For the second year in succession, the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale produced an outstanding set of record-breaking results with a new record top price of €520,000, the first time in the sale’s history that the half million mark has been topped.
Sale-topping Saxon Warrior filly from Causeway Queen.
The vibrant action throughout the one-day session, the sale back at its Fairyhouse venue for the first time since 2019, produced a record turnover of €6,639,000, as well as a record number of six-figure lots at 11, including four lots that sold for €200,000 and over.
It was also a best-ever average price of €38,155, a second-best median price of €22,000, and horses sold at 85 per cent clearance rate.
The day’s cosmopolitan buying bench means that purchased lots from Europe’s most progressive breeze up sale are due to embark on racing careers in many different global locations including Dubai, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, the UK, and also in Ireland.
Katie Walsh’s Greenhills Farm, who sold a previous Goresbridge Sale record-breaker when the Grade 1 and Classic-placed Frankel filly East topped the sale in 2018, repeated the feat this year with a filly by Saxon Warrior (Lot 151) from unraced Giant's Causeway mare Causeway Queen. She was sold on behalf of James Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud.
The chestnut filly is this year’s third-most expensive European breeze up filly. She was bought by agent Stephen Hillen on behalf of a new client and she goes into training with Kevin Ryan.
Hillen described the filly as “freakish” after her breeze on Wednesday.
"She is a completely different shape to East, but this filly kind of reminded me of East’s breeze – it was almost freakish,” he enthused. “This filly is bred to go a mile plus or 1m2f, with her pedigree she should not be able to do what she is doing, and she is a big, raw individual. Hopefully, once she is able to go a mile, then her speed could be massive.”
A delighted Walsh said: "I think everyone was quite surprised with the time that she did compared to the physical that she is. I was lucky enough to sell East to Stephen Hillen at the old Goresbridge venue and I hope this filly turns out as lucky.
"I knew coming here that she was going to clock well, I had a fair idea that she is a tasty filly – all she had done is please me since I have had her. She has always been a straightforward filly with a great galloping stride and a great attitude. With these fillies it just comes so naturally to them, it is just different gravy.”
Saxon Warrior (Jpn)
Saxon Warrior will have his first Australian runners next season and is on the Coolmore roster this year at a price of $19,250.
