THE resonating theme from the breeze-up sales was the growth made at the head of the market as Europe’s major auctions in this sector saw prices for the best two-year-olds on offer move on to an altogether higher plain.

Firstly to the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale where the European record for a breeze-up was broken twice in as many days. In 2013 the subsequent Group 3 winner Great White Eagle sold for a then record of 760,000gns but this price was eclipsed by a son of War Front, the now Aidan O’Brien-trained General Marshall, who was bought by Jamie McCalmont for 1.15 million guineas. He was sold by Willie Browne and was showing a spectacular dividend on the $250,000 he cost as a yearling.

The previous evening Jim McCartan offered a High Chaparral colt who fetched 800,000gns after eventually coming to Ross Doyle. Now named Moheet and an eight lengths winner of his only start at Salisbury in October, the Al Shaqab Racing-owned colt had cost 41,000gns as a yearling.

The sale’s average of 113,044gns and the 70,000gns median grew by 25% and 27% respectively although trade was decidedly selective and a patchy middle market gave rise to a 73% clearance rate.

LIKELY STORY

The breeze-up circuit then moved on to Doncaster where all key figures improved notably and the turnover increased by some 56% to over £4.6 million. The number of six-figure lots increased from three to six and a £340,000 daughter of Exceed And Excel held sway after falling to David Redvers. Now named Likely, the filly looked a juvenile of major potential when trouncing a subsequent Group 2 winner in a Carlisle maiden in May.

In France in mid-May the record price at Arqana’s Saint-Cloud Sale was smashed when French agent Nicolas de Watrigant paid €750,000 for an Invincible Spirit colt from Brendan Holland’s Grove Stud who was another to show an outstanding return on the €55,000 he cost as a yearling.

Ireland’s only breeze-up auction at Goresbridge is now in its eighth year and its strongest set of results to date show that it is firmly established on the calendar. Of the 183 horses offered, 163 were sold which saw turnover jump by €1 million to over €3.4 million while the average went from €17,811 to €22,474.

A new addition to this year’s round of sales was the Brightwells Breeze-Up auction at Ascot which could hardly have gotten off to a better start with the £50,000 graduate The Wow Signal going on to Coventry Stakes and Prix Morny glory.

HORSES IN TRAINING

To switch focus the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale posted its strongest set of figures for quite some time in October with the four-day auction producing a record aggregate of over 24.3 million guineas. Anthony Stroud paid a sale topping 425,000gns for the smart Luca Cumani inmate Havana Cooler who was bought with the Dubai Racing Carnival in mind. Once again this sale benefitted from a huge input by Middle Eastern buyers.

At Goffs the previous week Bill Farrell’s progressive Naas October Handicap winner Rocky Bleier topped a relatively low key edition of the company’s horses in training sale when selling for £150,000. He was bought on behalf of Barry Connell.

Goffs also broke new ground this year with several high-profile off-site sales and the first of these was the London Sale, in association with Qipco, which took place on the eve of Royal Ascot. This innovative auction produced a top price of €1.3 million when Sheikh Fahad Al Thani struck for the subsequent Coventry Stakes second and Round Tower Stakes winner Cappella Sansevero.

A second seven-figure transaction came when M.V. Magnier forked out €1.15 million for the mare Crystal Gaze who was sold in foal to Frankel and had a Frankel foal at foot. At its conclusion the 51 lot sale had grossed just short of £7 million.

CHAMPIONS SALE

In September Goffs staged the Champions Sale at Leopardstown which took place just before the Irish Champion Stakes card. Nine of the 11 lots offered found buyers to produce an aggregate in excess of €2 million. The top lot was the progressive Dermot Weld-trained three-year-old Timiyan who came to Kieran McManus for €470,000.