Trade has been bold and bright at the first British sales of the European breeze-up season. Spending at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale reached unprecedented heights, with turnover reaching 18,804,000 guineas (US$26,137,560 ,1 guinea=US$1.39) and the average 158,017 guineas (US$219,644), both personal bests for the Newmarket auction.
The Craven market was headed by two seven-figure lots; the 1.75 million-guinea Havana Grey colt bought by Amo Racing and the 1.4 million-guinea son of Acclamation who went Godolphin's way. Both eclipsed the previous record for the sale.
Business continued in a similar vein in Doncaster, where the turnover was £11,798,000 (US$15,691,340, £1=US$1.33), average £84,272 (US$112,082), and median £37,500 (US$49,875), all new high marks.
The previous record price was smashed on three separate occasions, first by a £650,000 Mehmas filly bought by Blandford Bloodstock, then by two Mehmas colts bought by Godolphin. The first fetched £720,000 and the latter brought a cool £1 million, and now holds the distinction of being the most expensive lot ever sold at any sale in Doncaster history.
All told, this means that £31,542,200 has been spent across the two sales.
That is £5,728,775 more than had been spent in the breeze-up market than at the same stage 12 months ago. And that 22% year-on-year increase in investment comes despite the fact the number of sold lots has actually dropped. This year has seen a combined 259 2-year-olds traded at the Craven and Doncaster, compared to 274 last year.
The question now is: will that market momentum be maintained at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale May 1? As ever, time will reveal all, but so many of the key ingredients appear to be in place.
Of course, times from the April 30 morning breeze show will prove pivotal in determining which lots find favor in the ring.
The Havana Grey colt who topped the Craven clocked the fastest two-furlong splits at that sale, while the top lot in Doncaster was the third fastest over the same distance.
The honor for fastest breezer at the Guineas Sale, based on times seen by the Racing Post, went to the Havana Grey half sister to dual Australian group 3 winner Future History (Lot 252) from Ballynure Park Stud.
The progeny of Havana Grey and Mehmas have been in particularly high demand in recent weeks, and the latter has a filly out of a sister to grade 1 winner Digital Age (199, Oaks Farm Stables) among the offerings.
The highest-grossing Guineas Breeze Up Sale was staged in 2023 when 5,942,500 guineas was traded on 141 sold lots. The peak average price was set at 47,910 guineas back in 2008, when Dick O'Gorman, a regular buyer for Sheikh Mohammed at the time, also set a record price for the auction when giving 470,000 guineas for an Exceed And Excel filly from The Bloodstock Connection. The second-most expensive Guineas Sale breezer sold to the same buyer several lots earlier, with the Johar colt Film Set realizing 370,000 guineas.
Recent market form suggests those records could well be under threat.
The breeze-up section of the catalog is preceded by the horses-in-training session, which features 165 entries. These include the wildcard additions Cast Party, a well-related daughter of Sea The Stars last seen winning a Southwell maiden for John and Thady Gosden (164, The Castlebridge Consignment), and the 95-rated King's Call (165, Consign).
