WHEN the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale concluded last Friday evening, the sale had broken all of its own records.

The day’s trade produced a record 18 lots sold for a six-figure sum, while four horses fetched €200,000 and above.

Turnover came to €8,563,500, breaking the €8 million barrier for the first time. The average price of €43,033 was an increase of 13% on last year’s record average, while there was also a new record median of €30,000, an increase of 36% on 2022’s result. The 239 horses offered were sold at a clearance rate of 83%.

Six of the top seven lots were dealt with in last week’s report. After we went to press, Shane Power’s Tradewinds Stud sold a colt by Profitable for €185,000 to agent Ross Doyle. The colt’s dam Wanting (by Acclamation) won three races and has produced one winner from two runners. He was bought as a yearling at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale for 37,000gns by Tradewinds.

Even later in the session, Roderic Kavanagh’s Glending Stables sold a colt by Areion for €150,000 to Blandford Bloodstock. Already named Izzari, the colt is out of unraced Soldier Hollow dam whose three foals of racing age have yet to run.

Once again Blandford Bloodstock were the sale’s leading buyers, spending over €800,000 on nine horses. In terms of quantity, Italian agent Valfredo Valiani headed the table with 13 purchases, averaging €21,000 for each.

Afterwards, the Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said: “Incredible is the word that springs to mind when I reflect on today. This sale is truly going from strength to strength.

“Our sincere thanks must go out to every single vendor who entrusted us with their top-quality two-year-olds. It was also fantastic to see so many young consignors rewarded for their hard work and determination, and I congratulate all of those who returned with profitable pinhooks.

“We must also thank our overseas buyers who flocked to Tattersalls Ireland in their droves, it was wonderful to see everyone and to welcome a wealth of new faces as well.

“The footfall seen across the last two days has been phenomenal and the figures achieved were driven by an international buying bench with a huge contingent of overseas buyers from UAE, Scandinavia, Germany, Spain, and Italy, taking on lively bidders from the UK and Ireland.

“The logistics that go into staging a breeze-up sale are huge and we would not be able to do it without the support of Fairyhouse Racecourse and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing.

“Charles O’Neill and the team at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing have worked so hard to attract overseas buyers and the team at Fairyhouse Racecourse provided us with a safe surface and excellent facilities. It was great to hear vendors being so complimentary about the new stretch of ground that had never been used for this sale before.”