Tdn Europe • Page 2 of 12 • Thetdn.Com Thursday • 27 May 2021
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THURSDAY, 27 MAY 2021 STRONG BREEZE AS ROYAL ASCOT TO HOST 12,000 SPECTATORS DAILY ARQANA SETS SAIL Ascot Racecourse has received a boost with the news that it has been selected by the British government to be part of the FOR ENGLAND Events Research Programme (ERP) as restrictions continue to ease with regard to sporting events. The announcement means that the racecourse will now be able to host 12,000 people daily during Royal Ascot, which begins its five-day run on Tuesday, June 15. With the final tier of government restrictions set to be lifted nationally on June 21, there had been fears that only 4,000 people would be allowed to be on site at the races each day, including all connections of horses. A statement released by Ascot on Wednesday read, "Whilst the precise detail of what will be trialled and what the requirements from visitors to the racecourse will be remains work in progress, it is confirmed today that 12,000 people will be admitted each day to Royal Ascot. Cont. p6 IN TDN AMERICA TODAY John Cullinan and Roger Marley | Emma Berry THIS MEMORIAL DAY, IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE WAR Sue Finley writes a powerful plea for the racing industry to support the Man O’ War Project and assist racehorse and military veterans. By Emma Berry Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. It is unlikely that Arqana will want to make South Yorkshire the permanent home for its breeze-up sale, but swapping Deauville for Doncaster worked perfectly well last year and, with ongoing tricky travel conditions, the return to the Goffs UK complex in 2021 was perhaps inevitable. Owing to the relative lateness of last year's saleBBwhich was held several weeks after Royal Ascot on July 1BBand the change of location, only 77 juveniles stood their ground, but the returns were good for those vendors who held their nerve. Having been staged in England, the sale was conducted in pounds rather than euros, but even in an unfamiliar currency Arqana returned the top price of the European seasonBB,650,000 (i715,000) for a daughter of War FrontBBas well as posting a record average of ,140,698 (i152,417) and a clearance rate of 83%. It is fair to say that plenty is expected of this year's edition. The jitters that accompanied the start of last year's breeze-up season had largely dissipated by the conclusion of the sales as prices and clearance rates held up far better than had been anticipated in the midst of a global pandemic. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 12 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 27 MAY 2021 Arqana Breezes Cont. from p1 For a while this spring it had seemed as though the sale would We're not out of the woods yet, particularly not in Britain be able to be held in France but with the rate of the Covid where prize-money concerns will linger far longer than any vaccination programme in continental Europe not being able to virus, but the Arqana breeze-up has always appealed to an lay up with the strong gallop set in Britain, restrictions on travel international market, offering some of the best bred juveniles would have been too onerous for the largely Irish and British outside the clutches of the major owner/breeder operations. contingent among the group of breeze-up consignors. Even if the buyers can't travel again this year, we can safely "It was a very difficult decision for the sales companies and I assume that they will be engaged, either online, or through wouldn't have liked to have been in their shoes," commented agents on the ground at Doncaster. Cullinan. "Naturally, we would have preferred to have been in The persistent rain that has marred the month of May in Deauville under normal circumstances but that's not the England continued through to Wednesday's breeze session, situation at the minute. We're just happy to have a sale and ensuring that the turf on Town Moor was on the soft side for the obviously it's difficult for visitors too, so there won't be so many 2-year-olds. international buyers here but let's hope that won't affect trade "The track was in magnificent order," reported John Cullinan, too much. There's plenty of data out there for people to work one half of the Church Farm & Horse Park Stud consignment from, and people have become more used to buying online." which has its own daughter of War Front for sale this year, and Over the years, buyers have also become more used to the in fact the only juvenile by the stallion in the catalogue (lot 127). fact that breeze-up graduates can be found across the gamut of This is an auction at which horses by American-based sires have races, not just in the early 2-year-old competitions. Indeed, traditionally been well received, with one of its more notable recent G2 Yorkshire Cup winner Spanish Mission (Noble Mission graduates being the GI Preakness S. winner War Of Will, who {GB}) is one such example. He was overlooked when offered by has now joined his sire War Front at stud at Claiborne. Tally-Ho Stud in 2018 and was bought in at 60,000gns. But he He continued, "Obviously the rain made it a bit softer than we was out and winning at twoBBalbeit in NovemberBBbefore would have liked but it held up well for the breeze and I think developing into a classy international campaigner for Team visually it all looked very good and the standard of breezing was Valor and Gary Barber. Now five, his earnings have passed the very good. There's a very good standard of horse here." ,1-million mark. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 12 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 27 MAY 2021 Senior Vice President Gary King Twitter: @garykingTDN [email protected] + 1.732.320.0975 International Editor Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] Lot 127, a filly by War Front | Zvari Marketing/Arqana European Editor Arqana Breezes Cont. Emma Berry The position of the Arqana sale in the calendar , along with its Twitter: @collingsberry rising profile, has encouraged vendors to aim a later-maturing, [email protected] Classic type of horse at this particular auction. "We try to match the horses to the sale and when we're Associate International Editor buying we try to buy racehorses first and foremost," said Heather Anderson Cullinan. "For this sale here we tend to have the scopier types Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN that won't come to hand as quick at home so the later date [of Marketing Manager the sale] tends to suit this type of horse. Most of ours will be Alayna Cullen next year's horsesBBthey could run at two but the majority will Twitter: @AlaynaCullen benefit for time and be mile-plus horses." [email protected] He added, "We were very happy with how they breezedBBthey did what they can do at home which was all we could ask for. Contributing Editors They've done the hard part and they've all come back sound, so Alan Carasso let's hope the market agrees with us." Christina Bossinakis Another departure from the normal routine at the current Cafe Racing round of sales is the introduction of an extra viewing day Sean Cronin between the breeze and the sale. Tom Frary "For a sale of this type of profile it is important, especially with [email protected] the current restrictions of travel," Cullinan noted. "It helps the overseas people to get involved. It takes time for the data Irish Correspondent people to get their thoughts down on paper and it also takes Daithi Harvey time to liaise with overseas people with veterinary reports and so on. It may not be entirely necessary for some of the lesser Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | John Berry | Kevin Blake sales but for this sale I think it's important." Amy Lynam | Melissa Steele The level of investment at the yearling sales by the breeze-up buyers has increased in recent years, with many choosing to focus on quality over quantity. From an original catalogue of 158, five wild cards have been added, but at least 35 of the IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY group has been withdrawn, with some of the French-consigned horses having been rerouted to the Osarus breeze-up last QUILISTA BECOMES 19TH MILLIONAIRE AT MAGICS month. Cont. p4 Quilista (Aus) (Scandal Keeper) topped Tuesday’s session at A$1 million. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 12 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 27 MAY 2021 Arqana Breezes Cont. rowed along passing the quarter-mile marker and was pushed Just over 120 lots will go through the ring on Friday, with 22 of out once hitting the front approaching the final furlong to deny those horses having already made six-figure sales prices as the rallying Shadwell homebred by an ultimately comfortable yearlings. 1 1/2 lengths. German raider No Limit Credit (Ger) (Night of Cullinan added, "With such a fantastically strong catalogue, a Thunder {Ire}), who ran second in last term=s G2 German 1000 lot of good physicals and expensively bought horses, we are Guineas, kept on well to finish another half-length back in third. hoping for the best." AI think this filly is a different proposition from last year and is The Arqana Breeze-up Sale takes place on Friday from 11 a.m.