O’Callaghan buys record-breaking top lot at Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale
The Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster saw a record-breaking top lot as Michael O’Callaghan sealed the deal for a Harry Angel colt at £500,000, the highest amount ever paid for a Flat horse in Doncaster.
The auction was marked by fierce competition and strong bidding, with onlookers including trainer Michael O’Callaghan and Kia Joorabchian, head of the Amo Racing team.
Family success and potential
The Harry Angel colt, out of Go Angellica, is a member of a successful family in the Doncaster ring, with Go Angellica being a Listed-winning sibling to the US stakes winner Bredenbury and My Lucky Liz, dam of O’Callaghan’s Twilight Jet, who jointly topped the 2021 renewal of this sale at £210,000 before going on to win Group 3s at two and three.
According to O’Callaghan, the Harry Angel colt is “the best horse here, and by a long way”. He said: “We’ve been extremely lucky with the vendor and he’s from the same family as Twilight Jet, who’s been a very good horse for us. If there’s one from the sale I didn’t want to leave without, it was him.”
O’Callaghan also said that the colt needs to win a Group 1, adding that “this is a horse who may potentially be traded down the line but he has to go and do it now. If he reaches a high level by the middle of the summer, then who knows? He’s ready to go anyway. Hopefully we’ll be getting the top hat out.”
Long-awaited success
The Harry Angel colt was sourced by the Tally-Ho team at the 2021 Goffs November Foal Sale, where he cost €38,000. Roger O’Callaghan, no relation to the buyer, commented on the sale, saying: “A class horse, always was. When we bought him, the plan was to breeze him. It’s worked out beyond our expectations. He was always natural; he’s got an unbelievable temperament, he was a very simple horse to breeze. When you asked him he delivered, and when you didn’t he didn’t.”
The consignor also praised the sale, saying: “I had no expectations but it’s been a very good sale. Fair dues to Donny, they got it right. It’s been a good day at the office.”
