GROUP 1 winners such as Bradsell and Perfect Power have cemented Doncaster’s reputation for producing quality winners at its trailblazing breeze-up sale, and nine Royal Ascot winners in the last eight years was enough to encourage vendors and buyers alike to support the 2023 edition and produce a set of record-breaking results.

With some market softness, there were fears in advance that this year’s catalogue, though packed with quality, might fall short, and while there is increased selectivity among buyers, the 2024 sale produced a set of results that were pleasing, and in most cases very close to last year’s outcome. A larger catalogue meant that the £10 million turnover benchmark was reached again, thanks to a large number of private sales being registered.

A 10% decline in the median, together with a five-point reduction in the clearance rate shows that the market had its challenges, and this was particularly evident at the lower levels. The upper reaches of the trade saw 28 lots sell for £100,000 or more, five less than a year previously, showing that trade was strong for quality, as ever, but buyers searching for some value could also find it.

Goffs UK’s managing director Tim Kent said at the end of the day’s trade: “It was always going to be difficult to build on the massive advances made by this sale in 2023 and part way through the day it was looking unlikely that we would achieve this feat. But the sale appeared to gather momentum as the day progressed and finished with a flourish to deliver a record turnover [up 3%] for the Doncaster Breeze Up Sale.

“We are the first to acknowledge that none of this could have been done without the loyal support of an incredible group of vendors. The inspection team were bullish when visiting the farms and we were heartened to read that the average purchase price of the yearlings had increased by 6% compared to 2023, but none of this matters when you get to the sale, and we were relieved to hear positive feedback from agents and purchasers who have been inspecting horses prior to today.

“Whilst we have much to celebrate today, it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge the fact that the market has been selective. There was a stark difference between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’, and this has been very evident today. However, whilst some horses failed to find buyers in the ring, some 50 private sales helped to drive an 81% clearance rate, and some have commented that’s a true reflection of any breeze up market – if they breeze well, they sell well.”

LAST week it was Katie Walsh, this week it’s Katie McGivern.

Topping the sale at £420,000 was a Havana Grey filly from Katie McGivern’s Derryconnor Stud in Rosslare Strand, Co Wexford. The filly was bought for £50,000 at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale last August. The sale comes just a week after Katie Walsh sold a Havana Grey filly for 525,000gns at Newmarket and the purchaser in both cases was the same. Anthony Stroud was again acting for Bahraini owners KHK Racing who had great success with breeze-up buy Vandeek, also by Havana Grey, last year. The agent said: “She’s a nice, well-balanced filly and we thought she was one of the nicest in the sale. Shaikh Khalid will make a decision about training plans in due course.”

The result was a personal best for McGivern and a particularly successful pinhook, as the youngster was signed for by Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock at £50,000 when offered by Bearstone Stud at last year’s Premier Yearling Sale. “Based on her homework we expected her to breeze like she did, but after that you just have to leave it up to the market to value her,” said McGivern. “Everything about her was exceptional and I’m delighted with the result. She deserved it.”

THE leading purchaser was Blandford Bloodstock, who spent £2.37 million, and up to eight of the top 10 lots were for owners from the Middle East. All of these were sold by Irish vendors.

Tally-Ho Stud’s Mehmas was clearly top of the Blandford shopping list as Richard Brown spent £380,000, £360,000 and £350,000 on three colts by that sire. Heading that trio was a colt came from Willie Browne’s Mocklershill, the first produce of an unraced half-sister to the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes winner Tawhid. He was a 60,000gns yearling at Tattersalls Book 2.

“He’s by one of the best sires of two-year-olds around, a gorgeous horse and from one of the doyens of the breeze up sales,” said Brown. “I saw him on Sunday and Willie was very high on him then, and he did a seriously good breeze yesterday. He looks forward-going, but no trainer has been decided on yet. He’ll get a short break now and then we’ll try and point him towards Ascot.”

Tally-Ho consigned the other two Mehmas colts bought by Blandford. A €52,000 foal buy, the £360,000 sale colt is a half-brother to a winner and out of an unraced half-sister to the Group 1-winning sprinter Campanelle, a daughter of Kodiac. The other is a half-brother to the very speedy Marshman, a Group 3 winner and Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes runner-up, which Tally-Ho bought for €50,000 at last year’s Goffs Orby Sale.

Of the latter, Brown said: “He’s what you expect to find when you come to Donny. He’s beautifully proportioned, not over-big, but looks like an out-and-out two-year-old. Obviously, he comes from a hotel we’ve had a huge amount of success with through Ardad, Dream Ahead, Perfect Power and the rest, and Roger O’Callaghan was very high on this horse all the way along.”

DANNY O’Donovan had a day to remember when selling a Sioux Nation filly for £300,000 and a King Of Change filly for £280,000, his only two offerings.

The Sioux Nation filly is a sister to dual winner Dance Sioux and was knocked down to Anthony Stroud on behalf of KHK Racing. The first-crop daughter of King Of Change will join Amo Racing’s powerful two-year-old string after going the way of agent Alex Elliott.

“I’m just delighted to have sold Mr Stroud a horse, and fair play to Alex Elliott as well; he underbid the Sioux Nation filly and then went on to buy the King Of Change filly,” said O’Donovan. “I’ve been breezing horses for 10 years now. This is my third year consigning under my own name. We topped Goresbridge last year with a Zelzal colt who I’m told is on course to run in the French Derby. I didn’t think I’d ever have a day like that again, but this has definitely topped it.”

The two fillies cost €45,000 and £39,000 respectively as yearlings when purchased by O’Donovan in association with Adam Potts.

Two other Irish vendors with striking results saw Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm sell a Starspangledbanner colt for £300,000 (cost €60,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale) and Kevin Coleman’s Slievebrook House Stud sell a filly by the same sire for £270,000 to Godolphin, their only purchase on the day.

The latter is a half-sister to Deira Mile, who provided a timely update with a four-length victory at Windsor on Monday. Anthony Stroud revealed that she would be trained by Charlie Appleby. This was a best-ever result for Coleman who pinhooked the youngster through Sean Grassick Bloodstock for €36,000 at last year’s Goffs Orby Sale.

“I’m used to buying them for 28,000 and selling them for 18,000!” joked Coleman. “She had a good update on the page, she’s by the right sire and has a great action. I hope to God that she turns up at Royal Ascot and is competitive.”

Kilminfoyle House Stud turned their 72,000gns yearling purchase, a Hello Youmzain half-brother to Group 3 winner Steel Of Madrid, into a £220,000 buy by Blandford Bloodstock, while Curragh trainer Michael O’Callaghan spent over £500,000 on five horses, the most expensive of which was Powerstown Stud’s son of Complexity, again for £220,000. Complexity is off the mark in the USA with his first juvenile winner, and this colt cost $65,000 at Fasig-Tipton last year.