Quality over quantity as breeze-up season rolls into Doncaster

Each year since 1977, buyers have congregated by the Town Moor turf to watch the latest batch of juveniles go through their paces ahead of what is now known as the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale. It is a ritual that has served many well.

Pam Sly found her 1,000 Guineas heroine Speciosa at the 2005 edition, with a bid of £30,000 enough to take the daughter of Danehill Dancer home. Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock parted with £36,000 for a son of Diktat in 2010 who turned out to be crack sprinter Dream Ahead, while Karl Burke unearthed Quiet Reflection in 2015, and secured the dual Group 1 winner for £44,000.

The list of winners goes on - think joint sale-toppers Ardad and Prince Of Lir, who cost £170,000 apiece in 2016 before going on to strike at that year's Royal Ascot - and also includes the 58 successful juveniles who emerged from last year's renewal.

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While that kind of track record may pique the interest of prospective purchasers, the presence of potential stars of the future is required to bring buyers back year after year. And judging by the sizeable crowd that assembled for the pre-sale breeze, plenty think there are big talents to be bought in Doncaster on Thursday.

The catalogue certainly brims with potential, with the sires index suggesting a healthy mix of fashion and function.

On the proven end of the spectrum, progeny from the likes of Acclamation, Dandy Man, Kodiac, Lope De Vega, Showcasing and the resurgent Starspangledbanner are all represented. Among the up-and-comers are lots by Gleneagles, Kingman, Muhaarar, Night Of Thunder and No Nay Never.

It is a similar story among the list of vendors, with the list of operations well-known for preparing fast horses including Grove Stud, Lynn Lodge, Mocklershill, Tally-Ho and Yeomanstown.

This year's sale features a condensed offering, with 160 juveniles entered compared with 207 in 2018, a year when supply outweighed demand across the spectrum of European breeze-up sales. Tony Williams, managing director of Goffs UK, said the company had reacted to such a climate by ensuring the emphasis was firmly on quality over quantity.

"In 2018 we probably had more horses than the market could handle, so we took a conscious decision to tighten up the catalogue," he said. "Time will tell, but I think that will work in our favour.

"I think everyone involved with the breeze-ups has had to tighten up on numbers, and that includes the vendors. I think consignors have gone out and spent as much on pinhooks as they did previously, but have bought fewer horses, so I feel the catalogue has actually risen in terms of quality, even if it's down on numbers."

Williams was speaking during a busy afternoon of inspections, with a broad cross-section of domestic and international buyers trawling the stable yard. As well as major names from the British and Irish scene, there was a notable Scandinavian presence, with Williams noting that all lots have been entered for the 2020 Swedish Derby and Oaks series.

"We've got a good group of buyers in," he continued. "One of our initiatives was to enter the entire catalogue in the Scandinavian Classics series - that's worked well for us and for the Scandinavian owners and trainers, they've been a real asset to our sale."

This year's breeze took place under clear skies and on quick ground, which was in stark contrast to the inclement conditions endured in the build up to 2018's auction.

"Doncaster racecourse have been absolutely brilliant in their preparation of the track for us, I don't think the surface could've been any better," said Williams. "It's quite amazing, as we had to put quite a lot of water down, whereas last year we had a heavy track. Thankfully this year conditions were in our favour. Vendors were confident in the track, and I'm sure that will be reflected by the buyers come sale day.

"We had 58 individual two-year-old winners come out of last year's sale - the most of any European breeze-up sale - and we've also sold the most Royal Ascot winners of any breeze-up sale in the last six years.

"We really pride ourselves on the quality of horse we offer here, and the level of quality of horses who breezed today is as good as we've ever had."

Among those who caught the eye during the breeze were the Malibu Moon colt consigned by Powerstown Stud (Lot 100), Star Bloodstock's son of Society Rock (154) as well as the two lots by Kingman, a filly offered by Gaybrook Lodge Stud (127) and a colt offered by Brendan Holland's Grove Stud (79).

"I'm happy with the morning's work," said Holland, who will also offer colts by Giant's Causeway and Ivawood. "Two breezed well, the other was a bit green, but they're all sound afterwards."

Holland also reported a cautious optimism among vendors.

"Traffic is good, so I think people are hopeful," he said. "We'll see how it translates into action at the sale. I wasn't at Ascot but the clearance rate read well. I was at the Craven and did fine.

"We're talking about a different sale with different horses and different clients here, but at the moment it's a case of so far so good."

WHERE/WHEN

Where Goffs UK sales complex, Doncaster
When Selling starts on Thursday at 11am
Last year's stats 138 of 182 offered lots sold (76 per cent) for turnover of £5,528,000 (up two per cent); an average of £40,058 (down 11 per cent) and a median of £25,500 (down 15 per cent)
Notable graduatesQuiet Reflection (sold by Powerstown Stud to Karl Burke for £44,000); Ardad (Tally Ho Stud, Blandford Bloodstock, £170,00); Prince Of Lir (Bansha House Stables, Cool Silk/Stroud Coleman, £170,000); Dream Ahead (Tally-Ho Stud, Blandford Bloodstock, £36,000)

More breeze-up stories:

Justin Casse, Alastair Donald and Ross Doyle on the big breeze-up issues

Eddie Linehan swaps the saddle for the sales ring with latest Goffs UK draft