Godolphin Draft Boosts Tatts July Opener

As predicted, Godolphin's strong draft proved the major draw during the opening session of Tattersalls' July Sale, with Ireland, France, America and Australia being among the destinations for the top ten lots all emanating from the large consignment.

Following a patchy start, the appearance of the first of two batches of Godolphin horses in the early afternoon saw the sale take a swift upturn and, by the end of play, the aggregate of 7,208,629gns had set a new record for a single session in July and rose by 71% on last year, while the average and median both improved significantly from last year to 30,806gns (+50%) and 14,000gns (+17%). The clearance rate dropped slightly to 84% for 234 of 280 horses sold.

Carte De Visite (Street Cry {Ire}) (lot 263) may not have made it to the racecourse herself but as a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Raven's Pass (Elusive Quality) and GIII winner Gigawatt (Wild Again), the 3-year-old's pedigree credentials were enough to propel her to the head of the list. At 270,000gns, she was sold via Eamonn Reilly of BBA Ireland to join the broodmare band at Maurice Regan's Newtown Anner Stud in Ireland.

Reilly, who rarely left his trademark bidding position on the back wall throughout a lengthy and busy session which saw his team sign for 13 horses, said, “The Regans are having a good year on the racecourse and are trying to upgrade their mares. This is the strongest draft of fillies and mares I can remember seeing at the July Sale. It's a great opportunity to get into some of the best pedigrees and this filly is a great outcross.”

Based in Tipperary, the Regan family won the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May with homebred Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and notched another stakes winner on Monday when the John Oxx-trained Red Stars (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) won the listed Lenebane S. at Roscommon.

Carte De Visite was the second high-profile purchase of the day for Newtown Anner Stud after Reilly went to 250,000gns to buy another well-credentialed young mare, Desert Snow (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 159), also from the Godolphin draft. Just five and carrying her first foal by Darley's Night Of Thunder (Ire), the listed-placed three-time winner Desert Snow was also of interest to Peter Doyle and Richard Brown, who ultimately could not match the offer of the BBA Ireland agent.

“We felt she was the pick of the sale,” said Reilly of the attractive grey grand-daughter of Alruccaba. “We loved her. This is Kirsten's Rausing's wonderful family which is so hard to get into. The foal will be retained to race.”

Reilly also later bought lot 184, the unraced Medaglia d'Oro filly Kamakura––a sister to Alydar S. winner Bay Of Plenty––for 150,000gns.

Cormac McCormack got the better of Oliver St Lawrence and Seamus Burns in the chase for 4-year-old listed winner Zuhoor Baynoona (Ire) (Elnadim) (lot 162), who also brought a winning bid of 250,000gns and was purchased for what the agent described as “an old established client”. He added that the 4-year-old listed winner, sold in foal to Shadwell's first-season sire Muhaarar (GB), would likely be sent abroad.

Oliver St Lawrence, standing in the gangway with Julian Dollar, gained some compensation when placing the final bid of 220,000gns for winning 4-year-old Zoella (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (lot 169).

“She's a good-looking mare and hopefully she'll produce good-looking foals. She was rated 80 and two of her half-sisters have youngsters by Dubawi to come through, which is a help.”

A winner for Charlie Appleby on debut at three, Zoella is a half-sister to G3 Prix de Lieurey winner Zibelina (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and listed victrix Floristry (GB) (Fasliyev), both of whom remain in the Darley broodmare band. Their grandam, the G2 Sun Chariot S. winner Talented (GB) (Bustino {GB}), is also the dam of the Queen's Derby-placed colt Carlton House (Street Cry {Ire}).

Making her way to France is lot 242, the twice-placed Satiriste (GB) (Shamardal) whose dam Satwa Queen (Fr) (Muthathir {GB}) was the toast of Longchamp when winning the G1 Prix de l'Opera on Arc day in 2007 and has subsequently produced listed winner Important Time (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}).

Laurent Benoit of French-based Broadhurst Agency dispatched with Charlie Gordon-Watson in the battle to buy the 4-year-old, who was sold in foal to Iffraaj (GB), for an undisclosed client.

He said, “She's a really nice filly with a lot of quality and daughters of Shamardal are not easy to buy.”

Chinese owner-breeder Zhang Yuesheng made his mark at Park Paddocks with nine purchases, including lot 276, the Godolphin filly Lake Hamana (GB) (Shamardal), an unraced 3-year-old daughter of the dual Listed winner Lake Toya (Darshaan {GB}). The filly's third dam, Doff The Derby (Master Derby) has produced the Epsom Classic winners Generous (Ire) (Caerleon) and Imagine (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).

Zhang's Yulong Investments, buying through Australian agent Sheamus Mills, picked up a trio of lots at 80,000gns apiece, including Australian listed winner Causeway Lass (Aus) (Giant's Causeway) (lot 155), who was offered by Godolphin in foal to leading shuttle sire Exceed And Excel (Aus).

Mills commented, “This is a highly sought after Australian pedigree with a couple of proven stallions on the page. Exceed And Excel is one of the best stallions in Australia and is a real favourite of my client. She'll have this foal and will then be covered to southern hemisphere time to take back home. She could be a really nice foundation mare for the farm.”

'Home' is Zhang's Yulong Farm in Victoria, and it's no surprise that Causeway Lass's page was of such interest to an Australian-based operation. Her dam is the multiple Group 1 winner Canny Lass (Aus) (Bletchingly {Aus}), a sister to the former champion 2-year-old and stallion Canny Lad (Aus), with the family also boasting fellow Group 1 winner Camarena (NZ) (Danehill) and her daughter Camarilla (Aus) (Elusive Quality).

Yulong Farm will also eventually be the base for another well-bred female in Paper Round (GB) (lot 183), a daughter of Ballymacoll Stud's Group 2 winner New Morning (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) by the late Darley stallion Street Cry (Ire). The 3-year-old's relations include New Morning's treble Group/Grade 1-winning sister Islington (Ire) and G1 Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}).

Zhang, who has a number of horses in training in Ireland and recently purchased two breeze-up horses at the Goffs London Sale, plans to cover the mares in Europe to southern hemisphere time before exporting them to Australia.

Cathy Grassick went to 150,000gns to secure lot 191, Aaraamm (Street Cry {Ire}), who hails from the dynasty of Gerald Leigh's high-class foundation mare Brocade (GB). The unraced 3-year-old is a sister to G2 Champagne S. winner Saamidd (GB) and a half-sister to Talmada (Cape Cross {Ire}), who was runner-up in the GI EP Taylor S.

“She's ideal for breeding in a bit of Danzig speed, especially as the family has already worked with Cape Cross and Danehill Dancer,” said Grassick, who was unable to name her client.

“It's a fantastic family and it's lovely to have a mare with both Machiavellian and Galileo in her pedigree.”

Late in the session, Susie McKeever swung into action with three quickfire purchases on behalf of Queensland-based Aquis Farm. The trio was led by Godolphin's Main Chance (Street Cry {Ire}), a unraced 3-year-old half-sister to Group 1 winner Favourable Terms (GB) (Selkirk) (lot 280) who fetched 140,000gns. McKeever also gave 120,000gns for lot 279, Gwenella (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), whose half-sister Allow (Aus) (Rahy) won the G1 Queensland Oaks, while the further family includes top-flight winners Alpine Rose (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) and Fragrant Mix (Ire) (Linamix {Fr}). Completing the set was lot 300, Lieoftheland (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), consigned by Andy Oliver's Stragnane Stables, and another with strong Australian ties, being a half-sister to G1 The Metropolitan winner Magic Hurricane (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}).

Puzzler (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) (lot 157) prompted the first six-figure transaction of the sale and is returning to the farm where she was born after being bought by Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber from Godolphin for 100,000gns.

Charlie Gordon Watson signed for the unraced 4-year-old, who is in foal to Raven's Pass, and said, “It's good to support the family. She was sold privately as a yearling but will be going back to Watership Down Stud.”

A grand-daughter of the Lloyd Webbers' G1 Fillies' Mile winner Crystal Music (Nureyev), Puzzler is a half-sister to the G2 Prix Greffulhe winner Ocovango (GB) (Monsun {Ger}).

Taylor Made Sales Agency's Leif Aaron, one of a notable number of Americans in Newmarket for the sale, was another to raid the Godolphin draft, going to 95,000gns for Brabble (lot 181), a daughter of Bernardini from a strong American family. The 3-year-old filly's dam Well Chosen (Deputy Minister {Can}) won the GI Ashland S. at Keenelend and has produced three black-type performers headed by her GI Sword Dancer Invitational S. winner Telling (A P Indy).

Today's action at Tattersalls is split into two parts, starting at 9.30am and continuing at 6pm after racing on the July Course.