ANYONE who invests their money in a racehorse is brave. Some might call them reckless. A dreamer. But that sensible person obviously hasn’t experienced that winning feeling. That thrill. It’s like a drug.

It’s what drives everyone who puts their money on the line for an unpredictable animal of unknown talent, whose value can plummet or soar based on just one performance.

At least racehorse owners can still get a bit of a thrill with a low-grade animal. There’s a real satisfaction from any win, no matter where it’s achieved. But what about those breeze-up consignors? Now, they’re really brave.

They need even more luck than owners or trainers, because their plan needs to work out in a shorter time frame, and their stock is valued on a single performance. So much can go wrong on the day and anything that slows them down just one second puts them further down the list of times and further down buyers’ wishlists.

Even before that, horses can suffer setbacks, or simply take longer than expected to mature. Breeze-up consignors take a lot of the risk for the end users, measuring a horse’s potential and proving their soundness, and that’s a major part of the breeze-up sales’ appeal to buyers.

Worth the wait

The introduction of the Goffs Classic Breeze-Up Sale this year seemed to have been welcomed by consignors as it offers an outlet for those horses who missed their original date, suffered bad luck at their first opportunity, or just needed that extra time.

When unveiling the select catalogue of 62 lots, Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby commented: “The Goffs Classic Breeze Up was positioned from the outset as a premium sale for quality, later maturing two-year-olds and we are proud to present a catalogue that we believe fulfils this ambition with a sire profile that would be the envy of any breeze-up sale in Europe.

“Goffs has a proud history in staging successful breeze ups and we hope that the timing, location and the calibre of this first catalogue will establish the Classic Breeze-Up Sale as a key fixture on the European sales calendar.”

Goffs have formatted the inaugural edition differently to its European counterparts, in that the breeze will take place at Naas Racecourse on Monday, June 23rd, with a wait until selling at Goffs on Saturday, June 28th.

This longer period is the norm in the US, giving buyers more time to inspect and vet lots, and it also avoids a clash with the Derby Sale at Tattersalls Ireland.

Those travelling for the sale can combine it with a trip to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival at the Curragh.

Bidding gets underway at Kildare Paddocks from 6.15pm, leaving plenty of time after the feature race of the day, the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes, at 3.30pm.

All shapes and sizes

The breeze-up sales have proven time and time again that they can produce more than the stereotypical speedy two-year-olds.

Ruling Court was the latest graduate to win a classic, while Trueshan is the breeze-up poster boy in the staying division, winning two Group 1s as a five-year-old and another at seven.

The catalogue for the Goffs Classic Breeze Up Sale reflects the wide range of horses that are produced by this sector.

Sires represented include sharper types such as Dark Angel, Havana Grey, Mehmas, No Nay Never, Sioux Nation and Starspangledbanner. Over the further trips, the likes of Australia, New Bay, Sea The Stars, Wootton Bassett and Zarak have horses catalogued.

Royal Ascot saw two freshman sires boost their profile, as Flowerhead (Starman) and Cardiff By The Sea (St Mark’s Basilica) finished second and fourth respectively in the Queen Mary Stakes.

Both sires are represented next week, as is Nando Parrado, who is currently second to Starman in the first season sires’ table.

Palace Pier has sired four winners from nine runners, while Victor Ludorum’s first juveniles include Viva La Skids, a debut winner at Saint-Cloud.

Catalogue highlights

Lot 1: Filly by Hello Youmzain, sire of three group winners in his first crop, including Group 1 third Misunderstood. Out of a Galileo own-sister to champion three-year-old filly Lush Lashes

Lot 6: Zarak colt out of a full-sister to dual Grade 1 winner Ticker Tape and half-sister to Group 1 victor Brando

Lot 9: Daughter of a Group 3-winning two-year-old, from the exciting first crop of Essential Quality (Tapit)

Lot 21: Colt by another American freshman sire, dual Grade 1 winner Maxfield. This is a half-brother to a dual graded stakes winner, out of a stakes-winning mare

Lot 25: Sea The Stars filly out of a Group 3 winner by Kodiac

Lot 28: Filly from the first crop of St Mark’s Basilica, out of listed winner and multiple group-placed Ladys First

Lot 39: Colt by top-class miler City Of Light, out of Miss Isella, a dual Grade 2 winner and runner-up at Grade 1 level

Lot 47: Starspangledbanner half-brother to the 104-rated String Theory, out of a half-sister to three-time Group 1 winner Sabiango and brilliant globetrotter Silvano

Lot 49: Half-sister to a stakes winner, from the first crop of champion miler Palace Pier

Lot 51: Sea The Stars filly out of a half-sister to dual Group 2 winner Platinum Warrior (Galileo). Granddaughter of Prix de Sandringham heroine and Group 1 performer Laugh Out

Lot 57: Havana Grey colt is a grandson of Matron Stakes winner Sense Of Style

Lot 60: Ardad half-sister to a stakes winner, out of a listed-winning half-sister to Prix de l’Abbaye winner Total Gallery

Lot 61: Australia brother to dual group/graded winner Eternal Hope (Teofilo), out of a Dubawi half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Rio De La Plata