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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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Hosted by the Dubai Racing Club (DRC) in association with the sales company at Meydan racecourse during Dubai World Cup week on March 23, the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale represents an audacious move that involves the shipment of 69 horses to Dubai from Europe. This is done with the aspiration that exposure of the European breeze-up product to an international audience will be rewarded with enthusiastic trade.

The European breeze-up scene, of course, is basking in the afterglow of an outstanding season on the track highlighted by the unbeaten champion 2-year-old Native Trail (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}), G1 Middle Park S. and G1 Prix Morny winner Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), and top stayer Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}).

In addition, there remains a steady presence by graduates in the Middle East, particularly in Dubai, where the likes of Al Tariq (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Haqeeqy (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Midnight Sands (Speightstown) and Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) have each won stakes races in the past 14 months. Indeed, rarely does a meeting pass in Dubai without the European breeze-up circuit being represented by a winner. Take for example the meeting on March 25 at Meydan, at which the progressive Summer Front colt Summer Is Tomorrow, purchased for £120,000 by Tadhg O'Shea and Michael Burke from MC Thoroughbreds at the Arqana Breeze-up Sale, ran out the wide-margin winner of the Al Karama S. Two days later at Jebel Ali, Al Habash (Arrogate), sold by Star Bloodstock for 130,000gns to Ed Sackville at the Tattersalls Craven Sale, broke his maiden for Bhupat Seemar.

However, it's not all about Dubai. European breezers are also racing with distinction in Saudi Arabia, a good example being Street Boy (Street Boss), a Tattersalls Craven graduate who won his first two races just months after his purchase last year. Factor in additional potential interest from Bahrain, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, North America and Europe and it's easy to understand the hopes of Goffs to establish this sale as a high-flying event on the sales calendar.

“It's hugely exciting,” says Tom Taaffe, Dubai Sale co-ordinator. “It appears to have caught the imagination.

“Henry Beeby [Goffs CEO] has always given me an open hand to explore different avenues for Goffs. It was suggested to me a few years ago that this was something that might work, so we followed it up back then, put some work into it and ended up by putting a proposal together.”

Nothing came of those early efforts but the groundwork had been laid, and so when the idea was revisited last year upon the interest of Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Racing Club, the sales house didn't need much encouragement to set the wheels in motion.

“Sheikh Rashid rang me to ask if we could look at it again,” says Taaffe. “So I travelled out to Dubai, had various meetings, and we pulled it all together. The contract was signed on the day of the Prix Morny [Aug. 22] and we were able to announce it later that evening.”

The timing of the announcement ensured that the Goffs UK Premier Sale, held that week in Doncaster, was awash with Dubai breeze-up chatter. It also ensured that the breeze-up community had plenty of time to digest the idea ahead of the sales season, in particular the Kentucky yearling sales, an area of the market that is traditionally attacked by European pinhookers.

And attack it they did. With the idea in mind that plenty of Dubai's racing is staged on dirt, the catalogue features 30 American-breds, among them those by top Kentucky sires such as Into Mischief, Curlin, Gun Runner, Kitten's Joy, More Than Ready, Speightstown and Uncle Mo. Justify is also among the first-crop sires represented. 

The other half of the catalogue understandably offers a more European slant and is similarly impressive, boasting representation from Dubawi (Ire), Frankel (GB), Kingman (GB), Kodiac (GB), Lope De Vega (Ire) and Oasis Dream (GB). Also of interest is a colt by top Japanese sire Daiwa Major (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) bred by Coolmore out of champion Peeping Fawn (Ire) (Danehill) (Lot 31).

“At the outset, we were hoping to produce a catalogue that was half and half–half turf and half dirt,” says Taaffe. “Dirt and turf both work well in all those countries. 

“There is always going to be a bit of scepticism when something new is launched and we respect that. But the consignors, who are a seasoned, hardy bunch of guys and extremely professional, have really backed this and given us some of their best horses. We started off with over 200 entries and we have ended up with an excellent group of horses–I think people will be amazed at the quality on offer.”

The catalogue consists of 72 lots but three are reserves, meaning that 69 will go under the hammer from 34 British- and Irish-based individual consignors.

Willie Browne's Mocklershill is numerically the strongest with nine, among them the aforementioned Daiwa Major colt and a Kingman colt out of Listed winner Snowy Winter (Elusive Quality) (Lot 48).

Church Farm and Horse Park Stud send through a Frankel half-brother to G3 winner Lily's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (Lot 30) while Malcolm Bastard breezes a Dubawi daughter of Listed winner Joyful Hope (GB) (Shamardal) (Lot 24), herself a sister to champion Crackerjack King (Ire) (Shamardal). Mark Grant's trio includes a Dark Angel (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) colt who is closely related to champion Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) (Lot 57).

Those with American Grade I connections include two from Meadowview Stables in a Maclean's Music half-brother to Grade I winners Majestic Harbor (Rockport Harbor) and Danza (Street Boss) (Lot 8) and a Mendelssohn colt out of the Grade I-placed Maybellene (Lookin At Lucky) (lot 28). 

The trio catalogued by American Pharoah are also unsurprisingly well-related, among them Grangecoor Farm's colt out of G3 UAE Oaks heroine Polar River (Congrats) (Lot 36), herself a half-sister to another UAE Oaks winner (and former European breezer) in Down On Da Bayou (Super Saver).

Justify is represented by a filly out of G2 Pocahontas S. winner Dothraki Queen (Pure Prize) from Aguiar Bloodstock (Lot 13) and a colt out of Listed winner Sarrocchi (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (Lot 44) from Diego Dias.

When it comes to sire power, Micky Cleere's MC Thoroughbreds draft also takes the eye as vendor of a colt by Gun Runner (Lot 1) and a filly by Into Mischief (Lot 67), both sires who are carrying all before them in the U.S. Cleere, who will breeze the horses himself, went shopping last year with this sale in mind.

“It's exciting and something to look forward to,” he says. “It's nice to bring the horses to these buyers for a change. We had this sale in mind when we were buying last year, certainly when it came to the Gun Runner–that was the plan when we looked at him.”

The Gun Runner colt is out of Grade II winner Bank Audit (Wild Event) while the Into Mischief filly is out of Grade III scorer Ageless (Successful Appeal). The draft is rounded out by a Raven's Pass (Elusive Quality) colt from a black-type American family (Lot 5).

“Gun Runner looks a serious sire,” says Cleere. “And this colt is the only one by him in the catalogue. He's a good-sized colt and a good mover. Donal Keane was out looking at Keeneland for us and we liked this horse but he didn't sell in the ring, so we followed him down and got it done. And I'm glad we did as he's a lovely horse.

“The Into Mischief filly is very strong and she's fast. She's generous in her work and improving with every week. And the Raven's Pass is a good solid horse who is also very genuine.”

American influences also make up the draft belonging to Brendan Holland's Grove Stud, which offers a colt by Hard Spun (Lot 3) and a filly by Speightstown (Lot 54).

“Goffs and Tom Taaffe have worked extremely hard to make this sale happen and hard to promote it,” he says. “I've got two nice horses–both are good-sized, good-looking, square horses by respectable sires. Hopefully they'll come up the track with a bit of style.”

The Hard Spun colt, who cost $80,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, is a three-parts brother to Hawthorne Derby winner Mohs (Hard Spun) while the Speightstown filly, who cost $50,000, is the second foal out of the winning Union Rags mare Surprising Twist.

“We were looking to get three tiers of horses,” says Taaffe. “We have catalogued some upper-league horses. Then there are ones which will be more affordable and a solid middle group in between. And I'm confident some of those middle-market horses will pull up into the upper league.”

So how will it work?

“Sheikh Mohammed's vision is incredible and he has been very generous,” says Taaffe. “A lot of it is at his own cost, the staff expenses and the plane taking the horses out for example. So it's very important from Goffs' perspective that we have a catalogue with the right horses, and that was one of the reasons for having the horses vetted beforehand [chosen entries were only confirmed once they had passed a vetting examination during the early weeks of February].

“They fly in on 17 March on a temporary quarantine pass. The jet goes out of London Stansted with the British-based horses and flies into Shannon to collect the Irish horses. They will load up straight away and then go straight on to Dubai. 

“They should all be in their stables in Dubai by 9.30 p.m. that night. Then they spend two days in the NOFA quarantine facility at the track. They have excellent facilities; they'll be able to make use of a hacking track and lunge rings among other things. Then on the Sunday morning, they will be able to use the training track if they want and again in the evening as well. And they can repeat that again on the Monday. For those wanting to watch them train, they'll all be wearing cloths carrying their lot numbers.”

Prospective purchasers will be able to view the horses on Sunday between 4 and 8 p.m. and again on Monday within the same time slot. The breeze takes place from 7:45 a.m. onwards on Tuesday, Mar. 22 on Meydan's Tapeta training track and, in a departure from the norm, horses will be required to turn in a gentle two-furlong breeze, allowing them to be judged for their movement rather than by the clock.

“It's early in the year and a lot of these horses won't be running until November at the earliest,” says Taaffe. “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.

“When it comes to selling them, the horses will come up to the receiving barns at the track and we'll have five walking in the parade ring at the time of the sale while one is being sold in the winner's enclosure.”

The sale kicks off at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 23 and the bidding will be conducted in Emirati Dirham.

While the expectation is that many will be bought to race in Dubai, Goffs have received intentions of interest from buyers based worldwide. Indeed, given that the horses are coming in on a temporary quarantine pass, it's not inconceivable that several will make the return trip to Europe.

“We've had interest from Europe, Australia, Japan and Turkey, alongside all the Gulf Cooperation Council countries,” says Taaffe. “The Saudi Arabian race programme in particular is becoming a lot larger [the Saudi Jockey Club will host 90 meetings at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh this season, up from 64 in 2020-21]. There is another racetrack near Mecca called Taif that they're looking to make more use of during the summer months. So they'll be racing 12 months of the year and they need horses to fill that programme.”

He adds: “It's exciting. The whole team at Goffs have put a lot of hard work into it. Nick Nugent [Goffs executive director] has worked hard with me on the logistics. 

“We're delighted in the way it's been embraced and supported worldwide. If you have proper horses and proper people, then you will have a proper sale. 

“We're very pleased with the catalogue and I'm confident that the consignors will be well rewarded. But this sale will also be judged on what happens afterwards on the track. We want to be selling good horses and also sustainable horses that run year after year, that is the ethos behind it.”

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The sire profile for the sale includes American Pharoah, Arrogate, Curlin, Dark Angel (Ire), Dubawi (Ire), Exceed And Excel (Aus), Frankel (GB), Gun Runner, Into Mischief, Invincible Spirit (Ire), Justify, Kodiac (GB), Kingman (GB), Lope De Vega (Ire), Mehmas (Ire), More Than Ready, Night Of Thunder (Ire), Pioneerof the Nile, Showcasing (GB), Siyouni (Fr), Starspangledbanner (Aus), Uncle Mo, Wootton Bassett (GB) and more. The horses will be stabled at the Dubai Racing Club quarantine yard and the breeze will take place at the Meydan training track on Mar. 22.

Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Racing Club, said, “Dubai has always pioneered new concepts across many fields in the region, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. Horse racing has always been a part of the DNA of Dubai, which makes us proud to introduce the Dubai Breeze-Up Sale, the first of its kind in the region, offering a collection of outstandingly bred individuals, many of whom are by some of the world's leading stallions and are related to horses who thrived in this region. They are a strong bunch of young horses which we will have the pleasure of seeing in action during the breeze, taking place on our training track at Meydan days before the 26th edition of the Dubai World Cup.”

Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby added, “Together with the Dubai Racing Club, we are delighted to present a truly outstanding catalogue for the Dubai Breeze-Up Sale in association with Goffs. Breeze-up vendors embraced this sale with great enthusiasm from the outset and have worked with the Goffs selection team, led by Nick Nugent and Tom Taaffe, to assemble a superb group of 2-year-olds that will appeal to leading buyers in the Middle East and around the world.

We wish to express our thanks once more to Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum and everyone at the Dubai Racing Club for this great opportunity to partner on this sale. We are proud of the trust placed in the Goffs service and are delighted to have compiled a catalogue that more than befits the occasion.”

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