Buyers out to unearth another Vandeek brave the conditions as breeze-up season bowls into Tattersalls

On Monday morning around 155 two-year-olds blitzed up the side of the Rowley Mile ahead of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. Or, to look at events another way, several million pounds worth of investment and months of skilful and dedicated preparation were put on the line in a series of workouts that lasted a little over 20 seconds apiece. 

Given how high the stakes are for those selling, conditions were far from ideal. Heavy rainfall during the early hours soaked the turf, while thunder, lightning and even a hailstorm caused the breeze to be delayed by around 30 minutes. 

The Craven Sale is the second of six major European breeze-up fixtures, with the caravan set to roll on into Doncaster, back to Tattersalls, Deauville and finally Fairyhouse over the coming few weeks. The season kicked off in La Teste-de-Buch last week with the Osarus Breeze-Up Sale. 

There are 1,158 lots catalogued across these six sales, up fractionally from the 1,146 entries in 2023, although Tattersalls have actually tightened up numbers at the Craven, with the book trimmed in from 202 two-year-olds in 2023 to 180 this time around. 

These events promise to showcase the latest stage of the breeze-up sector’s ongoing evolution. It wasn’t too long ago that these sales were considered more of an acquired taste, with the perception being the two-year-old transfer window was merely an outlet for horses who failed to make the grade at the yearling sales, or those likely to burn brightly but all too fleetingly. 

But the modern day breeze-up sale is a very different proposition. Recent additions to the sector’s roll of honour point to these sales now producing a much better calibre of animal, and in turn these sales have begun speaking to a much broader church of buyers. 

Native Trail: champion juvenile and Irish 2,000 Guineas hero is another high-profile graduate from the Craven SaleCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Nowadays we can expect to find breeze-up catalogues populated with anything from ready to roll Royal Ascot two-year-olds, Classic-performing three-year-olds right through to those who don’t peak until later – and over further. 

The latter point is highlighted by the fact the breeze-ups even produced a winner at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, with Fred Winter Hurdle scorer Lark In The Mornin heading to Joseph O’Brien via the Guineas Sale and a 130,000gns bid from Blandford Bloodstock. 

It remains to be seen how many buyers at Park Paddocks over the coming two days will be playing with Prestbury Park in mind, but in terms of profile the Craven Sale sits right on the centre line of what the breeze-ups have to offer. 

The 2021 edition produced a European champion two-year-old turned Classic-winning three-year-old in Native Trail, a 210,000gns purchase by Godolphin, as well as a 1,000 Guineas heroine in Cachet, a 60,000gns signing by Highclere. 

And last year saw Vandeek take a significant step towards an unbeaten, dual Group 1-winning juvenile campaign when he was knocked down to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, acting on behalf of Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s KHK Racing, at a joint sales-topping bid of 625,000gns. 

Only time will tell what kind of talent will emerge from this year’s edition, but the early signs are clearly promising. The vast majority of these youngsters were handpicked from last year’s yearling sales, and each and every day since has led to this moment. They have been broken in and brought along with patience, precision and, in some cases, a considerable amount of investment. 

There are a whole host of lots in the Craven catalogue with eyecatching sales histories, none more so than lot 32, with Malcolm Bastard’s Frankel half-brother to the Group 2-winning Beshaayir having cost Pantile Stud 250,000gns at 2022’s December Foal Sale. 

At that same sale Lynn Lodge Stud went to 230,000gns for the Kingman brother to Parent’s Prayer (150). Connections of both two-year-olds will be aiming to enhance their value at the second attempt having been retained at Book 1. 

And they are far from the only lots with big pinhook prices besides their names. Longways Stables signed for the Siyouni half-brother to Claiborne Farm stallion Demarchelier at 200,000gns during Book 1 last year and now reoffers the blue-blooded youngster as lot 109 on Wednesday. The same operation also offers lot 175, a well-bred American Pharoah colt signed for alongside Ted Durcan at $225,000 at Keeneland last September. 

All told, 32 of the 180 catalogued lots have already fetched a six-figure sum during their previous visits to public auction. These past purchase prices are firmly in keeping with the kinds of pedigrees and sire profile on offer. 

Lot 149 boasts a pedigree that looks precision engineered for this sale as Hyde Park Stud’s colt is by Mehmas, a graduate of the 2016 Craven Sale, and is a half-brother to the aforementioned Cachet. The same sire is also responsible for the half-brother to high-class juvenile River Tiber who will be offered by Mocklershill as lot 6. 

It has been nine years since the offspring of the late, great Galileo appeared at the Craven Sale, but Vandeek’s consignor Glending Stables ensures the 12-time champion sire is represented in his final crop in the shape of a three-parts brother to Listed winner Hidden Dimples (112). The colt was pinhooked from the December Yearling Sale at a cost of 125,000gns. 

Glending Stables' Galileo three-parts brother to Listed winner Hidden Dimples hails from the final crop of his phenomenal sireCredit: Tattersalls

There is also a full-brother to the highly promising 2,000 Guineas prospect Night Raider, with Knockgraffon Stables consigning the youngster, whose siblings also include first-season sire Far Above, as lot 53. 

The many fans of rising star sires Blue Point and Havana Grey are well catered for in this year’s Craven catalogue, with those two names alone accounting for 26 (17 per cent) of the 155 entries that remain following withdrawals. 

Blue Point is due to be represented by 14 lots, including Oak Tree Farm’s colt out of a sister to Passage Of Time (27) and Lackendarra Stables’ half-sister to Eagles By Day (122). 

Havana Grey has a dozen third-crop juveniles due to come under the hammer, with the priciest pinhooks among the 12 being Aguiar Bloodstock’s 140,000gns half-sister to the classy Oddyssey (102) and the 120,000gns colt out of On Route from Oak Tree Farm (135). 

If 20 seconds and change sounds like a fleetingly short window in which to showcase your future credentials, that’s because it is. But those gathering evidence from the Craven breezes have shown that this timeframe is more than enough to identify a horse with future champion potential. Performances will be assessed, sectional times analysed, stride data scrutinised, and ultimately decisions will be made. 

Some of those decisions will have profound consequences on the fortunes and finances of those selling. It has been ten years since the high mark for Craven Sale prices was set, with the Mocklershill-consigned General Marshall bringing 1,150,000gns from McCalmont Bloodstock on behalf of Joseph Allen and the Coolmore partners.

Blue Point: Darley's red-hot sire and Havana Grey account for 26 of the remaining 155 entriesCredit: Patrick McCann

However, it won’t have escaped the attention of those whose money is on the line that the wider European bloodstock market is currently on the downward leg of a perpetual cycle of peaks and troughs, so recent form suggests General Marshall's record is unlikely to be threatened this week.

But there is an old adage around these sales that goes something like ‘breeze well, sell well’, and there will be no better way to buck the prevailing market conditions than by putting in an impressive pre-sale workout. 

The men and women of the breeze-up business are nothing if not eternal optimists. Given they are standing over a Craven catalogue brimming with potential, and with the breeze-up product having never been held in higher regard, who can blame them for having high hopes. As ever at the sales, time will reveal all.

Selling at the Tattersalls Craven Sale is scheduled to begin at 5.45pm after racing at Newmarket. Browse the catalogue here.

Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale factfile 

Where Tattersalls, Newmarket

When Two-day sale begins on Tuesday, with sessions starting at 5.45pm

Last year’s stats From 166 lots offered, 126 sold (76 per cent) for turnover of 15,357,500gns (up 29 per cent year-on-year), an average of 121,885gns (up five per cent) and a median of 80,000gns (down 11 per cent) 

Notable graduates Asymmetric (sold by Greenhills Farm, bought by Stephen Hillen Bloodstock for 150,000gns); Cachet (sold by Hyde Park Stud, bought by Highclere Agency for 60,000gns); Native Trail (sold by Oak Tree Farm, bought by Godolphin for 210,000gns); Vandeek (sold by Glending Stables, bought by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 625,000gns)

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