'Australia can’t get all the good ones!' - Kirk and Mullins lead domestic defence as Ethical Diamond brings 320,000gns

International trade tends to be a key feature of the Tattersalls July Sale, but on Wednesday it was the domestic buying bench who made the most notable impact, with the 320,000gns top lot set to join the Willie Mullins battalion. 

Wildcard entry Ethical Diamond brought a progressive profile to Park Paddocks, having shed his maiden tag at the third time of asking at Limerick late last month. That performance was allotted a Racing Post Rating (RPR) of 96. The three-year-old son of Awtaad was bred by William Kennedy, trained by Michael O'Meara and consigned by Baroda Stud. 

Oliver St Lawrence, Stuart Boman and Sam Haggas were plainly impressed with the trio engaging in a three-way tussle. Boman, sitting at the top of the stairs to the left of the rostrum, briefly looked to have won out when he nudged the price to 305,000gns. 

However, after some more toing and froing, Mullins’ long-serving sales ring ally Harold Kirk, standing by the rail in the bidders’ area, waded in late in the piece with a solitary 5,000gns increase sealing the deal. 

Harold Kirk: "He’ll run over hurdles and can hopefully be a good staying Flat horse too"Credit: Laura Green

“He’s going to Willie Mullins to be a dual purpose horse for an existing client,” said Kirk. “He’ll run over hurdles and can hopefully be a good staying Flat horse too. He’s a young horse as he’s only had three runs and he’s improved each time. He’s a gorgeous horse too. He stays well, travels well and won well last time. 

“Hopefully he could be a Cup horse on the Flat one day. Maybe one day he’ll take us to Cheltenham and another day to Royal Ascot, that’s the plan. During those Covid years we kind of missed out buying those dual-purpose types, even though we had a Royal Ascot winner this year, so we want to build that up again.”

On his patient bidding tactics, Kirk said: “I wanted to wait and see what it was going to finish at as I knew we could have big opposition from Australia, and that’s how it turned out. Australia can’t get all the good ones though as Willie likes taking horses to Australia! We’re trying to build up a team of Melbourne Cup horses alongside the jumpers.” 

Kirby goes again

Earlier in the session Philip Kirby added to his North Yorkshire stable with the 210,000gns acquisition of Anthem National, who was offered by The Castlebridge Consignment. 

The winning four-year-old son of Dark Angel and Queen Mary Stakes winner Anthem Alexander was last seen running second to Commanche Falls in a Listed sprint at the Curragh, where he carried the colours of his breeder, Noel O’Callaghan of Mountarmstrong Stud. That effort registered a career-best RPR of 107. 

Anthem National: winning and Listed-placed son of Dark Angel and Queen Mary Stakes winner Anthem Alexander is heading to Philip Kirby's stableCredit: Laura Green

While Kirby was plainly excited to have made such an exciting recruit on behalf of James and Susan Cookson, the purchase was spurred by rather more unfortunate circumstances, as the trainer said: “We lost a good horse for the same owner and they wanted to replace that one with another that can take us to some nice places. Hopefully that’s what this horse can do. 

“James Cookson bought Farhan at this sale last year and unfortunately he broke his leg just before Royal Ascot. He was second in a Group 3 [John Porter Stakes] on his second start for us. The owner’s keen though so has gone again. They’re lovely owners so hopefully this horse can give us some good days out. Joseph [O’Brien] recommended him and he looks like he could run over five, six and seven furlongs. It’s exciting.” 

O’Shea on the hunt

Another headline lot set for a change of scenery was Maasai Mara who was knocked down to trainer John O’Shea, owner Keith Bell and agent Jerry McGrath at 170,000gns. The three-year-old son of Roaring Lion was offered by Jamie Railton having won two of his eight starts for John and Thady Gosden and Qatar Racing. 

“He’s for Keith Bell, a long-term owner in our yard, and the plan is he’ll eventually go jumping,” said the Gloucestershire-based O’Shea. “This horse ticked a lot of the boxes; he gets a decent trip, he’s a nice-looking horse, he goes on soft ground and he’s highly rated. 

“We train mainly Flat horses now but Keith has always been a jumps man through and through. Keith has been very patient as he’s probably been waiting 12 months for something that we really liked. We came just to look at this one horse.” 

Maasai Mara is the second foal out of Wekeela, a dual Group 3-winning daughter of Hurricane Run who sold to David Redvers for 1,800,000gns during the 2017 December Mares Sale. 

Jardine sees potential in Harappan

Also making an eye-catching signing was trainer Iain Jardine, who sat beside Micheal Orlandi of Compas Equine as he landed the once-raced Harappan at 150,000gns. The three-year-old son of Bayern was bred by Newtown Anner Stud and carried Maurice Regan’s familiar colours when running a promising third on debut at Newcastle, where he was saddled by John Butler. 

Harappan was beaten just a length and three-quarters, with the Racing Post analysis noting the youngster was “friendless in the market ahead of this debut, yet he travelled best of all and was keeping on at the finish.” 

Harappan: "Hopefully he’ll progress and we’ll get into the big picture with him one day"Credit: Laura Green

“We’ve bought him on his potential,” said Jardine after signing the six-figure docket. “That first run was really good and he could be anything. He looks like a horse with a nice future. He’s a lovely individual, he vetted really well so we’ll get him back home and assess him but hopefully he’ll progress and we’ll get into the big picture with him one day. 

“He’s been bought for Hal McGhie. He’s had some real good horses over the years and, even though he’s been in the winner's enclosure plenty recently, he wants to get another real good one.” 

Internationals in action 

Although domestic buyers dominated the very tip of the market the session still generated plenty of international trade. Wildcard entry I Am Invictus and Captain Winters brought 150,000gns apiece, with the former knocked down to Dr Khaled Salami, signing as KGS, and the latter sourced on behalf of leading Qatari owner Abdulatif Hussain Al-Emadi. 

I Am Invictus, who was offered by Castlebridge, was making a swift return to the Tattersalls ring having been sourced by Michael O’Callaghan for 160,000gns at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale. The son of Cotai Glory ran three times for O’Callaghan and was last seen finishing fourth, beaten six lengths, in the Group 2 Railway Stakes won by Bucanero Fuerte. 

The 105-rated Captain Winters was offered by Kevin Ryan’s Hambleton Lodge Stables having two of his eight starts. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s homebred three-year-old is one of six black type winners out of the remarkable producer Reem Three, whose record was further enhanced at Royal Ascot when Triple Time landed the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes. 

Other six-figure buys bound for the Middle East are Jim Bolger’s dual winner New Variant, who brought 130,000gns from Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock, and the useful Dubawi Spectre, who fetched 100,000gns from Qatari trainer Gassim Ghazali when offered by Baroda Stud on behalf of Zhang Yuesheng of Yulong Investments. 

Captain Winters: Listed winner and half-brother to Queen Anne Stakes victor Triple Time is bound for QatarCredit: Laura Green

The first six-figure play of the day came from Ali Majeed, who struck a successful bid of 110,000gns for the useful sprinter Edward Cornelius from his position on the back stairs. The trainer was acting on behalf of Sultan Aldeen Al-Khalifa’s Al Mohamediya Racing, who plan to ship the new recruit straight to Bahrain ahead of the upcoming campaign. 

“He’ll go to Bahrain to run in the Turf Series races,” said Majeed. “There’s higher prize-money this season and there’s five sprint races in this year’s series. This horse is a four-year-old and is suitable for the ground in Bahrain. He’s sound and has experience. 

“I think it is better buying here in July because we have more time to let the horse recover and acclimatise before the racing starts on October 27. There are good horses here in October too but that sale is a bit too close. I will train this horse for Al Mohamediya Racing.” 

The four-year-old son of Bungle Inthejungle won three times for the recently retired Keith Dagleish, who sourced the horse with Bobby O’Ryan for £25,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Sale. The 99-rated runner was consigned by Jamie Railton. 

The second of four July Sale sessions brought turnover of 4,059,700gns, an average of 23,466gns and a median of 13,000gns. The clearance rate was 89 per cent as 173 lots sold from 195 offered. 

The Tattersalls July Sale continues on Thursday at 9.30am. 

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