THE breeze-up brigade returns to Newmarket next week for the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale, a sale not as well known for producing headline results and proverbial fireworks as the first two sales of the year.
There’s a chance that could work in the sale’s favour - perhaps middle and lower end buyers were deterred by the blockbuster results achieved by its counterparts 12 months ago, and would be more comfortable shopping around the 30,000gns mark - the median price of last year’s Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale.
Digging a little deeper into funds could have rewarded you with a stakes winner last year - Brian Ellison’s French listed winner Wor Faayth was bought by Boyle Bloodstock and David Appleton for 35,000gns last year.
The Ardad filly later resold for 130,000gns at the December Mares Sale - the cherry on top for connections, as well as Justin Rea, who sold her through his Fairgreen Stables. Impressively, three of Fairgreen’s Guineas Sale graduates won stakes races last year - Queen Azteca won the UAE Oaks heroine and Royal Dubai landed back-to-back stakes races.
Special attention should then be given to Rea’s draft of three next week; colts by proven sires Bated Breath and Dark Angel, and a first-crop Naval Crown filly, who is a half-sister to group-placed juvenile Havana Angel.
Of last year’s purchasers, special mention goes to Blandford Bloodstock - their four purchases included eight-length Dundalk maiden winner Heartbeat Supreme (60,000gns) and Blenheim Stakes third Alibah (42,000gns), both of whom are trained by Joseph O’Brien.
Minimum bid
Value could be found at every price point 12 months ago - at 1,000gns, Epi was the cheapest horse at last year’s sale and won a French claimer on his third start. Sold by Brown Island Stables, the Calyx colt placed at Chantilly on his last two outings, bringing his earnings past €19,000.
Oratorical, bought by Compas Equine and David Loughnane for 10,000gns from Gourneen Stables, won a Nottingham novice stakes by six lengths in October and is now rated 90.
Gaga Mate was bought back for 48,000gns last year, but vindicated that decision when making a smart debut later that month.
Subsequently sold to Victorious Forever and switched to George Scott, the Mehmas colt finished third in the Weatherbys Super Sprint and fifth in the Weatherbys £300,000 2YO Stakes before travelling to Italy for a Group 3 win. The talented chesnut currently holds an official rating of 102.
It’s safe to say that Gaga Mate would have cost considerably more than 48,000gns after winning first time out, and the Guineas Breeze Up Sale has a history of producing horses who outrun their two-year-old sales price.
Naomi Lapaglia proved she was worth 110,000gns and more when placing in five stakes races and reaching a rating of 103. That saw the daughter of Awtaad resell for 475,000gns and she later gained an important stakes win for new connections.
Dream buy
Patrick Cooper’s 38,000gns buy Village Voice won two listed races and a Group 3 for Jessica Harrington, before bringing a whopping 1,300,000gns from John Stewart’s Resolute Racing.
The daughter of Poet’s Word won a Grade 3 for new connections in October, making her one of nine graduates to win a stakes race in 2025. Naomi Lapaglia was the most expensive of them, with 65,000gns the next highest price.
That amount was paid for both Warnie and The Strikin Viking - the former won a Group 2 in Australia and the latter won a Group 3 in Germany.
The latest batch of potential stars will demonstrate their abilities from 9am on Wednesday, April 29th and go under the hammer the following day. The breezers follow the Tattersalls Guineas Horses In Training Sale, which gets underway at 9.30am.
165 lots have been catalogued for the Horses In Training Sale, featuring drafts from the always popular Godolphin, Juddmonte and Shadwell. Consign Ltd offer the largest consignment at 23 lots, followed closely by Jamie Railton whose draft of 22 includes a partial dispersal of nine horses from Jim & Claire Ltd, whilst the Castlebridge Consignment have a draft of 20 lots.
Lot 30: Alta Rica is a half-sister to the dam of Mr Monaco, recent winner of the Group 3 Manion Cup. Granddam is the top-class Alborada
Lot 47: Eight-time winner Brazilian Rose is rated 85 after placing in the Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Handicap on Good Friday
Lot 76: Sea The Moon gelding Caliban won his last two starts, progressing to a mark of 87
Lot 92: Six-figure breezer Lord Harcourt has won twice and finished second twice, from six starts since being gelded
Lot 96: Shadwell home-bred Al Azd won a Southwell maiden last time out
Lot 113: Newbury novice winner Raafedd is rated 95 but has been absent since July and is offered out of training
Lot 120: Sea The Stars gelding Sea Baaeed is rated 90 after going close in an Ascot sprint
Lot 122: Progressive three-year-old Three Non Blondes won two of her first three starts
Lot 123: Juddmonte three-year-old Wield recently finished second in a Newmarket maiden won by a well-backed Godolphin home-bred
Lot 137: Alasrae has won three of his last four starts, including at Lingfield on Good Friday
Lot 138: Take Heart is now rated 91 after winning his last start for Stephen Thorne at Dundalk
Lot 150: Sea The Moon gelding Lunar Tide won a Gowran Park maiden last time out for Joseph O’Brien
Lot 165: State Of Rest half-sister to listed winner Canary Row and to the dam of Group 3 victor Current Option
Lot 171: Galiway half-brother to a blacktype stayer on the flat in Australia and two Grade 2 hurdlers
Lot 179: Space Blues colt out of a winning sister to Dawn Approach
Lot 181: Starspangledbanner half-brother to Group 3 Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial winner Battle Cry, out of listed winner and Group 3 second I’ll Hav Another
Lot 191: New Bay filly is a granddaughter of South African Group 1 winner and Dubai Group 2 winner Mahbooba
Lot 203: American Pharoah colt out of a half-sister to Zafisio
Lot 228: Galiway half-brother to a stakes horse, out of a full-sister to Group 2 runner-up Migwar
Lot 232: Pinatubo filly out of a Galileo sister to Intense Focus
Lot 238: Saxon Warrior filly out of Mill Reef Stakes second Perfect Angel
Lot 247: Sioux Nation colt out of Balanchine Stakes third Quinta Verde
Lot 248: Minzaal half-sister to a stakes horse, out of a half-sister to Excelebration and Lancaster Bomber
Lot 276: Sioux Nation colt out of a group performer
Lot 278: First-crop Minzaal filly out of a listed-winning mare
Lot 288: Kodiac filly out of a multiple stakes-placed mare
Lot 292: Blackbeard half-brother to dual graded winner Eternal Hope, out of a half-sister to Rio De La Plata
Lot 298: First-crop Naval Crown filly, out of a half-sister to Moonlight Cloud
Lot 307: Acclamation full-brother to Richmond Stakes winner Saayerr and half-brother to group performer Ornate
Lot 319: No Nay Never filly out of a full-sister to Showcasing
Lot 322: Munnings filly out of a blacktype Sea The Stars mare
Lot 323: Havana Grey colt out of a group-placed Kodiac mare
Lot 327: Camelot filly out of a Galileo full-sister to two stakes winners, including Irish Derby third Dawn Patrol
Lot 355: Colt from the first crop of Minzaal, out of a Group 3 winner