Tattersalls July Sale - 89% clearance rate

July Sale statistics

Catalogued: 682 (2011: 753)

Offered: 450 (2011: 528)

Sold: 402 (2011: 457)

Clearance rate: 89%

Aggregate: 4,745,400gns (-20%)

Average: 11,804gns (-9%)

Median: 6,500gns (-7%)

Leading vendor by aggregate: Juddmonte Farms, 40 sold for a total of 579,500gns

Leading buyer by aggregate: Blandford Bloodstock, six bought for a total of 364,400gns

 

TOP FIVE LOTS (gns)

Lot	Name	Buyer	Price
431A	Esentepe	Blandford Bloodstock	220,000
414	Figaro	T. Malone/T. Vaughan	100,000
525	Swerve	T. Malone/A. McCabe	80,000
459	Eshaab	Narvick International	80,000
209	Rodrigo De Torres	David Nicholls	75,000

 

This was not a vintage renewal of the Tattersalls July Sale, which was further exacerbated by the fact only 66 per cent of the catalogue actually turned up. However, competition for those that were left was at times strong, particularly for horses with form, a sector of the market which was buoyed by international investment.

Tattersalls were particularly encouraged by the clearance rate (only six horses failed to sell on Thursday), as Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony explained in his end of sale statement.

He said:"Sometimes statistics do not tell the full story and the key indicators for the 2012 Tattersalls July Sale are a case in point. While the returns have not matched those of last year there has been sustained international demand at all levels of the market from start to finish and a clearance rate in the region of 90 per cent tells the
real story.

"We would be the first to admit that this year's renewal of the July Sale was not a vintage one in terms of overall quality and the smaller catalogue also suffered from a greater number of withdrawals than usual. Nevertheless, the sheer number of overseas buyers at Park Paddocks this week, the 220,000 guineas sale topper Esentepe and the healthy British and Irish participation, have all yet again demonstrated the enduring global appeal of mixed sales at Tattersalls.

"The clearance rate on all three days never dropped below 80 per cent and the extraordinary 96 per cent clearance rate on Thursday is a clear indicator of a sale which has satisfied the requirements of both vendors and purchasers alike."

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Day three stats

Offered: 126

Sold: 118 (94%)

Aggregate: 1,470,500gns (-22%)

Average: 12,462gns (unchanged)

Median: 7,500gns (+11%)

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Lot 655 - international investment continues to flow with Ahsan Ali Syed, owner of the Spanish football club Racing Santander, going to 58,000gns for Halfsin, a triple-winning four-year-old gelding from Marco Botti.

"Halfsin will race in Bahrain, he has form on turf and a good rating," said Daylami Hussain, who signed the ticket. "Mr Syed is looking to develop his racing interests and has a stud in Deauville, as well as a few horses racing with David O'Meara."

Lot 642 - Donald McCain brings his damage for the sale to 143,500gns with the purchase of recent Kempton winner Counsel for 40,000gns.

McCain had to fight off international interests for the flashy bay, who is a half-brother the Group 1-placed Kissable and out of Brian Boru's Listed-winning sister Kitty O'Shea. He was sold by Sir Michael Stoute on behalf of Highclere Thoroughrbred Racing.

Counsel is McCain's sixth acquisition this week and is the joint dearest alongside yesterday's purchase Right To Rule (418).

Lot 635 - the highlight of Jim Bolger's final draft is last year's Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial third Whipless, who sells for 40,000gns to BBA Ireland on behalf of a Saudi Arabian client.

The triple winner is a four-year-old son of Whipper, who was also responsible for another popular Bolger inmate in While You Wait. The three-year-old colt won at Down Royal following the publication of the catalogue and was snapped up by Gary Moore for 30,000gns.

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Tattersalls have issued the following statement regarding their October yearling sales, which are looming on the horizon. The catalogues for the two week sale will be released next month.

"Looking ahead to the yearling sales, our team of inspectors have all
commented on the high standard of yearlings they have seen throughout Britain, Ireland and further afield in recent months.

"There appear to be some truly outstanding yearlings heading for Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale and we would be confident that the catalogues for all three books will be very well received when they are published next month."

Lot 599 - Elwazeer cost Peter McCutcheon just £2,500 at the 2011 DBS Lincoln Sale but it's a different story just over a year on, with the son of Oasis Dream selling for 25,000gns to Nasser Ghazali.

David Nagle's Kilconnel Stables sold the four-year-old, a dual winner at Dundalk since his bargain purchase.

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Morning stats -

Offered: 71

Sold: 64

Average: 12,755gns

Lot 558 - also heading abroad is Amazing Storm, a dual-winning three-year-old Clodovil gelding who was sold out of Richard Hannon's yard for 48,000gns to Linden Lodge Bloodstock.

Greg Chung, who signed the ticket, said: "He is probably destied for the middle east, but sure not will happen with him in the short term. He may stay here for a while, and if that is the case he will go into training with Jo Hughes.

"He is a consistent horse and has a rating that allows him to compete in the middle east."

Lot 553 - Ghostwriting, a dual winner for John Gosden, is heading to Qatar after selling to trainer Jalil al Mallah on behalf of Abdul Aziz Al Kathiri for 50,000gns.

"I'm not sure yet whether he will go to Qatar or Dubai but the Qatar programme book was recently published and I thought this horse was tailor made for it," said al Mallah. "We paid a little less than what we expected for him. I am really delighted to have got him especially as he's from a family which suggests he improve with age.

"We have sand racing on Wednesday and turf racing on Thursday, so there are many opportunities for him," he added, alluding to the fact that Ghostwriting has won on turf and Polytrack and is by top dirt runner Ghostzapper.

Al Mallah paid 67,000gns for Diomed Stakes winner Fanunalter at the Tattersalls Guineas Sale earlier this year. Now trained by Michael Wigham, the Falbrav gelding is set to make his reappearance later this month before targeting a Group 3 in Norway.

"I started as a groom in Bahrain in 1981 and had a dream - this is it," he said. "I recently owned my first British winner when Cheylesmore won at Brighton. Britain has the best racing so it was fantastic when he won."

Lot 539 - Cinders And Ashes, Hollow Tree and now perhaps Style Setter? Donald McCain continues his love affair with Juddmonte and Beat Hollow when going to 10,000gns for Style Setter, an unraced two-year-old daughter of Listed winner Wooden Doll. What price Cheltenham Festival 2015?

Lot 530 - Family has yet to produce a winner from seven foals (although that elusive winner could arrive this afternoon with Dundonnell in the 3.35 at Newmarket) but her daughters have nearly always been in strong demand in this ring. Why? Family is a sister to Danehill.

One year on from the 42,000gns sale of her Empire Maker filly Close Relation to Tim Stakemire, it is the turn of her unraced Proud Citizen filly Noble Plea to go through the ring. And she upholds the family tradition, selling for 27,000gns to France Turf International.

Lot 525 - as if so often the case at these sales, the Juddmonte fillies do their their bit to ignite trade, in this case headed by the sale of Swerve, who is joining Alan McCabe after selling to Tom Malone for 80,000gns.

Stuart Williams and Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock, standing with Chasemore Stud manager Paul Coombe, were among those to cut out the early running for the filly while Armando Duarte came in at around50,000gns. However, they were forced to give best to Malone, bidding from the top of the stairs.

"A very nice filly, she's been bought for a new client," explained McCabe. "She's a racy type who likes to run from the front. She appears to be genuine and I hope she can end up being pretty good."

Goff went one better minutes later when securing Adjudicate (526), an unraced sister to Group 2 winner Permit, for 36,000gns.

Lot 509 - few horses have come into this sale in better form than Peter Anders, who is heading to Qatar after selling for 50,000gns to Abdul Azil Al Buainain. The son of Pivotal was the two-and-a-half length winner of a mile handicap for Mark Johnston late last month.

"He'll be going straight to Qatar where he'll be aimed at the Qatar Derby," said his new owner. "I liked his conformation and I think he has plenty of improvement left in him."

Lot 497 - Toppled is returning to her birthplace, Barouche Stud, after selling to Barbara Facchino's operation for 29,000gns. Barouche bred the sister to the Grade 1-placed Turning Top out of Pietra Dura and sold her as a yearling to Hugo Merry on behalf of Andrew Rosen for 160,000gns.

The daughter of Pivotal ran twice for Brian Meehan without success.

Lot 494 - fillies with pedigree are few and far between this week and one that does own strong connections, Crimson Cheer, duly attracts plenty of interest, eventually selling for 28,000gns to Bostwick Bloodstock.

Hugo Merry and the BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, standing with Dermot Cantillon, who bred the filly's close relation, Turkish Listed winner Toruk Macto, were among the underbidders.

By Van Nistelrooy, the unplaced Crimson Cheer is a half-sister to Princess Margaret Stakes heroine Mythical Girl, the dam of Toruk Macto (Authorized's leading earner) and out of Yousefia, a Listed-winning sister to Green Desert.

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Selling starts at 9.30am for the third and final day of this year's Tattersalls December Sale. This morning's session features the usual array of horses in and out of training as well as a draft of well-connected fillies from Juddmonte.

Winners since the publication of the catalogue: Peter Anders (509); Archina (568); Cotton Dancer (583); Renegotiate (617); While You Wait (532); Counsel (642); Uprise (647); Incendiary (675)

Withdrawals: 476, 481, 483, 484, 486, 490, 491, 493, 495, 502, 505, 506, 513, 514, 516, 519, 520, 522, 536, 540, 541, 545, 546, 549, 550, 556, 559, 562, 566, 571, 573, 577, 579, 581, 584, 587, 590, 591, 593, 594, 601, 603, 609, 611, 613, 614, 615, 619, 620, 622, 623, 624, 625, 628, 630, 634, 638, 639, 643, 651, 653, 654, 656, 657, 660, 661, 664, 665, 666, 667, 669, 670, 672