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Auction house forced to make contingency plan.

The Tattersalls group have revised the dates for their Craven and Ascot Breeze Up Sale, with a contingency plan for an amended format for the fixture if required due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The Tattersalls Ireland Derby and Goresbridge Breeze Up sales have also been given new dates on the calendar, with the racing industry still waiting for the green light for racing to be able to resume. 

The Craven and Ascot Breeze Up Sale will take place in Newmarket on Tuesday, June 23, while the Derby Sale, incorporating the May Sale, will move to the week beginning Monday, July 13. The Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale has been moved to Friday, July 24, with the breezes taking place earlier that week.

The auction house has made clear that should the British government guidelines not allow breezing in the conventional format prior to the sale in Newmarket, arrangements have been made for the breezes to take place well in advance of the June 23 sale date in the week beginning June 8.

Tattersalls say that the vast majority of Irish-based two-year-olds catalogued for the Craven and Ascot Breeze-Up will breeze under full sale conditions at an Irish racecourse, to be confirmed following approval from Horse Racing Ireland. Their British-based counterparts will breeze on the Newmarket 'Watered Gallop' adjacent to the Rowley Mile Racecourse.

"The continued lockdown and prolonged uncertainty surrounding the resumption of racing behind closed doors in either Britain or Ireland has necessitated not only a further revision of the date for the Tattersalls Craven and Ascot Breeze Up Sale but also carefully thought out contingency plans, which crucially will provide as much flexibility as possible for vendors and purchasers alike," Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said. 

"The changes have been made on the assumption that in the intervening period there will have been at least a partial resumption of racing behind closed doors and that Government social restrictions will also have been relaxed to some extent.

"While we would all prefer to stage the sale in its usual format, we must accept that events outside our control may dictate otherwise."

The Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up will remain in its already revised date of July 6 and 7 and full details of all the respective breeze dates and formats will soon be released. Tattersalls will also be introducing online and telephone bidding platforms in order to allow buyer participation in as many different ways as possible. 

Tattersalls Craven and Ascot Breeze Up Sale: Tuesday 23rd June 
Contingency Breeze: Week beginning Monday 8th June in Ireland and at Newmarket's Rowley Mile
Irish breeze location to be confirmed 

Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale: Monday 6th - Tuesday 7th July

Tattersalls July Sale: Wednesday 8th July - Friday 10th July

Tattersalls Ireland Derby and May Sale: Week beginning Monday 13th July.

Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale: Friday 24th July
Breeze: Week beginning Monday 20th July