TENSIONS will be high going into the Arqana Breeze Up Sale, given the money that consignors have invested in the high-class stock they’re set to present - 73 of the 204 lots catalogued cost or were retained for six-figure sums last year.
Vendors have also, of course, poured blood, sweat and tears into their offerings and the foundations laid by these hard-working men and women have yielded impressive results on the track, producing a wide range of graduates, from Royal Ascot winning two-year-olds to classic winners, to consistent Saturday horses that enjoy long careers.
Two of the most high-profile wins by breeze-up graduates in 2025 came courtesy of horses sold at Arqana; 2000 Guineas victor Ruling Court and Dewhurst Stakes victor Gewan. Unfortunately, neither got to add to their top-flight tally, with the former euthanised due to complications with laminitis, while the latter suffered a fatal injury during a racecourse gallop at Kempton.
Ruling Court followed up his classic success with placed efforts in both the St James’s Palace Stakes and Coral-Eclipse, suggesting he had plenty more to give, and was an exciting stallion prospect for Godolphin, who gave €2.3 million for the Justify colt from Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm.
All budgets
Gewan is proof that there’s value to be found if buyers don’t insist on ticking every single box, as Billy Jackson Stops and Al Rabban Racing gave €80,000 for the Night Of Thunder colt from Mick Murphy and Sarah Connell’s Longways Stables.
In last year’s booming market, four horses sold for €1 million or more at Arqana. High prices, of course, don’t always guarantee success on the track, but two of those have already won group races.
Distant Storm, bought by Godolphin from Cormac Farrell for €1.9 million, ran out an impressive winner of the Tattersalls Stakes before finishing a fine third in the Dewhurst Stakes.
A day after the colt’s Group 3 win, Zanthos landed the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes.Glending Stables sold the Sioux Nation filly to Stroud Coleman for €1 million, the same price paid by M.V. Magnier for Mocklershill’s Siyouni colt Accredited.
A smart winner of a Naas maiden in March, he is entered in the Tetrarch Stakes on Monday, but more importantly for this sale, Distant Storm is one of the leading contenders for today’s 2000 Guineas.
Others to have flown the flag for the Arqana Breeze Up Sale at the highest level over the past 12 months or so include Shes Perfect (€50,000), Ten Bob Tony (€100,000), Ensued (€260,000), Juwelier (€140,000), Heart Of Honor (€160,000) and Columbus (€65,000).
Sire on fire
Gewan, Distant Storm and Ten Bob Tony are all by Night Of Thunder, who now has five lots catalogued next week, as the four supplementary lots include a Night Of Thunder colt out of a listed-winning mare.
Also supplemented are Church Farm Stables’ Havana Grey filly out of a stakes performer, C.F. Bloodstock’s Too Darn Hot colt out of a daughter of Taghrooda, and Yeomanstown Stud’s colt by exciting US sire Vekoma.
Top-class sires represented in the original catalogue include Dubawi (2), Frankel (4), Havana Grey (6), Justify (3), Kingman (4), Lope De Vega (6), Mehmas (6), New Bay (6), Sea The Stars (2), Siyouni (5), Starman (4), Tiz The Law (1), Too Darn Hot (4), Uncle Mo (1), Wootton Bassett (4) and Zarak (2).
The first juveniles by Baaeed, Blackbeard, Epicenter, Golden Pal, Jack Christopher, Jackie’s Warrior, Mandaloun, Minzaal, Perfect Power, Persian Force, Stradivarius, Thunder Moon, Cyberknife and Speaker’s Corner also feature.
All lots are eligible for the 2026 ARQANA Series, a programme of five races open to two and three-year-olds boasting overall prize money of at least €1.2 million.
Lot 11: Frankel colt out of dual stakes winner Geocentric
Lot 19: New Bay colt is closely related to Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden winner Zagrey. Also a half-brother to Criterium International third Graignes
Lot 22: First-crop son of Epicenter, out of a group-placed Galileo mare from the family of Alice Springs
Lot 32: St Mark’s Basilica half-sister to Group 3 scorer Glounthaune
Lot 39: Constitution colt out of a blacktype mare cost $210,000 as a yearling
Lot 40: Starspangledbanner half-brother to dual Grade 1 winner Fev Rover
Lot 41: Justify filly is a granddaughter of Prix Jean Romanet heroine Announce
Lot 51: Wootton Bassett colt out of a full-sister to Group 1 winner Marianafoot
Lot 55: Siyouni colt out of a half-sister to the top-class Romantic Warrior
Lot 59: Blue Point sister to Racing Post Trophy third Celestial Path
Lot 60: Flightline filly out of a stakes-winning half-sister to three-time Grade 1 winner Miss Temple City
Lot 62: Wootton Bassett colt out of multiple stakes winner and Group 1 runner-up Missrock
Lot 69: Flightline colt and is a grandson of Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Marvellous, herself a full-sister to Group 1 winners Gleneagles, Happily and Joan Of Arc
Lot 71: Dubawi filly out of a full-sister to the listed-winning dam of Prix du Jockey Club runner-up First Look
Lot 77: Night Of Thunder colt out of a blacktype mare from the family of Bay Bridge
Lot 79: Too Darn Hot colt out of a Frankel sister to Prix de l’Abbaye victor Total Gallery
Lot 83: Siyouni colt is a full-brother to German 1000 Guineas winner Txope
Lot 89: Camelot filly out of a half-sister to St Leger second and sire Mahler
Lot 90: Havana Grey colt out of a Frankel sister to Prix de l’Opera winner Ridasiyna
Lot 94: Quality Road colt out of Grade 1 winner Rosalind
Lot 98: Sea The Stars half-brother to two group winners. Full-brother to the dam of Prix de l’Abbaye winner Makarova
Lot 107: Frankel filly is a granddaughter of Group 1 performer High Heeled
Lot 110: No Nay Never filly out of a listed-winning half-sister to three group winners
Lot 113: Kingman colt is a full-brother to group-placed juvenile Go Just Do It, out of a listed-winning and group-placed mare
Lot 114: Kingman colt is the first foal out of dual stakes winner Silence Please
Lot 118: Wootton Bassett colt out of a Group 3-winning Galileo mare
Lot 154: Lope De Vega full-brother to a Grade 2 performer, out of a full-sister to Bolshoi Ballet
Lot 157: Mehmas half-sister to a stakes winner, out of dual Grade 1 winner Zagora
Lot 174: St Mark’s Basilica half-brother to Epsom Derby victor Anthony Van Dyck and Australian Group 1 winner Bounding
Lot 180: Mehmas colt out of a Galileo sister to Harzand, from the family of Emily Upjohn
Lot 184: Uncle Mo colt’s graded-placed dam is a full-sister to four stakes winners
Lot 193: Lope De Vega colt out of a group-placed full-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Alice Springs
Lot 205: Flightline filly out of Grade 1 juvenile Esplanande cost $230,000 as a yearling