The 2026 Breeze Ups concluded at Te Rapa Racecourse on Tuesday, with a further 198 two-year-olds completing their gallops on the final day of New Zealand Bloodstock’s (NZB) Ready to Run Sale preparation programme. The session brought the two-day event to a close, offering buyers an opportunity to assess the young horses ahead of the November sale at the Karaka Sales Centre.
The final session took place under changeable weather conditions, with the rail moved in five metres overnight and headwinds reaching 5.2km/h. Intermittent showers passed through the venue during the day, while the track retained its Soft 5 rating. The average time recorded across Tuesday’s breeze ups was 11.02 seconds.
NZB Ready to Run Sale Preparations Reflect High Standards
New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) Managing Director Andrew Seabrook expressed satisfaction with the standard of horsemanship and preparation displayed throughout the two days at Te Rapa. He praised the vendors and preparers for presenting well-educated two-year-olds, highlighting the professionalism and quality evident across the programme.
Seabrook also urged prospective buyers to consider the weather conditions when assessing the recorded times. The headwind was significantly stronger on Tuesday, making it important to account for the conditions when comparing individual performances across the two days.
The breeze ups formed a key part of the preparation process ahead of the November sale, allowing buyers to observe the young horses in action and evaluate their performances over the designated distance. The recorded times offered one measure of assessment, while the horses’ movement and the prevailing conditions provided additional context.
Official 200-metre breeze-up times for each lot were made available on NZB’s website. The published records also included the weather conditions, track rating, date and time of each gallop, and wind speed experienced during the individual sessions. This information enabled prospective buyers to review the performances alongside the circumstances in which they were recorded.
Breeze-Up Footage to Support Buyers’ Assessments
Video footage from the breeze ups was scheduled to become available on NZB’s website by Friday, 16 October. The full programme was also set to be broadcast on Trackside in New Zealand and Racing.com in Australia, giving interested buyers and racing followers further opportunities to review the two-year-olds.
The availability of both video recordings and official timing information was expected to assist prospective buyers in their assessments ahead of the sale. Reviewing the horses’ gallops alongside the recorded track and weather conditions would provide a broader picture than timing figures alone.
The conclusion of the Te Rapa sessions marked the completion of this stage of the preparation programme, with attention turning towards the final sale arrangements and the assessment of individual lots.
The 2026 NZB Ready to Run Sale was scheduled for Wednesday, 18 November, and Thursday, 19 November, at the Karaka Sales Centre. The two-day sale would follow the completion of the breeze-up programme and provide the next opportunity for prospective buyers to assess the prepared two-year-olds.
The final day of the 2026 Breeze Ups at Te Rapa Racecourse featured 198 two-year-olds, bringing the two-day programme to a close. Despite stronger headwinds and intermittent showers, the track maintained a Soft 5 rating. Official times and video footage were made available to support buyers’ assessments ahead of the NZB Ready to Run Sale on 18 and 19 November at Karaka.
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