Kerry Lee makes ambitious plans for latest recruit by Coolmore's Yeats

Kerry Lee continued her flourishing love affair with Yeats after purchasing Pilgrim Soul, a daughter of the Coolmore Stud sire for £40,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot August Sale on Tuesday.

The filly has been placed on five of her seven starts for Andrew Balding and has National Hunt pedigree in her family with her half-sister Roserrow twice a winner over hurdles.

Lee has enjoyed success with the progeny of Yeats, with Sir Will and Eaton Hill winning twice for the trainer and Lee said she had been keen to take Pilgrim Soul home having followed her career closely.

“Being by Yeats, I hope she will progress as she gets a little bit older and I hope she will also take to hurdles,” said Lee.

“I have two others by Yeats in my yard, Sir Will and Eaton Hill, both of which have done very well so far. I like the Yeats stamp and I like their character. This particular filly is a nice model and it looks like she is crying out for two miles.”

Despite failing to break her maiden on the Flat, the filly boasts some smart form, advertised most recently when the Luca Cumani-trained Floria Tosca, who finished third behind her at Newmarket on August 3, won at Leicester on Monday evening.

Lee admitted she harbours lofty ambitions for her new recruit and said: “I have a plan in mind for her already, albeit it is a bold target, a Listed juvenile fillies hurdle at Aintree at the beginning of December. Her form line stacks up and I hope she is a winner waiting to happen.”

At the close of trade on Tuesday, Godolphin were the sale's leading vendors having sold nine lots for a total of £93,600 and a top price of £37,000.

That figure came for Parfait, who looks set to continue his career in Dubai after being knocked down to Matt Houldsworth of Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock and Federico Barberini.

The four-year-old son of Irish National Stud-based sire Invincible Spirit has won three times and finished fourth in the 2017 Group 3 Jersey Stakes, but has been off the track since his victory in that year’s Silver Bunbury Cup.

“He is going to Dubai for a new client we share with Federico Barberini,” said Houldsworth

“He is a very good horse but he has had a problem, which is why is has been out for so long. That problem seems to have cleared up now and and hopefully he can bring back that old form he had when he was racing.

“He has had a year off but a horse of his calibre, if you had been looking at buying him when he didn’t have a problem, you would be looking at more than that."

Houldsworth added: "We have to think outside the box and hopefully get a bit lucky, we are taking a bit of a gamble but the client is willing to do that."

Parfait was one of five lots purchased by Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock and Barberini, with the former on their own also signing for two lots, including Timeforwest for £18,500.

The daughter of Westerner, who is out of a half-sister to Group 2 winner Chomba Womba, was offered as part of the Jockey Club South West Syndicate dispersal and will continue racing this season, before retiring to the breeding barn.

“She has been bought for a leading Irish National Hunt Stud farm and she will probably continue to race for the rest of the season,” said Houldsworth.

“She’s got good form at the moment and she will be a nice broodmare for next season. She is good looking mare by a good stallion with a lovely pedigree and we are very pleased to get her.”

At the close of trade, a total of £423,200 had been spent on 84 lots, a decrease of £162,300 for the same number of horses sold at last year's sale. As a result, the average fell 28 per cent to £5,038, with the median down from £4,000 to £2,500. The clearance rate rose slightly to 87 per cent.

"Tattersalls Ascot Sales again has witnessed high demand denoted by a clearance rate of 87 per cent and continues be recognised as a venue for the industry to both sell and purchase,” said Tattersalls Ireland director of horses in training sales Richard Pugh.

“It was a nice welcome for new clients here today such as The Jockey Club South West Syndicate who have enjoyed so much success with their horses, each a winner coming here, and trusted this venue to conduct their dispersal.

"It was also pleasing to gain support from trainers such as Andrew Balding and Kerry Lee, who facilitated the sale of our top lot, Pilgrim Soul for £40,000.”

Sale results