HELD in high regard by trainer Fozzy Stack, the two-year-old Australia colt Mohican Heights made the perfect start to his career when he landed a seven-furlong maiden at Leopardstown last month. One of nine winners for his Shirley Heights dam, he is a sibling to Group 3 winners Eye Of The Storm and Satchem.

David Simcock signed for the colt when he made the winning bid of £520,000 and later revealed that the colt, sold with an entry for the Chesham Stakes, was unlikely to take up that engagement. The trainer believes that he will benefit from time and be a late season prospect for further honours. Mohican Heights, a €100,000 yearling purchase, raced for David T Greathouse II and Jules Sigler.

Another sale entry from Stack’s Thomastown Castle was the juvenile maiden American Lady, a daughter of Starspangledbanner. Runner-up over five furlongs at Tipperary, she has since been fourth in listed and group races at the Curragh and Naas. A €59,000 yearling buy, she was snapped up by Maura Gittens for £200,000. She is the first foal of a half-sister to Group 2 winner Lovelace.

The last entry accepted for the sale was the three-year-old Zoffany filly Pure Zen. Trained by Gianluca Bietolini, she won the Listed Prix Francois Boutin as a juvenile, while her latest start saw her run second in the Group 2 Prix Sandringham at Chantilly over a mile. Bloodstock agent Federico Berberini was reticent when asked for the name of the purchaser who splashed out £500,000 for the filly from the family of Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Musical Romance, but he did think she would next contest the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat.

Wednesday success

Mick and Janice Mariscotti enjoyed a Royal Ascot success on Wednesday with Dashing Willoughby in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase, and on Monday they sold Le Don De Vie for £460,000 from Andrew Balding’s Park House Stables. Twice a winner in 2019, both times at Epsom, the three-year-old gelded son of Leroidesanimaux was the target for agent Matt Houldsworth and trainer Hughie Morrison and they succeeded in acquiring him for owner Aziz Kheir.

The latter also owns the Morrison-trained Group 1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Marmelo and a trip down under is on the agenda for Le Don De Vie.

Con and Theresa Marnane sold two of the best lots in the sale. The better of the pair was the Listed Cecil Frail Stakes winner Forever In Dreams, a three-year-old daughter of Dream Ahead out of a half-sister to the champion sprinter and five-time Group 1 winner Marchand D’Or.

The three-time winner will continue her racing career in the silks of the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate and ran in yesterday’s Group 1 Commonwealth Cup.

This transaction was completed outside the ring. Ringside, Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ Tom Ludt could not be tempted to better Patrick Cooper’s £440,000 bid, though this was on behalf of the vendors. The filly gained her listed success in the care of trainer Aidan Fogarty.

Listed winner

Another listed winner for Con and Theresa Marnane to sell well was the German-bred Sidestep colt Real Appeal. Winner of three of his four starts this year at two, he won the Listed Prix La Fleche at Maisons-Laffitte on his most recent outing before his sale for £265,000 to BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohue on behalf of Zhang Yuesheng of Yulong Investments. The colt ran in Thursday’s Group 2 Norfolk Stakes.

There was no immediate return for the new Australian owners of Daughter In Law when she ran in Wednesday’s Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes. The Curragh maiden winner was bought in a private sale by Badgers Bloodstock for £150,000 and the two-year-old daughter of Requinto is out of the listed winner Shizao.

At the conclusion of the evening’s trade, the company’s group chief executive Henry Beeby said: “The sixth Goffs London Sale in association with QIPCO welcomed a truly international audience of buyers to the grounds of Kensington Palace on a superb summer’s evening.

“It was a fantastic social occasion to begin Royal Ascot week with some really good business done.

“Obviously we would have preferred to sell a few more of the horses, but with entries at Royal Ascot we view it in an entirely different way, in that if people can achieve a premium at the sale they’ll take the money, but if not they’ll go to Royal Ascot and we’ll be cheering those horses on as well.

“So we are very grateful for all the support and hope everyone enjoyed themselves”.