Strong start at Craven Breeze Up for Darley's young guns

Dubai Destination, Kheleyf, Refuse To Bend and Reset all prove popular on opening day at Park Paddocks

The opening session of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale on 16 April proved successful for four of Darley's young stallions, with Dubai Destination, Kheleyf, Refuse To Bend and Reset all recording healthy prices.

Dubai Destination, sire of G1 winner and Classic contender Ibn Khaldun, had just one lot entered who was bought by Shadwell for 130,000 guineas. Out of the Green Desert mare Utr, the bay colt is a half-brother to three Black type performers including Montrose Stakes winner Sundrenched and mutiple G1-placegetter Bonnard. He is also from the family of the great Al Bahathri. Dubai Destination has sired 12 individual winners so far this year and was represented by his first two-year-old winner of 2008 on Tuesday when Fuaigh Mor made a winning debut at Warwick.

First-season sire Kheleyf (pictured), who has already sired two winners from his first crop, had two juveniles sell on Wednesday. Lot 17, a bay colt out of the Stakes-placed mare Society Fair, was bought by Angie Sykes for 58,000 guineas, whilst Blandford Bloodstock went to 130,000 guineas to secure a colt from the family of mutiple Group winner Russian Hope.

Fellow freshman Refuse To Bend was represented by his first runner yesterday, with Favourite Girl finishing a creditable third at Beverley, and his sole lot of the day  - a half-brother to Stakes winner Green Room - sold for a respectable 70,000 guineas. Reset also had just one lot to sell and his filly out of the Stakes-producing mare Triple Wood was bought by Mark Johnston for 50,000 guineas. Reset has already sired a winner in the UK and enjoyed his first Group winner last weekend when Rebel Raider took the G3 Darley Sires' Produce Stakes at Morphettville, Australia.

The sale continues today.