Haafhd filly tops Tattersalls Craven session

The Kern Lillingston bloodstock agency snapped up the top-priced horse Wednesday at the Tattersalls company's Craven 2-year-old sale's opening session, paying about $786,030 for a Haafhd filly.

The Bloodstock Connection of Ireland sold the filly, a bay daughter of the stakes-winning Trempolino mare Allespagne.

The filly previously failed to bring her reserve price when she was hammered down for about $102,907 at the 2007 Tattersalls October yearling sale. Then she was consigned by Old Mill Stud, as agent.

The session-topper is a half-sister to stakes-winner and Group 3-placed Cruzspiel. She was one of six horses to bring 300,000 guineas - including three by the American sire Mr. Greeley - or more at the session.

The first of two sessions ended Wednesday with 64 horses sold for about $13,397,674. In the local currency of guineas, that was a 26-percent increase in gross. The average of about $209,338 was up 36 percent when compared year-to-year in guineas. The median of about $139,623 was up 30 percent. The 2008 buy-back rate was 23 percent, compared with 30 percent at last year's equivalent session.

The Tattersalls Craven 2-year-old sale was to continue through Thursday in Newmarket, England.