THE July Sale was headed by a pair of €65,000 lots.

The first of these to come under the hammer was the second lot into the ring on Wednesday morning while the second was offered seven lots from the conclusion of a marathon 11-hour opening session.

English-based agent Tom Malone was the first to reach €65,000 when he secured a son of Constitution Hill’s sire Blue Bresil on behalf of Paul Nicholls. This Rathbarry Stud offering missed an earlier store sale engagement due to a pulled muscle and he is the first produce of the Grade 2-winning Jessber’s Dream who was also placed in a Grade 1 at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival.

Malone also forked out €42,000 for a daughter of Highland Reel who was responsible for a one-two-three in the first juvenile hurdle of the season at Tipperary two weeks ago. This filly is out of an Authorized half-sister to the Group 1 Gold Cup winner Big Orange.

Nicky Richards

The other joint top lot was snapped up by Nicky Richards and it was a son of Al Boum Photo’s sire, Buck’s Boum. This gelding was sold by Niall Bleahen’s Liss House and is the second produce of a winning Early March own-sister to the Grade 2-placed French jumper Desinvolte.

Richards and his late ally Gerry Griffin were tremendous supporters of the August Sale in previous years with their purchases including Grade 1 scorer Simply Ned. Thus it was no surprise to see the trainer play a leading role at the final store sale of the year and he also came to prominence when forking out €40,000 for a daughter of Milan out of the four-time winner and Grade 3-placed Perfect Woman.

French interest

The sale also featured a notable input from France with Paris-based trainer Hugo Merienne going to €60,000 for a Network gelding offered by Wood Hall Stables. This gelding is out of a winning Poliglote mare who is related to the Grade 3-winning French chaser Saint Xavier.

As ever a number of the day’s top lots are destined to head straight down the point-to-point route and one of those was a Walk In The Park gelding from Railstown Stud who cost Sam Curling €55,000. This grandson of Montjeu is out the six-time winner La Sarrazine who has already bred the dual scorer Goodnightngodbless.

Walk In The Park supplied several other leading lights on the opening day and these included a three-year-old from Mount Eaton Stud who was snapped up by D/J Bloodstock for €45,000. He is out of a half-sister to the listed-winning jumper Golan Fortune.

Another Walk In The Park to take the eye was a €38,0000 gelding from Ballyhampshire Stud out of an own-sister to the very smart Didtheyleaveuoutto. The Philip O’Brien Bloodstock purchase comes from a family that goes back to Denman.

The impact made by Affinisea’s first crop of four-year-olds hasn’t been lost on purchasers throughout the store sales season and the Sea The Stars horse was responsible for one of Wednesday’s leading lights when Johnny Hurley spent €46,000 on a gelding from Ken Parkhill’s Castletown Quarry Stud. This half-brother to a winner is out of the very useful four-time winner Tasitiocht and he will go point-to-pointing next year.

English purchasers

The English point-to-point duo of Charlie and Francesca Poste struck for a €42,000 gelding from the first crop of the French Group 2 winner Manatee. This grandson of Monsun is out of a mare who won under both codes in France.

Leading owners Andrew and Gemma Brown, acting through Joey Logan, secured a €40,000 daughter of Leading Light from The Paddocks. This filly is a half-sister to the Grade 2-winning Minella Awards and she is also an own-sister to Jaycean who looked a good prospect for the Browns when winning a Navan maiden hurdle on his debut for Gordon Elliott last winter.

Another to reach the €40,000 mark was a Lauro gelding from Haltons Hill Stud who was knocked down to Cian Hughes Thoroughbreds. This half-brother to the Grade 3-placed Champagne Court comes from the family of the Grand National winner Royal Athlete.