'July Week' Kicks Off With Bumper Sale

The term 'July Week' is a bit of a misnomer, but nevertheless, the frenetic few days of sales, racing, stallion parades and parties known locally as July Week gets underway today as the Tattersalls July Sale kicks off at 9:30 a.m. local time. At 910 lots, the popular mixed sale could already boast a record catalogue even before four wild cards were added to the list of horses for sale. The most recent addition on Monday was the Joseph O'Brien-trained Tamboureen (Ire) (Red Jazz), a winner last Friday at Bellewstown, who will sell today (Wednesday) as lot 236A.

Roughly the first 300 lots of the sale are mares in foal or broodmare prospects, including 73 from Godolphin and 21 from Shadwell. The Godolphin draft features a sister to the five-time Group 1 winner Miss Finland (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), La Pelegrina (lot 179), who was placed in France and has produced three winners from her first three foals, but was not covered this year. Lot 164, the 3-year-old Fingallian (Ire), should have appeal as a Street Cry (Ire) granddaughter of Allez Les Trois.

Likewise Catamaran (Ire) (lot 268), a daughter of Shamardal and the multiple listed winner Katla (Ire) (Majestic Missile {Ire}), whose dam Bratislava (GB) (Dr Fong) is a half-sister to Wootton Bassett (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}). Isobel Archer (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a 10-year-old full-sister to Group 1 winner Naaqoos (GB), sells as lot 277. The winning 3-year-old has already produced a four-time winner to Iffraaj and she sells in foal to that stallion on a Mar. 10 cover. In 2007, Mandellicht (Ire) (Be My Guest) was sold to Sheikh Mohammed for 3 million gns, carrying a full-sibling to that season's Horse of the Year, Manduro (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). The resultant foal, Mondalay (GB), never raced and is offered as lot 274, carrying to Teofilo (Ire) and having produced a 2-year-old winner, Romantic View (GB) (Shamardal), from three foals of racing age.

There's plenty of interest outside the major owner-breeder drafts and a three-for-the-price-of-one deal is in play for lot 203, Zarnit (Fr), offered through Voute Sales. Though she failed to fire from five starts in France, the 8-year-old mare has some pretty fancy names on her page. Her dam Zarnitza (Quiet American) is a half-sister to Summertime Legacy (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), the dam of Group 1 winners Mandaean (GB) and Wavering (Ire), while Derby winner Golden Fleece is a son of Zarnit's third dam Exotic Treat. Zarnit is sold with a filly foal at foot by Lethal Force (Ire) and is the only mare in the catalogue carrying to this season's leading freshman sire Dabirsim (Fr).

A number of mares are offered in foal to stallions who covered their first book of mares this year, including Eltaaf (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (lot 112), carrying her first foal by Ballylinch Stud's New Bay (GB), and lot 208 Mockinbird (Ire) (Makfi {GB}) a granddaughter of the outstanding sprinting champion Marwell (GB) (Habitat {GB}) who is in foal to Lanwades Stud's new boy Bobby's Kitten.

Juddmonte's colts and geldings in training take to the ring on Thursday evening after racing and include an unraced 3-year-old son of New Approach (Ire) and Banks Hill (GB) by the name of Ringleader (GB) (lot 564). Immediately prior to the Juddmonte fillies selling on Friday morning is the draft from Roger Charlton's Beckhampton Stables which includes a 3-year-old gelding named Pow Wow (GB) (Medicean {GB}) (lot 696) who has notched a hat-trick of game staying victories for owner-breeder Philip Newton of late, two of which have been recorded since the catalogue went to press. Talking of stamina, just seven lots later (703) from Juddmonte comes Dreamtide (GB), a 3-year-old Champs Elysees (GB) half-sister to the grand dual-purpose hero and G1 Irish St Leger winner Wicklow Brave (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}).

With Thursday and Friday of the three-day sale both featuring pre- and post-racing sessions, the curtain will come down on Friday evening with the first horse sold at Tattersalls as part of the Ballymacoll Stud Dispersal. Offered through Sir Michael Stoute's Freemason Lodge Stables, lot 826 is the 7-year-old stallion Arab Spring (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), who was beaten only a short-head by subsequent dual Group 1 winner Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) on his penultimate start in the Listed Winter Derby Trial in February. Prior to that he had won six of his 15 races, including the G3 John Porter S. and G3 September S., and is being sold still in training. Out of the Darshaan (GB) mare Spring Symphony (Ire), Arab Spring is a half-brother to the G1 Mackinnon S. winner Glass Harmonium (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}) and to the dam of G2 Middleton S. winner Blond Me (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}).

It remains to be seen whether Saturday's easy winner of Haydock's Old Newton Cup, Dylan Mouth (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}), fulfils his engagement in the sales ring on Friday evening but as things stand, the treble Italian Group 1 winner, now six, is set to sell as lot 843 from the stable of his trainer Marco Botti.