The opening day of Tattersalls annual Craven Breeze Up horse auction in Newmarket raked in £3,450,000, with the two-year-old specimens selling at an average of over £82,000 each.
A total of 57 horses sold in one evening, with the top lot, a colt called Sparte Quercus from Paddy Twomey’s Athassel House Stud, knocked down to Charlie Gordon-Watson for £315,000.
A breeze up sale sees horses run a set distance in front of bidders, known as breezing.
After bagging the son of first-season sire Canford Cliffs, Mr Gordon-Watson said: “I have been successful buying from Paddy before and this horse has been bought for Hong Kong.
“The colt breezed well, I like the stallion and I am very pleased to have bought a thoroughly nice horse.”
The sale marked a big profit for the owner, who bought the colt as a yearling for £46,000.
The second biggest sale was knocked down to John Ferguson for £260,000, buying the half-brother of Oasis Dream, brought to the sale by horse consignor Malcolm Bastard.
The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale continues at 6pm tomorrow.
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