Buyers out in force as blue-blooded Galileo mare tops July Sale opener at 350,000gns

Buyers were out in force on day one of the Tattersalls July Sale in Newmarket on Tuesday but one name in particular produced a dominant display of bidding. Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland was back in his familiar position beneath the window to the left of the rostrum and set about securing the lion’s share of big lots. 

Heading his haul was Sweet And Lovely, who topped the charts at 350,000gns when offered by WH Bloodstock. The Coolmore-bred four-year-old didn’t make the track for Donnacha O’Brien but has plenty to recommend her on pedigree as a sister to Irish and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Seventh Heaven. Added to that, the blue-blooded daughter of Galileo was offered in foal to sire on fire Wootton Bassett. 

“She’s a very good physical, a very good-looking mare,” said Donohoe. “The family sold well earlier on too, there was the Dubawi filly who made 270,000gns [Over The Rainbow, bought by Coolmara Stables], so it’s an active, happening family. 

“She’s got a lovely covering to Wootton Bassett, who really looks like he’s starting to fulfil his early promise. She’s carrying a colt too so she mightn’t be a bad investment. If you bring a nice colt to the yearling sales you’d be in with a chance of getting your investment back in one go.” 

Wootton Bassett has been in a rich vein of form of late with his notable winners including King Edward VII Stakes scorer King Of Steel and the Group 2-winning juveniles Bucanero Fuerte, who struck in the Railway Stakes, and River Tiber, who claimed the Coventry Stakes. 

Donohoe added: “She’s been bought for an existing client and she’ll head back to Baroda Stud in Ireland. We’ll foal her down and make a decision about what to do with her then. To be fair the lads in Coolmore are really banking on the Wootton Bassett cross and I wouldn’t bet against John Magnier being able to make these stallions. We’ll see what the foal is like but Wootton Bassett could be on the cards next year too.” 

Donohoe also emerged successful when bidding 330,000gns for Different Light, a Galileo sister to Belmont Derby winner Deauville and the Group 3 scorer The Corsican who was offered through The Castlebridge Consignment. The agent knows the pedigree well having bought another sister, the unraced Lady Corsica, for 310,000gns at the 2020 December Sales. 

He also revealed some exciting possible matings for Different Light, saying: “She’s a good-looking filly and it’s a family I know well as I bought out of the pedigree before, having bought the sister for a good client in Cork. The client for this filly has mares in the southern and northern hemispheres and we’ll pick a European stallion for her, possibly Baaeed or Siyouni. 

“The Siyouni-Galileo cross has worked pretty well and we also think that this mare and Baaeed could match well physically. I know it’s a bit of an in-cross with Baaeed - Galileo and Urban Sea - but Shadwell have been sending some Galileo mares to him. The probable choice will be Siyouni – he’s achieved so much in particular this year – and then Baaeed.” 

Galileo filly Evening Hush, the first foal out of Wuheida, was one of the mares bought by Michael Donohoe on TuesdayCredit: Alisha Meeder

Later in the session Donohoe added to his haul with the 250,000gns acquisition of Evening Hush, an unraced daughter of Galileo and Dubawi’s Group 1-winning daughter Wuheida, from the Godolphin draft. He also struck at 235,000gns for Divinitus, a daughter of Galileo and Realtra offered in foal to Blackbeard. 

Reflecting on the market in Newmarket, Donohoe said: “It’s been fairly strong trade even though it’s not the strongest catalogue compared to other years. There’s plenty of buyers around though and there’s always opposition when you want to buy one.” 

Buyers dig into Godolphin goldmine

There was a flurry of six-figure action when the Godolphin draft hit the market. Among those to get stuck in was Justin Casse, who stood beside Coolmore’s Paul Shanahan as he bid 220,000gns for Whispering Romance. The agent signed the docket as Magnolia Mares. 

The four-year-old daughter of Kingman, who won a Kempton novice on debut for Charlie Appleby, was making her second appearance at Tattersalls having joined the Godolphin fold at 1,450,000gns at Book 1 in 2020. She was offered in foal to Teofilo. 

“She’s a very special physical and you’d love to see what her foals will look like,” said Casse. “That’s the long-term plan, to sell the foals out of her. She’ll stay in Europe but I’ve no idea which stallion she’ll go to next year. We’re happy enough with the Teofilo cover. The fact she was a 1,450,000gns yearling alluded to her beauty and she’s maintained that to this day.” 

Whispering Romance boasts a pedigree going places as she was bred by Gigginstown House Stud out of the Listed-placed Sante. The daughter of Dream Ahead is a sibling to five black type performers including Group winners Combat Zone, Royal Empire and Scottish. Another sibling, the Group 3-placed Zut Alors, produced the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Precieuse. Further back it is the family of Shadwell-bred celebrities like Eqtidaar and Massaat. 

Sam Sangster bought the dam of Group 1-placed Goldspur from Godolphin for 220,000gnsCredit: Alisha Meeder

The very next lot also brought 220,000gns as Sam Sangster, standing beside the Coolmore huddle, secured Pomology. The 13-year-old daughter of Arch won the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks during her time in training and has since bred the Group 3 Zetland Stakes winner Goldspur, who was also third in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud at two. Pomology was offered in foal to Ghaiyyath. 

“We believe she’s the best mare on the property,” said Sangster. “She’s a high-class race performer herself and I spoke to Charlie [Appleby] about an hour ago and he thinks a lot of Goldspur, so hopefully he’s back racing soon. She was bought for a syndicate and she’ll go back to Ireland. There’s plenty of options with her.” 

That’s the Spirit

Another breeder replenishing his herd was Noel O’Callaghan as the Mountarmstrong Stud man went to 210,000gns to secure Godolphin’s Divine Spirit in tandem with agent Matt Coleman. The daughter of Kingman has been to Tattersalls on two previous occasions, first when bought as a yearling by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock at 92,000gns before she topped the 2019 Craven Breeze-Up Sale at 850,000gns when reoffered by Tally-Ho Stud. 

Divine Spirit was a smart filly on the track, winning a Windsor novice on debut and running second to Al Raya in the Group 3 Prix d'Arenberg. She is a half-sister to some talented sprinters in the Group 3-winning Manaccan and Listed scorer Raucous. 

Noel O'Callaghan: breeder of Anthem Alexander was among the buyers on the opening day of the Tattersalls July SaleCredit: Alisha Meeder

“I know the filly well as I bought her with Roger O'Callaghan to breeze and then Anthony [Stroud] bought her as a breezer for Godolphin,” said Coleman. “She was a very good-looking yearling and breezed very well; she was very fast. I think she has a lot of Green Desert to her – she’s medium-sized, a very good walker and is very strong. 

“Her brother Manaccan has done fantastically well this year and the pedigree has really exploded since she was bought as a yearling.” 

He continued: “Noel likes these fast mares so he was keen to buy her. She obviously suits what the O'Callaghan family are renowned for breeding – fast horses. Fingers crossed she breeds some good foals for Noel.” 

Divine Spirit produced her first foal, a filly by Iffraaj, last year and was offered in foal to Cracksman, sire of this year’s unbeaten Prix du Jockey Club winner Ace Impact. Of the covering, Coleman said: “I think physically that covering would suit her; he’s a very big horse and I can see why they did the mating as she’s a neat, racy and very athletic filly. And, as we all know, Frankel and Galileo have done very well with fast mares so it could well work, but I would think that she’ll now be bred to some fast stallions moving forward.” 

The reformatting of the July Sale complicates direct year-on-year comparisons across the individual sessions but by the close of trade 215 lots had been offered and 188 sold for a clearance rate of 87 per cent. Turnover hit 7,179,300gns with an average price of 38,188gns and a median of 16,000gns. The Tattersalls July Sale continues on Wednesday at 9.30am. 

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