RACING

Ryan McElligott

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It was only a couple of weeks ago that Smash Williams first set foot on a racecourse, but in that time he has come a long way and his Round Tower Stakes triumph at the Curragh last weekend, indicating that he is a juvenile of real quality.

A son of the talented middle-distance runner Fracas, Smash Williams was returning to the fray just eight days after his wide margin debut triumph in a Curragh maiden for trainer Jim Bolger.

Also at the Curragh, Bocca Baciata staked her claim for Irish Champions Weekend with a smooth triumph in the Group 3 Dance Design Stakes.

If the ground was to come up on the slow side at the Curragh next weekend, the daughter of Big Bad Bob will play a major role in the Blandford Stakes. The most valuable race of the day at the Curragh was the Irish Cambridgeshire, where David Wachman once again worked the oracle with Hint Of A Tint. This filly won the ultra competitive Topaz Mile in Galway on her first start of the season, but looked even better here as she ran out a decidedly cosy winner off a 9lb higher mark.

DBS SALES

Earlier last week, the first yearling sale of the year in England and Ireland posted an impressive set of final figures.

Doncaster’s Premier Yearling Sale made sweeping gains in all key areas.

The turnover for the two days grew by 14% to over £17.7.m, while the £42,731 average represented an increase of 15 points.

The £30,000 median was an improvement of 11%, while the clearance rate for the sale came in at 87%.

Two days of good trade saw some 31 yearlings make at least £100,000 and the sale was topped by a £280,000 Paco Boy own-sister to this season’s high class two-year-old Galileo Gold. She was bought by agent Tony Nerses on behalf of Epsom Derby-winning owners Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar.

This price was closely matched by a son of the hugely popular Dark Angel, who came to John Ferguson for £270,000. He was consigned by Guy O’Callaghan’s Grangemore Stud and he is a brother to this season’s classy juvenile Birchwood. CL