Gordon Elliott to train Lethal Steps after 300,000gns sale

Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott will get another opportunity to showcase his talents on the Flat after the third and final session of the Tattersalls July Sale, as Mags O'Toole went to 300,000gns to secure the talented Lethal Steps for the ranks of Cullentra House Stables.

Elliott may be best known for handling the careers of National Hunt stars such as Tiger Roll, Samcro and Don Cossack, but O'Toole was quick to point to the handler's enviable record from limited Flat runners.

"He's been bought for a new client of Gordon Elliott's," she said. "That's dual Royal Ascot-winning trainer Gordon Elliott, so let's not pigeonhole him as just a National Hunt trainer!"

Elliott struck with the mercurial Pallasator in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at this year's Royal meeting, a race he also won with Commissioned back in 2016.

"He's been bought as a Flat horse but we'll see what happens," added O'Toole. "Gordon has so many runners this evening he couldn't be here, but he saw him yesterday and thought he looked like a horse that could progress for a step up in trip.

"Gordon loved his attitude too. He came and saw him up here yesterday after he'd run and, having been away for x-rays and what not, he trotted out perfectly."

A dual winner, Lethal Steps was consigned by Jamie Railton on behalf of Qatar Racing, and was last seen producing a career-best effort when fourth behind Naval Intelligence in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday.

"The horse has been been beautifully produced by Andrew Balding and his team," said Railton. "He ran well yesterday, looking as though he wanted a little further. He has few miles on the clock and is a lovely horse."

The three-year-old was bred by the Seaton Partnership and is out of the Alhaarth mare Tanda Tula, an unplaced half-sister to 6f German Group 2 winner Stormont.

Day one report:Dubawi filly steals Galileo's thunder

Day two report:International trade abounds during second session

Lethal Steps' turn in the ring came in the middle of a frenetic ten minutes. The very next lot through the ring, the two-time winner Nearest Green, was signed for by Raymond Tai at 210,000gns, and will now continue his career in Hong Kong.

The three-year-old son of Exceed And Excel landed a Beverley novice event earlier in the month for Kevin Ryan, having been acquired as a yearling for just £20,000.

International interest

Proceedings during Friday's session were, for the most part, dominated by international trade, and by the close of the three-day auction buyers from more than 30 different countries had secured new recruits.

July Sale regular Gassim Ghazali was the sale's most active buyer, having signed for 25 lots at a total spend of 1,294,000gns.

His purchases are headed by the 90,000gns Midsummer Knight, who landed the final race at Newmarket on Thursday to provide the three-year-old with a major update just hours before his turn in the ring.

"I'd have gone to any price for this horse," said Ghazali. "I came from Qatar to buy this horse, and especially after he won yesterday he was my favourite of the day. I've followed him and I like his form and the fact he's by Dream Ahead.

View full Tattersalls July Sale results

"He showed really good form to win a class two handicap at Newmarket yesterday, and although I was already interested before that win, that took him to the next level."

The son of Dream Ahead, a Khalifa Dasmal homebred, won the 0-100 handicap by clear water to take his record to two wins from 17 starts for Karl Burke.

"I've bought about 20 horses at the July Sale, I've been able to buy more as my owner, Mr Al Kuwari, is with me so that's given me more power to buy," added Ghazali.

Juddmonte jewels

The highlight of Friday's Juddmonte draft was the three-year-old Mizzen Mast filly Bansuri, who was signed for by Joseph Burke at 68,000gns.

The filly is out of 2001 Kentucky Oaks heroine Flute, while Purser, who also appears beneath the first dam, kept the page active when winning the Listed King Charles II Stakes earlier in the year.

Bansuri is also a sister to the Grade 2-winning Filimbi, while the likes of Brian Boru and Workforce also feature further down the page.

"She'll head to Ireland to Oghill House Stud," said Burke. "I liked her physically and it's a real live family - Flute went to Arrogate this year, then you have Filimbi, who has a yearling by Tapit and a foal by War Front and she also went to Arrogate.

"Purser came on to the page this year, and you also have [Ashland Stakes winner] Weep No More under the first dam too."

Burke said no decision had been made regarding Bansuri's maiden cover, but said: "She's a complete outcross. As far as I can see there's no Northern Dancer in her pedigree, so she'll be easy enough to mate."

Burke and Oghill House Stud have already enjoyed success with mares purchased from Juddmonte, having bred this year's German 2,000 Guineas second Fajjaj out of Pleasantry, who was bought before her half-brother, none other than Kingman, appeared on to the page.

Also among the Juddmonte draft n Friday was Arbitrary, a Frankel half-sister to Group 1 Matron Stakes winner Emulous who went the way of Tally-Ho Stud for 52,000gns, and Indicia, who was signed for by John Kilbride for 45,000gns.

"She has been bought for an owner-breeder and will remain in training with the hope of winning a race before going to stud," said Kilbride.

The three-year-old daughter of Bated Breath, a close relation to the Listed-winning Stipulate, has run six times for Charlie Hills and changed hands with a peak Racing Post Rating of 79, achieved when finishing runner-up on debut at Newmarket, where she was one place ahead of subsequent Group 3 Dick Poole Stakes winner Anna Nerium.

Juddmonte sold 34 lots during the July Sale for an aggregate of 688,000gns.

Final figures

While major prices may have been in relatively short supply during Friday's session, there was still plenty of competition, as highlighted by the clearance rate of 93 per cent, with 183 of 197 offered lots changing hands.

The third session saw other market indicators drop off compared to 2017's corresponding session, with the aggregate of 3,184,300gns some 23 per cent down, the average of 17,400gns down 26 per cent and the median of 10,000gns dipping from 13,000gns 12 months ago.

The whole-sale figures stood at turnover of 12,074,300gns - an 18 per cent year-on-year decline, an average of 21,485gns - down 16 per cent, with a median of 10,000gns, dropping from 12,000gns.

The clearance rate stood at 87 per cent, with 562 of the 645 lots on offer finding a buyer.

Given the nature of horses in training sales a degree of fluctuation is to be expected, and Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony was content to focus on the positives from the three days, saying: " As ever, the Tattersalls July Sale has attracted overseas buyers in huge numbers and we have seen sustained international demand from start to finish of the 2018 renewal.

"Quality consignments from some of the world’s leading owner-breeders including Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms and Shadwell, have been as sought after as ever and although a handful of late withdrawals took some of the shine off the catalogue, there has been no shortage of competition at all levels of the market."

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