'The major buyers are all very much data-driven' - Matt Coleman

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With the European two-year-old sales season fast approaching, we've hit up a host of leading industry names in our Behind the Breeze-Up Scene Q&A series. Today we’re joined by Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, whose breeze-up buys include notable talents such as Prince Of Lir, Robin Of Navan and Sands Of Mali.

1. Which of this year’s breeze-up sales are you most looking forward to?

I’m a firm believer that a good horse can come from any sale, but in terms of the sales experience it has to be Deauville. The obvious horses make large prices, but I think there’s often some value to be found due to the strength in depth of the catalogue.

2. Which of this year’s first-season sires do you think will show up well at this year’s breeze-ups, and is there an under the radar name you’ll be keeping an eye on? 

I’m not necessarily expecting him to produce a multitude of fast breeze-up horses, but State Of Rest is the first-season sire in which I’m most interested. As a winner of Group 1s in four different countries across the globe, he’s the type of horse I think we should be breeding from.

By a proven global sire in Starspangledbanner out of a mare by top broodmare sire Quiet American, I think he has a chance to make it. I’ve heard positive reports thus far from breeze-up consignors and trainers, they seem to have excellent attitudes and I look forward to watching his first crop on the racetrack this season.

3. Put these factors in order of importance when assessing a two-year-old's breeze: two-furlong time, stride length, style of breeze, pedigree 

It very much depends on the type of horse, but I will go two-furlong time, pedigree, style of breeze, stride length. You would ideally want to see a fast two-furlong time from a sprinter, but can be more forgiving of a more staying-bred horse, from which I like to see a progressive breeze on the clock and a solid gallop out visually. However, I think the cocktail of factors to consider is much wider than only those four factors, such as physical specimen, vendor, attitude and, of course, budget.

Matt Coleman: "State Of Rest is the first-season sire in which I’m most interested"Credit: Racing Post

4. To what extent do you think data shapes the modern-day breeze-up market? 

Enormously so, with the major buyers all very much data-driven. The challenge for everyone else is to utilise their eye, perhaps analyse the data to find less obvious horses and also to find possible reasons why a talented horse is not necessarily towards the top of the timing data.

5. What kind of market conditions are you expecting at this year’s breeze-up sales? Do you think the conflict in the Middle East will have a significant bearing? 

How the Middle East buyers decide to play in this year’s breeze-up market will be by far the most influential factor. No-one knows the answer at the moment, but it’s difficult to see the conflict not having some sort of effect.

6. Who from the breeze-up world do you most admire and why? 

The vendors such as Willie Browne and Con Marnane who’ve been selling breeze-up horses successfully for so long in a treacherous market. Mastering the skill to have their horses breeze well in order to get well paid, yet leaving enough in the tank for them to go on as racehorses is the big challenge for every breeze-up consignor.

Sands Of Mali: a Group 1-winning breeze-up graduate and now a popular stallion at Yeomanstown StudCredit: Patrick McCann

7. What’s your favourite breeze-up sale memory?

Buying Sands Of Mali with The Cool Silk Partnership at the former Tattersalls Breeze-Up Sale at Ascot. It’s incredible to think what that Panis colt from Bansha House Stables has gone on to achieve on the racecourse and in the stallion shed.

8. The one that got away?

We all have a long list of good horses that got away! Light Infantry Man won his second Australian Cup at Flemington last weekend, taking his career earnings to almost £3 million; he was multiple Group 1-placed in Europe for David Simcock when named Light Infantry. I was underbidder with Tom Ward on him

9. If you could change one thing to improve the breeze-up sales season, what would it be and why? 

Ideally I would like a viewing day between breeze and sale at every breeze-up sale, but the calendar and formats work pretty well in general. I would, however, like the Tattersalls Guineas Sale not to be on the same day as Goffs Punchestown Sale; totally unnecessary.

Anthony Stroud: no one has bought more Group 1 winners at the breeze-upsCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

10. If you had to let another agent buy you a breezer, who would you choose and why? 

Anthony Stroud has bought the most Group 1 winners at the breeze-up sales and despite having the budgets to spend, has found a top horse pretty much every year from the breeze-up sales in recent times, including a number who are now standing as stallions. Outside of Stroud Coleman, Billy Jackson-Stops had a great year in 2025 finding Champion Two Year-old Gewan in Arqana.

11. Who would play you in a film about your life?

I have been told often that jumps trainer Harry Fry and I look similar but I’m not sure of Harry’s acting skills, so I’ll go for Hugh Grant or Tom Hiddleston.

Harry Fry: have you ever seen him in the same room as Matt Coleman?Credit: GROSSICK RACING

12. Who would your three ideal post-sales dinner guests be and which restaurant would you eat at?

Les Ammonites down the beach in Deauville is a superb location if the weather is kind at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. One of the great aspects of our sales community, that is similar to a travelling circus, is the large number of wonderful people amongst showing staff, consignors, sales company executives, bloodstock agents, trainers and owners. I’m one for a quiet dinner with good food and wine nowadays, but there’s never a shortage of interesting people to share it with.

Catch up on our other Behind the Breeze-Up Q&As: 

'Most of us can spot the obvious horses but we don’t necessarily have the budget' - Mark McStay 

‘Buying Cachet will always be my favourite memory…even if I broke the pedigree rule’ - Jake Warren 

‘I look for statistical outliers when stride, time and pedigree don’t align as expected’ - Jamie Piggott