La Teste Racecourse

The French-based Osarus sales company has announced that its breeze-up sale will be postponed until May 12 and 13, in the week after the Arqana Breeze-up Sale in Deauville.

Seventy-nine 2-year-olds have been catalogued for the sale, with horses having originally been set to gallop at La Teste de Buch racecourse near Bordeaux on Apr. 8 and the sale conducted the following day.

A statement released by Osarus on Friday read, “Due to the rising number of cases of coronavirus during the past few days and subsequent travel restrictions, the La Teste Breeze-up Sale, originally to take place on April 8 and 9, has been postponed. The sale will now take place on May 12 and 13, sanitary conditions permitting.”

The news comes the day after Keeneland announced the cancellation of its April Sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age as “an abundance of caution to do our part in containing the spread of COVID-19”.

As the expectation of a disrupted breeze-up season grows, representatives at both Tattersalls and Goffs indicated on Thursday that they are keeping a watching brief on the coronavirus situation. The first breeze-up sale in Britain is currently set to be held at Tattersalls Ascot on Apr. 1, with breezes taking place on the racecourse the previous day at 12 noon.

France Galop has made the move to run all race meetings until further notice without public spectators.

“In application of government measures for the whole country, all racecourses will operate behind closed doors from Friday, Mar 13. Access to the racecourse is strictly limited to people [volunteers, employees, service providers, staff from training stables and jockeys, media] whose presence is essential to the running of the events. The entourage of each runner is limited to two people: the person accompanying the horse on arrival at the racetrack and the trainer. Owners and breeders are not allowed on racetracks. A maximum of five representatives from the racing press will be accredited.”