Darley sire Dubawi topped the Doncaster 2YO Breeze Up Sale on Wednesday with a colt from the stakes performed mare Improvise (Lend A Hand) making 140,000 pounds (AUD 231,660).

Dubai-based owner Malih Al Basti was the buyer and it was the second year in a row that his Global Equine Group had topped this Sale.  Vendor Con Marnane had pin-hooked the colt for 25,000 pounds (AUD 49,795) at the Doncaster St Leger Yearling Sale last August.  It was the third year in a row that Marnane had topped the 2YO Sale.

“He is a lovely horse and looks just like his sire,” Global Equine Group racing manager Adam Driver said.  “He breezed well, is a clean horse and is lovely through and through.”

Dubawi is based at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket but will not shuttle to Australia in 2010.

There was plenty of cause for encouragement at the close of the Doncaster 2YO Breeze Up Sale with turnover up 19% while the average of 26,617 pounds (AUD 44,045) increased by 9%.

DBS managing director Henry Beeby was satisfied with trade and the lively bidding duels for the better lots.  “We recognise that we still have some way to go to return to the strength of the market in 2008,” he said.  “And it would be fair to say that the lower end of the market has missed some of the overseas buyers who have enjoyed such success at this sale.  But that is entirely due to the flight restrictions as we had made a large number of bookings following our promotional efforts across Europe.

“We had also spent time in the Far East and expected some Japanese buyers to return to Doncaster but, again, they could not fly.”