Goffs Announce Dubai Breeze-Up Sale Suspended For 2024

The Dubai Breeze-Up Sale, which took place for two seasons in association with Goffs, will not be staged in 2024, the sales company announced on Wednesday.

The sale falling within the Holy Month of Ramadan was put forward as the main reason for the postponement of the first and only breeze-up sale in the Middle East, with the Dubai Racing Club stating it “would like to commend the partnership with Goffs who conducted both sales with huge professionalism and look forward to the opportunity to explore potential collaborations with Goffs in the future, under more favourable circumstances.”

Goffs Group Chief Executive, Henry Beeby said, “Goffs were privileged to be appointed by the Dubai Racing Club and I would like to thank DRC Chairman, Sheikh Rashed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum and Chief Executive, Major General Dr. Mohammed Essa for their trust and confidence.”

He added, “It was a most enjoyable experience and we look forward to returning to Dubai in the future. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed's decision in creating the sale as part of the iconic Dubai World Cup week was truly visionary and we have no doubt it will become a world leader in the future. However, we understand and support the decision to suspend for next year given the circumstances.”

The Dubai Breeze-Up Sale enjoyed a solid start in 2022 with a top price of AED 2.5M/€620,000. Graduates have enjoyed good success on the track, too, headed by Japanese Group 1 performer Labeling, who was sold for AED 2.1M/€520,000. The 2023 renewal was topped by a son of Gun Runner at AED2.2M/€545,000.

The post Goffs Announce Dubai Breeze-Up Sale Suspended For 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Dubai Breeze-Up Sale Returns In 2023 With Partnership Between DRC & Goffs

The 2023 Dubai Breeze-Up Sale in association with Goffs, organised by the Dubai Racing Club in cooperation with Goffs, will return to the sales calendar in 2023. Slated for Meydan Racecourse in the week leading up to Dubai World Cup night, just like the 2022 inaugural edition, the sale will be confined to a maximum of 69 juveniles carefully selected by the Goffs inspection team. Travel subsidies will be available to vendors and all entries will again undergo a full veterinary examination prior to departure to ensure full transparency and buyer confidence.

This year's edition attracted a diverse buying bench of new and existing buyers. A colt by Curlin, consigned by Powerstown Stud, was purchased by Mohammed Al Subousi for AED2.5 million (€620,000) to top the sale. The average was AED609,412 (€158,000). Monday marked the first 2-year-old winner from the sale, the Dubawi (Ire) filly Dubai Jemila (GB). She ran out a half-length winner in the colours of Jaber Abdullah in an Ayr novice. The Kevin Ryan trainee was sold by Malcolm Bastard to Yousuf Salem Saeed Saqer Al Kaabi for AED1.4 million (€347,090).

Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Racing Club, said, “The success of the inaugural Dubai Breeze Up Sale executed in collaboration with Goffs paid tribute to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. And in keeping with the success achieved by the region's first ever sale of its kind, we are pleased to announce the second edition in 2023 and we once again welcome Goffs aboard as partners in conducting the second edition of the sale during the week of the Dubai World Cup 2023. In partnership with Goffs, we look forward to another thrilling edition of the sale where again some of the world's top racing connections will go head-to-head in a bid to sign future champions.”

Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby added, “It was an honour for Goffs to be selected by Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook, Chairman of the Dubai Racing Club, to conduct the inaugural Dubai Breeze-Up earlier this year.  Following a superb start, it is a wonderful endorsement of the Goffs service to have been reappointed to grow and develop this world-class sale. Solid foundations are in place, and the Goffs inspection team led by Nick Nugent and Tom Taaffe along with our vendors will take the learnings from year one and fine tune the sale to ensure we present a catalogue that best matches what the Dubai Breeze-Up buyer seeks.

“Goffs was delighted to be involved in introducing a sale such as this on the eve of the world's most prestigious race and we look forward to working with the team of the Dubai Racing Club to deliver an exceptional bunch of 2-year-olds to Dubai next year.”

The post Dubai Breeze-Up Sale Returns In 2023 With Partnership Between DRC & Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Stage Set For Inaugural Dubai Breeze-Up Sale

DUBAI, UAE–The interesting thing about talking to trainers from different parts of the world is that one man's gallop is another man's breeze, or indeed another woman's canter. Even within the specialised sector of the breeze-up sales, a Donny breezer may set a different pace to a Guineas breezer, often deliberately so, and for the inaugural Dubai Breeze-up Sale the focus is more on letting the 2-year-olds stretch out and show their moves over the two furlongs rather than rousting them along at a searing pace.

Not one for the clock-watchers, then, but that's no bad thing, and the 69 horses set to sell on Wednesday evening at Meydan racecourse weren't exactly hanging around as they skipped across the dark Tapeta all-weather surface of the Meydan training track.

As we have come to expect from this seasoned band of breeze-up vendors from Ireland and Britain, an impressive array of young bloodstock was on show on Tuesday morning. The consignors flitted to and fro, some looking a little more pensive than others, but they will have been heartened by the group of potential buyers perched trackside on steps and benches to witness this inaugural venture laid on by the Dubai Racing Club in association with Goffs. Among them was Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, proudly supporting a baseball cap with the name of his dual Group 1 winner Perfect Power (Ire), who is a shining example amid the breeze-up graduates of 2021. Sitting alongside the sheikh was Richard Brown, the man who bought not only Perfect Power but also his sire Ardad (Ire), another classy breezer, both from their breeder Tally-Ho Stud.

The man in the driving seat for much of the project has been Goffs' Tom Taaffe, who not so long ago could have been found around this time of year sending strapping steeplechasers to Cheltenham. The former trainer appears to have a pretty breezy attitude to life in general, and he must have drawn some satisfaction watching on as the canters, gallops – call them what you will – were conducted without incident. 

Up on the balcony of the track's watch tower was 'the voice' of Goffs, group chief executive Henry Beeby, who must have felt almost at home, as if he was on his elevated rostrum in Ireland, only this time a little warmer and brighter. To Beeby's mellifluous backing track the 2-year-olds appeared one by one, around the turn and down the straight, cantering off into the distance with the vast Meydan grandstand as a backdrop. On Wednesday evening they will be auctioned off in its shadow, with the business end of the sale taking place in the Meydan winner's enclosure – a place to which many of their eventual buyers will no doubt hope to return one day.

“It went like clockwork,” said Beeby after the breeze show. “As a group the horses breezed exceptionally well. I think the breeze-up vendors have really risen to the challenge and given us a lovely bunch of horses. It's a new venture and they have taken a chance but the conditions that the Dubai Racing Club has put in place have given them confidence.”

The general consensus among those who put their money into finding horses to bring to Dubai at last year's yearling sales is that the operation has run smoothly so far, with plenty of vendors having reported being very busy through the viewing sessions. Time will tell if that interest turns into a decent return for them on this first date in the 2-year-old sales calendar, but present indications are encouraging.

Mickey Cleere of MC Thoroughbreds was the guinea pig, both as consignor and rider, when breezing lot 1, his colt by Gun Runner, the stallion who was runner-up to Arrogate in the Dubai World Cup five years ago. The bay colt is out of the 10-time winner Bank Audit (Wild Rush), whose victories include two at Grade II level.

“We're absolutely delighted to be here and to be a part of this sale,” said Cleere, who has three juveniles catalogued, including the only one by America's champion sire Into Mischief. “The horses travelled over great, the facilities are top class and all the right people seem to be here looking. I think it should be a success looking at the quality of horses here. There seem to be a lot of people with very nice horses, and we think we have nice horses too. The three of them are very different but they are nice and by the right sires with decent pedigrees.”

Cleere's fellow breeze riders included an accomplished gang of Irish jockeys, featuring Gary Halpin, Pat Dobbs, Andrew Slattery and Rory Cleary, while Louis Steward, who is set to ride Volcanic Sky (GB) for Saeed Bin Suroor in Saturday's Dubai Gold Cup, also took to the saddle. And for National Hunt fans of a certain vintage, there was the chance to see Norman Williamson gather up his reins again aboard two horses to be sold under his Oak Tree Farm banner. For all his success at Cheltenham and beyond, Williamson is just as well known in these circles as the vendor of War Of Will (War Front) and last season's European champion 2-year-old, Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).

Among his offerings in Dubai is a French-bred colt who will become the first son of Godolphin's Group 1 winner Cloth Of Stars (Ire) to be offered at a breeze-up sale. Slated as lot 29, he looked very professional in his breeze on Tuesday morning and hails from a family deep in European black type, his dam Mediteranea (Fr) being a Smart Strike half-sister to the Group/Grade 1 winner and young sire Erupt (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) as well as Listed winner Marie De Medici (Medicean {GB}).

American-sired juveniles outnumber their European counterparts in the catalogue, which intriguingly also includes a colt by Shadai stallion Daiwa Major (Jpn) out of the former champion filly Peeping Fawn (Danehill), who owns a pedigree to match her sparkling race record. A three-parts-brother to the Chesham S. winner and G1 Moyglare S. runner-up September (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), he is consigned by Willie Browne's Mocklershill as lot 31.

Looking ahead to Wednesday'a main event, Henry Beeby added, “We're very hopeful. With a new venture you never know but I think the conditions we find ourselves in now, with quality horses, the interest pre-sale and at the breeze-up, it's looking in good shape.

“We are very grateful to Sheikh Rashid at the Dubai Racing Club for appointing us. It was a big vote of confidence in Goffs and we appreciate it.”

Uniquely for a Thoroughbred auction, all buyers have to pre-register and, in the style of fine art auctions, will be issued with a paddle with which to bid. The sale is set to commence at 5pm local time. At the time of writing, there have been three withdrawals (lots 7, 35 and 58). For the full catalogue and to view the breeze-up videos, please click here.

The post Stage Set For Inaugural Dubai Breeze-Up Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Business And Pleasure As Dubai Bounces Back

DUBAI, UAE–After an abandoned meeting in 2020 and a behind-closed-doors reprisal 12 months ago, the Dubai Racing Club will be itching to stage a back-to-normal Dubai World Cup on Saturday with an international cast of stars.

In fact, the week's activities are not quite as they would usually be as the race programme is enhanced by the inclusion of the first Dubai Breeze-up Sale at Meydan on Wednesday, hosted in association with Goffs. The 69 juveniles catalogued shipped in to Dubai last week with quite the fanfare, as branded horseboxes were filmed transporting the youngsters from the airport to Meydan's quarantine facility, where they have been familiarising themselves with their new surroundings over the last few days.

It may be the first sale of its kind in the Gulf, with a strong emphasis on American-bred horses – 37 of the 69 in the book bear the USA suffix – but there's a decidedly Irish feel to the consignor list, with all the major vendors one would expect to find at the European breeze-up sales. The background to the sale was explored in some depth by Nancy Sexton in a recent TDN feature and the final touches to the preparations were made in Monday morning's practice breeze in front of plenty of onlookers. Dress rehearsals over, come Tuesday at 7.45am the horses will step out in earnest. They will not, however, be pushed out in an attempt to clock a fast time, as is the norm at these sales whether or not they include official timing, but will instead be asked to perform a gentle two-furlong breeze.

As the sale co-ordinator Tom Taaffe of Goffs told TDN recently, “It's early in the year and a lot of these horses won't be running until November at the earliest. They'll have to be let down afterwards and acclimatise for a few months before going into pre-training. So there'll be no timing and no stride-pattern figures, it'll be all about allowing prospective purchasers to see that the horses can move well.”

Sounds very refreshing, especially with the mercury on the climb into the low 30s in Dubai.

And so to the main action: the 26th running of the $12 million Dubai World Cup. As has routinely been the case, first at Nad Al Sheba, now at Meydan, the race does have a properly global feel to it, with runners from the UAE being joined by rivals from America, Uruguay, Japan and France, with perhaps the most multi-national of them all being Grocer Jack, a German-bred, Saudi-owned 5-year-old trained in Britain.

Arguably the starriest in the line-up is the sensational Breeders' Cup Mile winner Life Is Good (Into Mischief). Since his near-exhibition round at Del Mar, the 4-year-old went on to trounce the Breeders' Cup Classic winner Knicks Go (Paynter) in the latter's swansong in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Life Is Good has looked a picture of composure under his English-born work rider Amelia Green in his easy exercises at Meydan in the countdown to Saturday. His trainer Todd Pletcher is set to arrive in Dubai on Tuesday and bids to become the tenth American-based trainer to lift the Dubai World Cup.

An American challenge with strength in depth is completed by Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), the winner of his only previous start at Meydan last month, dual Grade I-placed Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), and the recent G1 Saudi Cup runner-up and enemy of the spell-checker, Country Grammer (Tonalist).

The recent Saudi Cup drew a similarly international line-up and, despite the pride of the event's organisers at having been backed by some of the biggest names in world racing, it was nothing compared to the delirium of the local crowd when the race was won by the Riyadh-trained Emblem Road (Quality Road) to give a major lift to the Mitab Almulawah stable.

No doubt similar scenes would unfold at Meydan if Bhupat Seemar, who is set to become champion trainer in his first year with a licence at Zabeel Stables, could set the seal on a truly memorable season by winning the big one with Remorse (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

“I'm very fortunate to be in this position, and in my first season it's great that we have a runner in the World Cup itself,” said Seemar, who took over from his uncle, Satish, in November. 

“You've got to be realistic. You're going in the world's biggest race with some of the top dirt horses in the world. Yes, we've improved from 80 to 111 but strange things do happen in races; the pace could collapse or something could happen. Remorse is such an honest horse and so far all he's done is improve, so hopefully we can keep him healthy for the race and get a good draw.”

Another hero of the most recent Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), returns to action for the first time since his triumph in the Turf and leads a team of five runners on the night from the Charlie Appleby stable. The quintet includes the recent G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint winner Man Of Promise (Into Mischief), one of three for the trainer in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint. 

As progressive as Yibir was last season, he will face no easy task in a G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic line-up which features a fierce challenge from Japan, notably Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), recent winner of the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh, dual Hong Kong Vase winner Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), and last year's Japanese Derby and Oaks winners, Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}). These are just four of a 23-strong raiding party, the largest ever from Japan, as outlined recently in these pages.

Two years ago, with just six days to go to the Dubai World Cup, the event was cancelled along with all major sporting events as the Covid pandemic took its toll. The strict mask rules that remain in place locally are a reminder of those grim times, and the fact that the coronavirus is still a threat, but the world is pushing on with both business and pleasure, and in Dubai this week the racing world is able to gather once more to indulge in a spot of both.

The post Business And Pleasure As Dubai Bounces Back appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights