutch Art mares. There was a lot I really liked about the horse. The whole team loved him.”

Dutch monument, a Dutch art Half-sister of three Black Type winners in Italy, is pregnant by Kodiak She ran just once for Cheveley Park Stud and Richard Fahey before being sold to Tony Nerses, breeder of Cool Hoof Luke, for just 2,000 guineas in 2019.

Tasleet spent the first five years of his stallion career at Shadwell’s Nunnery Stud but moved to Star Born Stud in Punjab, India for the 2024 breeding season.

The sustained demand continued into the second and final round of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, with thirteen lots selling for £100,000 or more. In total there were 27 lots in the six-figure range, rewarding many small breeders.

Of the 460 vehicles offered, 378 were sold, representing a disposal rate of 82%. Gross sales amounted to £14,972,500 (US$19,746,107), with an average of £39,610 (US$52,239) and a median of £30,000 (US$39,565), both slightly below the previous year’s figures.