One can only wonder if the UK/US/Dubai bidding duals we have witnessed in previous years are about to add a new player - Japan. We've seen a few very high profile Japanese buyers in previous years (the best representative probably Japanese investor Fusao Sekiguchi who purchased the record US$8 million Storm Cat ex Welcome Surprise [half-sister to classic winners A.P.Indy & Summer Squall] colt at last year's Keeneland September yearling sale) but the younger generation also appear to be making their mark in the auction arena.

A case in point was today's news that Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum (son of Sheikh Mohammed) out-bid Shunsuke Yoshida (son of Northern Farm's Katsumi Yoshida who was reportedly making his first visit to a European breeze-up sale) & paid top price of 240,000 guineas (A$624,000) for a filly by Swain (ex Conquistador Cielo mare Robust) during the opening session at the 2-day UK Tattersalls 2YO Breeze-Up Sale.