'It's been phenomenal' - vendors look back on a breeze-up season like no other

After a somewhat tumultuous sales season that has seen bidders and breeze-up jockeys in masks, rival auction houses becoming allies and Doncaster impersonating Deauville, it almost seems fitting that Ireland's only two-year-old sale should take place in Newmarket this year.

On Friday the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Sale, which has been relocated from Fairyhouse, brings the curtain down on a breeze-up season like no other, with around 150 two-year-olds due to come under the hammer at Park Paddocks from 10.30am.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic having caused major disruption to the calendar, the market has, for the most part, remained in much ruder health than many dared hope in the run up to the sales, with distinct positives to be taken from all of the Tattersalls Ascot, Craven and Guineas Sales as well as the Goffs UK and Arqana stops on the circuit, which were staged jointly in Doncaster.

View full Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale catalogue

It is not just the market that has shown resilience, however, with surprisingly strong results providing plenty of vendors with some well-earned reward for the stoicism they have shown in the face of much adversity and uncertainty.

Mary Reynolds, who runs Ardglas Stables with Ambrose O'Mullane, summed up the thoughts of many a consignor when reflecting on the season. She said: "I'll be honest, I thought the sales could've been an absolute bloodbath at one stage, but, in the end, this year has gone very well for Ardglas and plenty of others.

"If you'd asked me back in April how things were going to go, I think I'd have said 'we're in big trouble' but things have been a lot better than expected. We don't know what the future holds but the market this season has been phenomenal in the circumstances."

Mary Reynolds of Ardglas Stables with her Holy Roman Emperor coltCredit: Laura Green

Reynolds, like many others, is only too aware that it is not by chance that her and her fellow consignors have had such a lively marketplace to trade in.

"The sales companies have done very well to hold the sales in the circumstances," she said. "Obviously our expenses have been up because we've had the horses for three months extra, but the sales were there to help us so we've got through it."

She added: "The online bidding has been a big help and having an extra day between breezing and selling to allow people to view the horses has been a great initiative. I think that should be kept as part of the schedule."

Lot 113: the Holy Roman Emperor colt from Ardglas StablesCredit: Laura Green

Ardglas offers a six-strong draft at the Goresbridge Sale, namely an Epaulette colt out of a Listed-placed Fasliyev mare (Lot 9); a well-related son of Pride Of Dubai whose siblings include the Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed Epic Love (20); a colt by the exciting Cable Bay (51); a speedily bred Acclamation filly who is eligible for valuable French premiums (82); a "very nice" Holy Roman Emperor colt (113) who put in an eyecatching breeze; and a Footstepsinthesand sister to the Listed scorer Elaire Noire (139).

The overriding feeling among vendors may now be one of relief, but, with sizeable sums tied up in stock and very little in the way of certainty some three months ago, there can seldom have been a more trying time to be a breeze-up consignor. Jim McCartan of Gaybrook Lodge Stud has over 30 years' experience in the sector, but has never before faced such a challenging set of circumstances.

"When lockdown started everyone was very unsure whether the sales would be on or not so the preparation of the horses was difficult and quite stop-start," said McCartan. "We just had to be patient and give the horses a chance and do the best we could in the circumstances.

"The sales companies certainly put in a lot of hard work, it must've been difficult for them to organise these sales but Goffs, Arqana and Tattersalls have all done a good job. Everyone's worked hard together, and as a group I think the breeze-up consignors did a great job to hang in there."

Jim McCartan: 'The preparation of the horses was difficult and quite stop-start'Credit: Laura Green

Like so many vendors, McCartan has ridden what will hopefully be the worst of the storm, with private sales in the thick of the uncertainty helping to maintain vital cash flow, and he can now reflect on a situation that proved far more productive than looked likely in the not too distant past.

"Considering what's happening in the world, trade has been good," he said. "Certainly if you had a nice horse who breezed and vetted well there were plenty of people for those horses, and overall we were pleasantly surprised at how it has worked out.

"Some horses were sold privately and that had to be done, but plenty of horses have gone to the sales and the clearance rates have been good, which was great to see. Hopefully most of the guys have come out of it on the right side so we can get back into the yearling market in some shape or form."

McCartan's three-strong Goresbridge draft includes a son of Noble Mission (76), the only lot by the sire in the catalogue. Of the striking, fluent-moving grey, McCartan said: "The Noble Mission colt is a particularly nice horse and one I like a lot. He was bought in Keeneland and looks a back-end two-year-old and three-year-old type. He goes very well."

Lot 76: Gaybrook Lodge Stud's Noble Mission coltCredit: Laura Green

He added: "We have two nice fillies as well, one by No Nay Never (56), she breezed well, and a Showcasing filly (240). There seems to be interest in them so hopefully trade will hold up."

The views expressed by Reynolds and McCartan were echoed by Derryconnor Stud's Katie McGivern, who said: "It was surprising how solid the sales have been. There's been good clearance rates at all of them and, for what I offered, I definitely thought they made their value and some even surprised me and made a little bit more.

"I've been very happy with how we've done this year, and the same seems to go for the other consignors I've spoken to. When you compare the market to the wider economy, which has obviously been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, it's been very strong."

Reflecting on her mood when lockdown began and the breeze-up season was thrown into disarray, McGivern said: "I thought the sales would struggle to go ahead and I didn't think the online systems would necessarily work as a like-for-like replacement.

Katie McGivern: 'It was surprising how solid the sales have been'Credit: Tattersalls Ireland

"Day-to-day, peoples' attitudes in the yard were dampened because we had to stop all pieces of work and just keep the horses ticking over, which doesn't get anyone excited.

"Not knowing when we could start up again and trying to decide if I should be selling privately for less than I wanted was very hard and there was a lot of worry."

McGivern added her voice to the chorus of appreciation for the efforts the sales companies have gone to, both collectively and individually, to keep the show on the road. She said: "The sales companies have done a fantastic job, particularly working together to facilitate everyone and introducing all the additional health and safety measures. They deserve a big pat on the back.

"The market has been unbelievable really. My top horses, the middle market horses and my lesser horses have all sold and there was always one or two people fighting over them. That rarely happens in normal years, nevermind when there's the coronavirus."

Lot 71: the Twilight Son colt from Derryconnor StudCredit: Laura Green

Derryconnor's final consignment at this year's breeze-up sales comprises a colt by Twilight Son (71) and a filly by Australia (166). "The Twilight Son is a smart colt who wants seven furlongs or a mile," said McGivern. "He's a nice colt and he'll win races; he breezed very well too and clocked well for the type of horse he is.

"The Australia is nice but is more of a three-year-old type, as you'd expect being that type of stallion. There's been more footfall than at the Guineas Sale actually so there's reason to be hopeful it'll be another good sale."

More breeze-up sale news:

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