'You need more horse now' - hunt on for next Royal Ascot hero or Classic hope

One of the running themes of the turf season's early exchanges has been the success of breeze-up graduates in the Classic trials.

Cachet, who was bred and breezed by Hyde Park Stud, carried the Highclere colours to victory in the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket before the sector's poster boy Native Trail, owned by Godolphin and sold by Norman Williamson, maintained his unbeaten record with a decisive victory in the Craven Stakes.

On Saturday it was the turn of Perfect Power, another star from the Tally-Ho Stud production line sourced for Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum by Blandford Bloodstock, who boosted his Classic credentials with a comfortable win in the Greenham Stakes.

The trend has also been in evidence in France, where Malavath, sold by Star Bloodstock to David Redvers and Meridian International, continued her ascent in the Prix Imprudence.

The question now is whether any of this quartet can convert abundant promise into a Classic triumph. There is a recent precedent on this front, with Prix de Diane heroine Channel and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Teppal two breeze-up graduates who went on to Classic glory, while another, War Of Will, claimed a leg of the US Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes.

The question of breeze-up graduates blossoming into Classic-winning three-year-olds is particularly timely given this week sees the latest edition of the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster, where selling gets under way at 10am on Thursday.

It was up the Town Moor turf that Speciosa first appeared under tack in public, before a £30,000 sale to Pam Sly saw the daughter of Danehill Dancer set on a trajectory that culminated with a famous victory in the 1,000 Guineas in 2006.

That success was the first instance of a European breeze-up graduate landing a Classic, and is remembered fondly by her consignor, breeze-up doyen Willie Browne, whose family has operated out of Mocklershill on the outskirts of Cashel since 1950. Although the story had a memorable ending, Browne says that not everything went to plan at the sales.

"I remember she was training great at home and we had great hopes for her when we brought her over to Doncaster," recalled Browne. "But on the particular day that we breezed her she didn't breeze as well as we'd have liked, hence the price. She was always a very good-looking filly but those 30 seconds on the track can make or break you.

"There wasn't a clock at that stage, the whole thing completely changed once that came into it, and we had a different system of breezing back then. If you had a good mover - and she was easy to watch as she had such a good action - that was sufficient, although that doesn't work any more."

Willie Browne: breeze-up doyen consigned Speciosa and recalled her breeze and saleCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

While the increased emphasis on times may have altered the dynamic at the breeze-up sales in Doncaster and beyond, the South Yorkshire venue may soon have a new Classic winner to add to its roll of honour, with last year's graduates Light Infantry and Perfect Power, both of whom were bought by Blandford Bloodstock, entered in the 2,000 Guineas.

But for all the Classic aspirations that remain, the Goffs UK Breeze-Up is better known as a source of runners who come to hand long before the spring of their three-year-old campaign.

The event has sold six Royal Ascot winners since 2016, including four two-year-olds. Top lot honours were shared at the 2016 Doncaster Breeze-Up, with Ardad and Prince Of Lir fetching £170,000 apiece before going on to land the Windsor Castle and Norfolk Stakes respectively.

Two more Norfolk winners have followed since, with A'Ali scoring in 2019 and the aforementioned Perfect Power, who is a son of none other than Ardad, striking last year before going on to victory in the Group 1 Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.

This growing list of quality graduates comes as no surprise to Browne, who has seen a wholesale rise in the standard of stock presented at Goffs UK.

He said: "A smaller horse has typically worked in Donny, something that was ready to go, but that's not quite the same now as you need a horse with a bit of scope that'll train on into the second half of his two-year-old year and into his three-year-old season. You need more horse now than you did in Speciosa's day."

Mocklershill is back among the vendors this week with a nine-strong draft after withdrawals, and the blue-chip pedigrees Browne brings perfectly illustrate the enhanced profile of the Doncaster breezer, as his consignment includes a No Nay Never colt out of a half-sister to Order Of St George (24) and another son of No Nay Never out of the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Yesterday (127).

"We had a couple of very good breezes," said Browne after Tuesday's two-furlong pre-sale workout. "We had a couple of No Nay Nevers who went up nicely, as did the Galileo Gold colt (110). I was happy with all of mine and none of them let me down."

Others who catch the eye on pedigree include Longways Stables' Invincible Spirit brother to Listed winner Lethal Promise (30); Powerstown Stud's Accelerate half-brother to seven-time Grade 1 hero California Chrome (36); Broad Meadow Stables' Exceed And Excel filly out of Grade 2 scorer Mandinga (39); a Profitable brother to Queen Mary Stakes victress Quick Suzy from Oak Tree Farm (99); and a Kingman colt out of the champion Alexander Goldrun consigned by Grove Stud (133).

While those families had form in the book when the catalogue went to print, the biggest update belongs to lot 69, as Hyde Park Stud bring the Kuroshio half-sister to the 1,000 Guineas-bound Cachet.

Among those reported to have clocked an eyecatching time are the likes of Knockgraffon Stables' Havana Gold filly out of the Listed-placed Liberty Lady (31); the Kessaar colt from Star Bloodstock (26); Bushypark Stables' son of Tasleet (97); as well as the Zoustar filly out of Group 3 winner Ainippe (130) and the colt by the same sire out of Always A Drama (135), both of whom are consigned by Longways Stables.

Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale factfile

WhereGoffs UK sales complex, Doncaster
When Selling starts on Thursday at 10am
Last year's stats From 144 offered, 128 lots sold (89 per cent) for an aggregate of £6,219,500 (up 56 per cent year-on-year), an average of £48,590 (up nine per cent) and a median of £34,000 (up 21 per cent)
Notable graduatesA'Ali (sold by Star Bloodstock to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for £135,000); Light Infantry (Mocklershill to Blandford Bloodstock, £82,000); Perfect Power (Tally-Ho Stud to Blandford Bloodstock, £110,000); Steel Bull (Kilbrew Stables to Michael O'Callaghan, £28,000)

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