JUDDMONTE sold a dozen lots at this week’s Tattersalls July Sale, but among them was a pair of three-year-old fillies that commanded the highest price, 300,000gns, achieved over the three days.
The first of the consecutive lots to enter the ring was Anacapa, a Frankel filly out of Ventura, the four-time US Grade 1 winner. She was bought by Grant Pritchard-Gordon of Badgers Bloodstock, a man who worked for Juddmonte for 17 years.
“She has been bought for a long-standing European client who loves Juddmonte families as much as I do,” the agent said. “Seeing as we know so much about Juddmonte, it was the obvious thing to do. She is a lovely big filly, she walked well out there, and she goes straight to the paddocks from here. This particular family I have known for a long time – I go back beyond Roupala [third dam].”
The family received a timely update at Deauville when the filly’s Group 3-winning full-sister Fount produced the stakes-winning juvenile Apollo Fountain. Their sibling is also the dam of the Group 1 Saudi Cup winner Emblem Road.
Kingman daughter
The very next lot to sell was Calabria, a daughter of Kingman, who was bought by Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock, again for 300,000gns. She was one of two fillies McStay purchased from the draft.
The unraced Calabria is a daughter of the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Romantica, and a granddaughter of the two-time European champion Banks Hill. The filly’s third dam is the outstanding broodmare Hasili.
“We had to dig deep to get the filly from Banks Hill’s family, but it is probably the best pedigree in the book,” said McStay. “When you see Banks Hill, Dansili, Hasili, Champs Elysees on the page, it doesn’t need much explanation as to why you had to dig so deep, and why there was such stiff competition to get her.”
He added: “I fancy Kingman as a broodmare sire, he could easily make it. The fillies were beautifully presented by Juddmonte and recommended. The mating plans will be fluid for both, but they will go to some of the best stallions and will be given the best chance.”
GODOLPHIN ended the sale as the leading consignors, responsible for sales that just fell short of two million guineas. Their 41-strong draft averaged 48,280gns.
As with the Juddmonte top lots, the best pair in the Godolphin consignment were consecutive lots, and both sold on the opening day of the sale. Charles Shanahan signed for the top lot when paying 280,000gns for a Dubawi four-year-old mare named Whispering Words, in foal to Kingman. Signing under the BBA Ireland banner, Shanahan was acting on behalf of his father Paul,and Timmy Hyde Snr of Camas Park Stud.
Winner as a three-year-old, Whispering Words is out of the New Approach mare Hadith who won the Listed Montrose Stakes. She is a granddaughter of the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes winner Discourse, and from a prolific blacktype family. After seeing off Bill Gredley for the mare, 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.”
Whispering Words was followed into the ring by Art Of Magic, and this listed-placed four-year-old winner of three races was knocked down to Newsells Park Stud’s Julian Dollar for 270,000gns. The underbidder was Forenaghts Stud’s Caoimhe Doherty, who had been among those attempting to secure Whispering Words, but again she was frustrated. Whispering Words was offered in foal to Blue Point.
Japan purchase
Moments before this pair sold, Godolphin’s Menuetto, a dual winning daughter of Dubawi, was bought online by Japan’s JS Company for 150,000gns. The nine-year-old is the dam of the 2023 juvenile winner Magnum Opus with her first foal, and he provided a timely boost when 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. This is the immediate family of Los Angeles.
Another highlight in the Godolphin draft of mares and fillies was the unraced Dubawi three-year-old Thruppence. She is a daughter of the stakes winner Birch Grove, and that Galileo mare is a full-sister to the dam of Group 1 winning sprinter, Shaquille. She cost McKeever Bloodstock 110,000gns.
On the final day of the sale, the Godolphin draft included a trio of six-figure lots. Recent winner Signalman, a three-year-old son of New Approach, cost Oliver St Lawrence 130,000gns, Huworth Bloodstock spent 120,000gns on a placed three-year-old son of Shamardal and Grade 1 winner Zhukova, while Sky Racing acquired two-year-old winner Gamekeeper, a son of Blue Point, for 110,000gns.
THE unraced Galileo mare Hope Diamond was one of the standout lots in the catalogue on pedigree, and the regally-bred five-year-old ultimately did not disappoint when selling for 250,000gns to Gestüt Fährhof.
She was the best of a consignment of 47 lots from Baroda Stud that sold for 1,247,700gns.
Offered with a filly foal by No Nay Never, at foot, and back in foal to the multiple Group 1 producing sire, Hope Diamond is a daughter of the excellent broodmare Danedrop, making her a half-sister to the Arc winner Danedream.
The Baroda consignment contained two other six-figure lots. Wildcard entry The Camden Colt was one of four purchases this week by Libyan owner Omar Esmil Ghrghar. “He goes to Dubai and into training with Bhupat Seemar, and he really likes this horse,” reported Ghrghar after spending 130,000gns on the three-year-old colt by Footstepsinthesand. Trained by Richard Hannon, The Camden Colt won once from 11 starts and is rated 89.
Joseph O’Brien sale
The most expensive of the quartet of purchases by Ghrghar was Bad Desire at 150,000gns. A truly international future beckons for Bad Desire, a colt by Wootton Bassett sold by The Castlebridge Consignment and previously trained by Joseph O’Brien.
The three-year-old, who is still a maiden and rated 94, is to be trained in France by the Italian-born trainer Gianluca Bietolini. The plan is then to ship the horse to Dubai where he will be trained by Mehmet Yusuf Marangoz, who is from Turkey but hopes to take out his training licence in Dubai.
“I like this horse a lot, he has good form at listed level on his last start and is well rated,” said the colt’s new owner. “I have horses in France and he will join the string there to start with. I am very happy to have bought this horse.”
Moments before Hope Diamond sold, Baroda’s winning five-year-old Night Of Thunder mare Georgeta was sold for 125,000gns, carrying her first foal by Havana Grey. A half-sister to the US stakes winner Gypsy Spirit, Georgeta is due in mid-January, and was signed for by Quirke Bloodstock and RP Racing.
The two-year-old Exceed And Excel winner Rare Jewel, a half-sister to the listed winner Noble Title and in foal to Shaquille, was sold by Dullingham Park to Yeomanstown Stud for 125,000gns.
THE highest priced colt on the second day of the sale was Bur Dubai, consigned by Kevin Philippart De Foy’s Induna Stables on behalf of Ahmad al Shaikh.
The son of Night Of Thunder was knocked down to Jason Singh, bidding on behalf of Price Kent Racing/Myracehorse Australia and Dermot Farrinton. The 89-rated three-year-old is a winner since catalogue publication and will head into training with Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr. He cost 250,000gns.
Kent, speaking from Melbourne, revealed: “We work the sectionals really hard and put hours and hours of work into that research. Although this horse’s last start when he won by nine lengths was impressive, it was his run in a listed race at Epsom in April that really impressed us when he finished sixth. He has the perfect profile for Australia.”
International demand continued on the third and final day of the sale when Jubilee Walk topped proceedings at 220,000gns, ahead of Soldier’s Empire on 180,000gns, with both horses set to target major prizes in Bahrain.
A son of Study Of Man, Jubilee Walk sold to an online bid by China Horse Club, buying out former partner Qatar Racing. Consigned by Jamie Railton, the three-year-old is trained by James Ferguson and won three of his six starts.
Matt Houldsworth, European manager for China Horse Club, said: “He’ll stay with James and we’re going to target Bahrain. We’ll take him around the Middle East and perhaps we’ll go to Dubai as well. We haven’t had runners in Bahrain before, but it’s something we’re keen to do as it’s obviously an emerging part of the world.”
Another horse set to head to Bahrain is the three-year-old colt Soldier’s Empire who was knocked down to Al Mohamediya Racing’s Sheikh Sultan for 180,000gns, after he saw off a determined effort from Irish bloodstock agent Barry Lynch.
Spokesperson Ali Majeed revealed: “He will go straight to Bahrain from here, and he will be trained by Fawzi Nass. He is a serious horse, he could suit the Crown Prince Cup or the King’s Cup, and he will have lots of options when he is four.”
The son of Bated Breath was sold by Ballygallon Stud, having been in training with Ger Lyons. He won his maiden last October at Dundalk and has been placed twice this year in competitive races at Gowran Park and the Curragh, racing off a handicap mark of 90
Last year’s Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale provided a rich seam of success for the Gredley family. It was there that they purchased Ambiente Friendly who ran second and third in the Derby and the Irish Derby, and under the family’s Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs banner they purchased City House for 85,000gns.
Trained by James Fanshawe and offered by his Pegasus Stables, the winning Night Of Thunder colt was offered with an official rating of 87, and knocked down to JS Bloodstock and George Scott Racing for 180,000gns. Trainer Scott enjoyed an excellent winter with his string of horses in Bahrain, and said: “We enjoyed our time in Bahrain and we were looking for a couple of sprinters, and all being well he will end up there.
“There is great prize money in Bahrain and it is great fun. My client is new to me and he is based in London, but has some of his own clients in Bahrain and Dubai. He will be working over there a bit in the winter so he would like some action while he is there.”
THE progressive Swindon from William Haggas’ Somerville Lodge was added as a wildcard a week before franking his credentials by winning impressively at Sandown. He was knocked down to agent Alessandro Marconi on behalf of the Libyan syndicate Sky Racing for 175,000gns, the group outbidding Oliver St Lawrence and Fawzi Nass.
A Sky Racing spokesman said: “This syndicate is organising racing in Libya and we have horses in Dubai and Libya. We hope this horse will go to Dubai and might come back to Europe next season. However, he may also take in a big race in Libya at the end of October at the National Shooting and Equestrian Club, that will be the main target.
“The owners of the syndicate are pushing hard to improve the racing industry in Libya - there is good prizemoney for the race in October, and it should be open to horses from other countries. There are also stallions and broodmares going to the country too.”
Syd Hosie was very active on the buying front, and his most expensive purchase was the 150,000gns spent on Victory Shout, a winner over 12 furlongs since the catalogue was published. The son of Frankel was trained by Karl Burke at Spigot Lodge Stables. Sitting alongside assistant Tony Charlton, Hosie said: “We both liked this horse and we have bought him on spec. This was the plan from the offset to come to this sale and buy some hurdling types – we can get them home and into a routine in good time before the National Hunt season.”
Staying bloodlines
Bought by Johnny McKeever for Australian owner and breeder Gary Johnson, Topanga was bought for 135,000gns with a southern-hemisphere covering to Darley’s Too Darn Hot in mind. She is a two-year-old winning daughter of Siyouni from a great Juddmonte family.
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, and 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. We’d probably keep her with Andrew [Balding].”