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2004 BREEZE UP SALE DAY 1 PRESS STATEMENT

DAY 1: EUROPEAN RECORD SMASHED AT TATTERSALLS BREEZE UP SALE

The European record for a Breeze Up Sale was smashed on the opening day of the Tattersalls Breeze Up Sale when Japanese owner Fusao Sekiguchi purchased a son of FUSAICHI PEGASUS, the Kentucky Derby winning Champion he purchased and raced, for 500,000 guineas. The previous record, set on the opening day of this sale last year at 260,000 guineas was soon eclipsed with Noriyuki Arakawa, buying on behalf of Toshikatsu Fujita's Toyo Racing Club taking the bidding to 300,000 guineas before Irish bloodstock agent Bobby O'Ryan continued the frenetic pace. However, it was Yukari Sekiguchi who made the final successful bid of 500,000 guineas on behalf of her father in law.

DAY 1 COMPARATIVE FIGURES

Catalogued
Offered
Sold
Aggregate
Average
Median
2004
95
86
64
3,242,000
50,656
32,500
2003
96
87
71
2,362,500
33,274
24,000

The colt, who had breezed sensationally the previous day and who also had a world class pedigree to match represented a massive pinhooking triumph for Bansha House Stables principal Con Marnane who had purchased the colt out of Group 1 winner LYRIC FANTASY for €80,000 as a yearling. LYRIC FANTASY who was Champion two year old filly in Europe in 1992, won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes as well as the Group 3 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, and is a half sister to dual Group 1 winning sprinter and top class stallion ROYAL APPLAUSE as well as Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes winner IN COMMAND.

The new record price and strong trade overall saw 64 lots sold for 3,242,000 guineas at an average of 50,656 guineas and a median of 32,500 guineas. These new figures represented rises of 37%, 52% and 35%. The opening session saw a total of 5 lots break the six figure barrier.


LOT 49: FUSAICHI PEGASUS - LYRIC FANTASY

Purchased by Fusao Sekiguchi for 500,000 guineas

The second highest priced lot for the evening also surpassed last year's record price as Patrick Cooper of the BBA Ireland purchased a son of MONTJEU for 270,000 guineas. Initial interest in the colt out of the Irish 1000 Guineas winner CLASSIC PARK came from local bloodstock agent Gill Richardson as well as JS Company's Tadashi Watahiki before Taki Murayama of Murayama Bloodstock and Cooper took up the running, taking the price well beyond six figures before Cooper prevailed at 270,000 guineas. The sale represented another spectacular pinhooking success, this time for Willie Browne's Mocklershill Stables after being purchased as a yearling by Margaret O'Toole for €130,000. Cooper indicated that the colt would go to French based trainer John Hammond, who trained the colt's sire MONTJEU at his Chantilly base.


LOT 66: MONTJEU - CLASSIC PARK

Purchased by BBA Ireland for 270,000 guineas


Earlier in the evening a son of Darley stallion MACHIAVELLIAN set the pace when Taki Murayama purchased the colt out of the Listed winning and Group placed DIESIS mare ARTISTIC BLUE for 190,000 guineas. Malcolm Bastard consigned the colt who was originally purchased as a foal at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 100,000 guineas by Irish bloodstock agent Dermott Farrington. Murayama, acting on behalf of owner Tetsu Takashima who had to see off the efforts of Manton trainer John Gosden. Takashima is no stranger to success at the Tattersalls Breeze Up Sale, having purchased the high class Stakes winning and Group placed POLISH PRECEDENT colt HYUMA in the sale in 2002.


LOT 41: MACHIAVELLIAN - ARTISTIC BLUE

Purchased by Murayama Bloodstock for 190,000 gns

© TATTERSALLS 2004