Breeze-up king Con Marnane out to prove the masses wrong at Royal Ascot

There has been no escaping just how tough this year's breeze-up sales have been on vendors, as the increased supply of two-year-olds far outweighed the static level of demand.

But the master of Bansha House Stables, Con Marnane, could be about to show the masses what they missed out on, with a number of horses he failed to sell earlier this year forming part of a formidable team of juveniles set to carry the silks of his wife, Theresa, at Royal Ascot this week.

"The sales have been so bad that we've no choice but to race these horses," says Marnane on his increased intake of horses in training. "We're standing over our product though, and if people don't want to buy them at the sales we'll race them ourselves."

Marnane says a perfect storm of Brexit, poor prize-money in Britain and overproduction have all contributed to a tough breeze-up season for sellers.

He also offered a forthright assessment of buyers' over-reliance on the stopwatch, an issue that sits firmly at odds with a man who prides himself on what his graduates achieve on the racetrack and not at the sales.

"The clock is ruining the breeze-ups - the sooner it's banned from the sales the sooner people will start buying good horses again," he says sharply. "And if they bring official times in, then I'm out.

"Our horses are not trained to go two furlongs, they're lovely and calm and anyone can train them afterwards. None of them did a good time at the breeze-ups, and that definitely contributed to our year.

"But year in, year out these horses are doing their job. We've sold 98 Group and Listed horses sold since we started - that's some achievement."

And those who overlooked Marnane's offerings at the breeze-ups should be wary, as the Bansha House maestro has already set a precedent when it comes to backing his own judgement in the face of market indifference.

Nowhere was this highlighted more than in last year's Albany Stakes when Different League stormed to a memorable success. The filly was pinhooked for €8,000 as a foal and later retained by Marnane when bidding reached just £14,000 at the following year's yearling sales.

Different League (yellow) lands the Albany Stakes from subsequent Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Alpha CentauriCredit: Mark Cranham

The daughter of Dabirsim not only landed the prestigious Group 3 prize, but also finished in the money in the Prix Morny and the Cheveley Park Stakes, and cemented her place in racing folklore when she was sold on to MV Magnier and White Birch Farm for 1,500,000gns at the Tattersalls December Sale.

But before racing gets under way at Ascot this year, buyers will get one last chance to secure a piece of Marnane magic, as Bansha House Stables are set to offer a brace of two-year-olds in the glamorous surroundings of Kensington Palace at Monday's Goffs London Sale.

The draft is headed by Albany Stakes entrant No More Regrets, a well-related daughter of Kodiac who Marnane pinhooked for 40,000gns.

View full Goffs London Sale entries

Marnane may feel that the filly rather typifies his fortunes during the most recent round of two-year-old auctions, as she has already broken her maiden and gained valuable black-type when finishing second in the Premio Vittorio Crespi, despite having gone unsold at just 38,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale

"No More Regrets is a beautiful filly but nobody wanted her," he says. "She has a lovely pedigree and is a real quality filly by Kodiac. She was third on debut, then won her maiden and then went to Milan, where she ran second in a very good Listed race. She's a filly for the future."

No More Regrets breezes at the Tattersalls Craven SaleCredit: Laura Green

No More Regrets is joined by the unbeaten Junius Brutus, a dual winner by Cockney Rebel from the strong Juddmonte family of Timepiece and Passage Of Time. The colt, who was pinhooked for €6,500 but did not appear at the breeze-ups, has recorded impressive victories over 5f at La Teste de Buch and Maisons-Laffitte.

"We haven't a clue how good he is," said Marnane. "He's run twice and absolutely bolted in twice. I really like this horse, he's got a huge heart and a huge engine and a nice pedigree too as he's out of a half-sister to Twice Over. He's a gorgeous horse to boot and is in the Coventry, the Norfolk and the Windsor Castle."

Those looking for a shortcut to Royal Ascot success could do worse than give the Bansha House draft a second look.

The Marnanes will also run four juveniles in their own colours, headed by the exciting On A Session, who was pinhooked by Marnane's daughter, Amy, for $50,000 at Keeneland last September before being bought back at £60,000 when offered at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in April.

Despite failing to find a buyer at Doncaster, On A Session became the first winner for Noble Mission when he broke his maiden at Lyon Parilly before he followed up at Angers. Interestingly, the previous renewals of those races were won by none other than Different League.

Con Marnane: 'if they bring official times in, then I'm out'Credit: Patrick McCann

"Amy [Marnane, daughter] went to America and bought three horses last year," said Marnane. "There were 4,000 yearlings at Keeneland last year but two of three she bought are running at Royal Ascot this year.

"On A Session went to Doncaster but we didn't get a bid. He's a beautiful horse with a strong pedigree but nobody wanted the stallion at the time. He's eligible for the Chesham and that's where he's more than likely to run. He was very impressive on debut over five furlongs then won a strong winners' race over six."

The other horse pinhooked by Marnane's daughter is Windsor Castle contender Rolling King, a son of More Than Ready sourced for $70,000 who was bought back at 77,000gns at the Craven Sale. The colt made an impressive debut at Chantilly before finishing behind stablemate Trois Mats on much softer ground on his second start.

The Marnane raiding party is completed by Queen Mary candidate Forever In Dreams, a homebred daughter of Dream Ahead who was retained as at foal at €10,000 and who beat the smart Trois Mats to take her record to two-from-two, and Pardon My French, a €36,000 pinhook who was withdrawn from the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot Breeze-Up. The son of Kodiac, who is engaged in the Windsor Castle Stakes, opened his account at the second attempt over 5f at Lyon Parilly.

Marnane's unsold horses invariably head to the Maisons-Laffitte base of Matthieu Palussiere, the man who handled the two-year-old career of Different League.

"The horses are looked after by a very good team of people down there. They're doing a great job and they're proper horsemen and women," Marnane says of the upwardly mobile trainer and his team.

Moreover, Marnane's fingerprints can be found elsewhere on the list of Royal Ascot runners, with Commonwealth Cup fancy Sands Of Mali and the unbeaten Coronation Stakes hopeful Teppal, who was last seen landing the French 1,000 Guineas, just two of the Bansha House graduates due to appear at the flagship meeting.

But after a trying breeze-up season, there would be no more fitting a validation of Marnane's judgement than if a horse he couldn't sell at the sales went on to land a Royal Ascot contest in the colours of his wife.

He insists he has not thought as far ahead as how he would mark a second consecutive triumph at the meeting, but simply says: "There'll be plenty of time to plan because we could be celebrating for six months if one of these wins!"

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