CHARLES Shanahan signed for the top lot on day one of the Tattersalls July Sale when paying 280,000gns for a Dubawi four-year-old filly named Whispering Words.

Signing under the BBA Ireland banner, Shanahan was acting on behalf of his father Paul Shanahan and Timmy Hyde Snr of Camas Park Stud.

A winner as a three-year-old, Whispering Words is out of the New Approach mare Hadith, winner of the Listed Montrose Stakes. She is a granddaughter of the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes winner Discourse from a prolific blacktype family and was offered in foal to Kingman.

After seeing off Bill Gredley for the mare, Charles Shanahan said: "She has a great pedigree and is by Dubawi, which is very important as he is doing great things as a broodmare sire. It is very exciting, and being in foal to Kingman - he is having such a good year and I think she is good value at that."

The session saw 188 of 222 lots offered find buyers, a clearance rate of 85%. Compared with the same day last year, total spending was down 29% as was the average price paid. The median price fell by 38% to 10,000gns.

Doherty denied

Whispering Words was followed into the ring by Godolphin’s Art Of Magic and this listed-placed four-year-old proved the second highest priced lot of the opening day when knocked down to Newsells Park Stud’s Julian Dollar for 270,000gns. The underbidder was Forenaghts Stud’s Caoimhe Doherty, who had been among the bidders to attempt to secure Whispering Words but again was frustrated.

The daughter of Invincible Spirit is a three-time winner and dual listed runner-up, and was offered in foal to brilliant young sire Blue Point.

Hope Diamond was one of the standout lots in the catalogue on pedigree and the regally-bred mare did not disappoint when selling for 250,000gns to Gestüt Fährhof. The daughter of Galileo was consigned by Baroda Stud and offered with a filly foal by No Nay Never, at foot and back in foal to the multiple Group 1 producing sire.

A daughter of the excellent broodmare Danedrop, Hope Diamond is a half-sister to Arc winner Danedream.

Japan-bound

Godolphin’s Menuetto, a dual winning daughter of Dubawi, was bought online by Japan's JS Company for 150,000gns.

Menuetto is the dam of one winner from one runner with her first foal Magnum Opus a winner at two and scoring impressively by three lengths at Pontefract last week to earn an official rating of 91. Her subsequent foals are colts by Mastercraftsman and Palace Pier, and she was offered in foal to Darley’s Teofilo.

The Godolphin draft on the opening day saw 21 lots sold for an aggregate of 1,139,000 guineas at an average of 54,238 guineas.

Southern hemisphere

Buyers from the southern hemisphere played a significant role on the day.

McKeever Bloodstock’s Johnny McKeever struck at 135,000gns for Topanga for Australian owner and breeder Gary Johnson. An impressive winner of her most recent start at Haydock for Andrew Balding earning an official rating of 86, the three-year-old daughter of Siyouni was consigned by Balding’s Kingsclere Training Stables.

McKeever said: "Gary has seven broodmares in Europe because he likes our staying bloodlines. The mares are kept at New England Stud and Gary is here on his annual July visit.

"We are gradually buying mares who we cover on southern hemisphere time – they stay in England for a year or so, and then join Toby Liston of Three Bridges. She will be covered by Too Darn Hot, although we might keep her in training for a few months just to see if there is a chance of grabbing a bit of blacktype somewhere."

Another lot headed ‘down under’ is the highly rated four-year-old Davideo who was purchased by Shaune Ritchie Racing and De Burgh Equine for 130,000gns. Trained by Ralph Beckett, the four-year-old son of Galileo has won three races - including his only start this year - earning an official rating of 98.

Ritchie said: "He has a big frame to fill out and he looks as though he goes on all types of going, and he has a pedigree to back it up. He will be on the next flight ‘down under’ – we have quarter acre paddocks at home and every horse gets into a paddock through the day, and a horse with a big frame like that will really suit that style of training."

The sale continues on Wednesday.

Day 1 Sale Statistics

Current Year Previous Year Change %

Catalogued 323 300 +8%

Withdrawn 101 85 +19%

Offered 222 215 +3%

Unsold 34 27 +26%

Sold 188 188 -2%

Total Value (gns) 5,107,700 7,179,300 -29%

Median Value (gns) 10,000 16,000 -38%

Average Value (gns) 27,169 38,188 -29%

% sold 85% 87% -2%