Well-known owner Dr Jim and Fitri Hay have even more firepower for the upcoming season after splashing out on four colts at the second edition of the Dubai Breeze-Up Sale.

Held three days before the Dubai World Cup meeting, the Goffs-run sale took place before HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It attracted leading owners and buyers from all over the world, most of whom watched around 70 juveniles perform an untimed breeze on Meydan’s Tapeta training track the day before.

It was Dubai based Hay who was the most impressed, joining forces with bloodstock agent Stephen Hillen to secure the top lot, a Gun Runner colt from a Brazilian dam line, who sold for AED2.2million. He also signed for the second top lot, a son of Justify, for AED2.1million.

Hay, whose recent success in Dubai includes with his homebred Jebel Ali winner Southern Artist, plans to expand on his string with UAE Champion Trainer Bhupat Seemar.

"We supported the sale last year; we didn’t do very well with one of the purchases but nevertheless they were high quality pedigrees,” he said. “The catalogue looked better this year and Steve had a good look at everything.

"I think we’ve got eight or nine with Bhupat and now the plan is to build up a bigger string in Dubai because this is where the prize money is!

"We need to race here and Steve is looking at more and more dirt horses for us. The plan is to race them here, move them on to America and race them there."

Hay’s other two purchases were a War Front colt, already named Guns Of August, and a Mitole colt.

The sale topper was sold by Powerstown Stud who also enjoyed a profitable Dubai Breeze-Up in 2022, selling the sale topping Culin colt.

“We are delighted with the second edition of the Dubai Breeze-Up sale, which in a short time has become an important part of Dubai World Cup week,” said Major General Dr Essa Al Adhab, General Manager of Dubai Racing Club. “Buyers have supported the sale well and we hope to see plenty of these exciting young horses back here in the winner’s enclosure in the future.”