Tattersalls Breeze-Up Sale Ends With Record Gross, Average, and Median

Tattersalls' 16th Breeze-Up Sales finished Thursday night with a complete set of new records. The 130 horses sold over the two sessions grossed 6,071,500 guineas ($11,535,850), an increase of 48% on last year's record turnover. The average rose 46% to 46,704 guineas ($88,738), and the median rose 24% to 31,000 guineas ($58,900).

There was also a new European record for a breeze-up filly when a daughter of Danehill out of Septieme Ciel (by Seattle Slew)'s sister Supamova sold by Con Marnane's Bansha House Stables to one of the Japanese parties that had dominated the sale.

Far Eastern agent Yoshiomi Olizuka outbid the Irish-based Luke
Lillingston at 240,000 guineas ($456,000) for the easy-moving filly. Bred by Sir Martyn Arbib, she had been picked up by Marnane for 47,000 guineas ($89,300) at the Houghton yearling sale six months ago and appealed as much for her breeding as for her stylish workout on Tuesday morning. She was purchased for owner Keishiro Kanamori, who races as Gold Horse Club, and will join Japan's champion trainer Kazuo Fujisawi.

Olizuka said: "The good pedigree was the attraction, but I liked the individual. She was well-balanced with good confirmation, and I liked the shape of her knees and hocks. Buyers from Japan must be selective about which horses will be suitable for Japanese racing; you need a lighter type of horse with speed."

Marnane's Bansha House Stables also sold the previous record-priced breeze-up filly, a daughter of Sadler's Wells, who realized 150,000 guineas ($285,000) last year. In addition Bansha House sold the European record-setting, 500,000-guinea ($950,000) Fusaichi Pegasus colt that sold on the first night of this year's auction.

Kip Elser's South Carolina-based Kirkwood Stables enjoyed a good touch when Step Lightly (by Swain), a $43,000 Keeneland September yearling, made 190,000 guineas ($361,000) when bought by the Toyo Club of Toshikatsu Fujita when agent Noriyuki Arakawa saw off the Sheikh Rashid al Maktoum party.

Agent Taki Murayama, acting for owner Tomiro Fukami, earlier
secured a Malcolm Bastard-offered Giant's Causeway filly, out of a half-sister to Great Dane, for 140,000 guineas ($266,000).

"She will be trained by Kenji Yamauchi and we bought her not only as a racing prospect but also as a potential broodmare," said Murayama. "Mr Fukami has a lot of horses in Japan and some good broodmares."

Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony was delighted with the proceedings.

"This sale keeps setting new standards," said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony. "Only three years ago, the breeze-up was averaging a little over 23,000 guineas, with a top price of 82,000 guineas and turnover of around 2,500,000 guineas. Over the last two days, turnover has broken six million guineas, the average was in excess of 40,000 guineas, and the top price was a massive 500,000 guineas.

"The vendors must take enormous credit for the transformation of the sale. Each successive year the standard of the catalogue improves, as do the racecourse achievements of past sale graduates, and the combination is the key to the sustained domestic and international demand we have seen throughout the sale. In particular the strong Japanese contingent has had an enormous impact on proceedings, with regular buyers returning on the back of previous successes, and new faces also making a major contribution."