Breeze-up season continues with France's first sale of the year

Breeze-up season heads to France for the first time this year as the Osarus Breeze-Up Sale takes place at La Teste racecourse with 102 lots set to go under the hammer on Wednesday after lots have breezed on the track.

Last year the sale was topped by a €77,000 daughter of Wootton Bassett bought by Richard Venn. Subsequently named Grise Lightning and trained by Richard Fahey for Middleham Park Racing, she has run twice for the syndicate.

Among the consignors at this year's auction are Star Bloodstock, who will offer a draft of four horses including a filly by first-season sire Gregorian (Lot 63), the son of Clodovil who got off the mark on Monday when his daughter Gypsy Spirit won at Windsor. Out of the Rail Link mare Etymology, the filly is from the family of Group 1 winner Matiara.

Fellow Rathasker Stud first-season sire Bungle Inthejungle has three lots catalogued and French-based sires such as Dabirsim, Kendargent and Pennys Picnic are all well represented.

Prix du Jockey Club hero Reliable Man has proved a hit since moving to Haras du Thenney and the son of Dalakhani has just one lot on offer for buyers to snap up in a colt out of the Big Shuffle mare Anna Bora (43).

The colt is from the family of stakes performers Annus Mirabilis, Anna Nerium and last year's Group 3 winner Billesdon Brook.

Emmanuel Viad, director general of Osarus said: "This is the first time we have succeeded in putting together such a sizeable selection of sufficient quality and I'm very satisfied with the catalogue. It's not always the easiest sale to stage but I'm happy with what we have produced.

"In terms of stallions there is a wide variety, with some Kendargents and Siyounis along with Pedro The Great, who gave us a Grade 3 winner in California recently. In terms of density we are very satisfied.

"There is a little bit of something for everybody, with horses that are ready to run and those that will repay a little bit of time.

"In terms of attracting buyers we now have associates in the Czech Republic and Scandanavia. I also work closely with Sebastian Hahn in Germany because there are still people who wonder what we are about and don’t know much about La Teste.

"Hopefully the excellent results we’ve had will also bring the British and Irish buyers, and we’ve been at the breeze-ups at Ascot and Newmarket to spread the message."

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