Buyers and vendors in optimistic mood as Doncaster offerings breeze

The European two-year-old sales season rolled into Doncaster on Monday for the Goffs UK Breeze-Up. And despite a gloomy outlook over Town Moor as the breezes began under a thick blanket of fog, both buyers and vendors seemed in a positive mood by the close of proceedings.

As well they might, if history is anything to go by, with last year's Doncaster breeze-up sale producing an astonishingly strong set of results, topped by Roussel, a son of Kodiac who fetched £360,000.

This year's catalogue features 15 lots by Kodiac, with colts out of Dutch Rose - consigned by Longways Stables - and Ermine Ruby - offered by last year's sale-topping vendor Tally Ho Stud - catching the eye during and after their breezes.

There is also plenty of international appeal among this year's catalogue, that contains 207 two-year-olds - a 36 per cent year-on-year increase. There is a trio of colts from the final crop of Scat Daddy and a pair of colts by More Than Ready, whose son Gotti was picked up by Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock on behalf of Phoenix Thoroughbreds for £200,000 at the corresponding sale 12 months ago.

And with international pedigrees comes international buyers, with some notable representatives from the US and Scandinavia joining some of the biggest names from the domestic scene in scouring the sales grounds for future talent.

Those heading to Doncaster should note that the start time has been put back to 11am, but as Goffs UK managing director Tony Williams explained, this was simply to allow buyers more time to inspect this year's expanded catalogue.

"Some buyers felt they needed a bit more time to get around all the horses, so - out of fairness to our vendors - we chose to put the sale back an hour. It's simply a case of buyer logistics," he said.

Where
Goffs UK, Doncaster

When
Tuesday, revised start time of 11am

Last year
Off: 134
Sold: 120 (90%)
Agg: £5,408,000 (+50%)
Ave: £45,065 (+37%)
Med: £360,000 (+36%)

Notable graduates
Abel Handy (sold by Star Bloodstock to Declan Carroll for £16,000); Quiet Reflection (Powerstown Stud, Karl Burke, £44,000); Ardad (Tally Ho Stud, Blandford Bloodstock, £170,000); Prince Of Lir (Bansha House Stables, Cool Silk/Stroud Coleman, £170,000)