By Emma Berry
With the focus switching to horses in training at Tattersalls after a blockbuster day of fillies and mares, the destinations of the 2016 July Sale graduates remain as varied as the opening day.
Godolphin led the way on Wednesday but Juddmonte always brings a decent draft to Park Paddocks and headed trade on the second day when 3-year-old Perigee (GB) (Cacique {GB}) (lot 535) sold for 115,000gns to Will Douglass of Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock, acting on behalf of Jassim Al Ghazali.
“We love the stallion and this horse has a very progressive profile. We hope he could be a Qatar Derby horse,” said Douglass of the four-length Nottingham maiden winner on his last start, who is out of a half-sister to the G1 Prix de la Foret winner Etoile Montante (Miswaki).
After such a buoyant session on Wednedsay, trade on Thursday was a little more reserved. Most encouraging was a clearance rate of 92%, but the average dropped by 11% to 14,982gns and the median fell by 36% to 7,000gns. Up by 6% was the second-day turnover, which settled at 2,442,000gns, a figure which drove the aggregate for two days past that recorded for the whole sale in 2015.
Shadwell also brought a big draft to Park Paddocks which provided the first six-figure lot of Thursday morning when lot 426, the 3-year-old gelding Altarsheed (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}), fetched 110,000gns as Al Ghazali started to make his presence felt.
“We are looking for quality and this horse has a profile to suit and was priced as we expected. We didn't want to go much further,” said the Qatari champion trainer after signing for the 88-rated dual winner who started his career in Richard Hannon's stable.
Open 'n Shut (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) lot 526), a winner on his only start for Roger Varian on June 7, attracted a bid of 100,000gns from another Qatari buyer, Faisal Al Thani.
“I watched his race on video many times and I liked what I saw. He looks as though there is more to come,” he said.
Another former Hannon trainee, Blackout (Fr) (Dream Ahead) (lot 410), the winner of his last two starts at Newbury and Newmarket, has either America or France on his agenda after being bought by Justin Casse for 90,000gns.
A regular buyer at Tattersalls, the American agent said, “I was always coming over for this sale, but with the changing economy I made a few more phone calls. I came primarily to buy mares, but thought I would look at some racehorses too.
“This is one of four that stood out for me, and watching his videos I really like his form. I have no definite plans for him yet. He could go to the east or west coast in the US or even back to France, where he was bred.”
Just two lots earlier, the former smart juvenile Burnt Sugar (Ire) (Lope De Vega) (408), switched from the ownership of the China Horse Club to Saudi Arabian trainer Abdullah Meshrif Al Kahthani.
Winner of the G3 Sirenia S. for Richard Hannon, Burnt Sugar, a half-brother to fellow Group 3 winner Brown Sugar (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), was also fourth in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and, now four, is rated 105.
Al Kahthani stated, “We came specifically to buy this horse. We think he will suit racing in Saudi Arabia and we hope to buy again if we see the right horse.”
Qatar-based trainer Debbie Mountain went to 78,000gns for a smart grey Mizzen Mast colt named Drillmaster (lot 422) who has won three times on the all-weather track at Dundalk for Charles O'Brien, while Alex Elliott brought the thrice-placed 3-year-old filly Summer Collection (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 390) for an undisclosed client at 72,000gns. Rated 70, she is out of a half-sister to Spinning World (Nureyev) who has already produced the Group 2-placed juvenile One Chance (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}).
Elliott commented, “She is a half-sister to a Queen Mary third, has some good form of her own and is an own-sister to this year's 2-year-old Monticello, who has won two from two so far for Mark Johnston. Hopefully, she'll have good residual value.”
There was early interest in lot 375A, Sonnet (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}), one of four wild-card entries and a sister to the young Irish National Stud stallion Dragon Pulse.
Johnny Peter Hoblyn, standing with fledgling trainer Archie Watson, signed for the 3-year-old filly, who has been placed on three occasions
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