Resilience required at Ascot as Nick Bradley signs for top lot at £60,000

Not even Ascot's covered sales ring offered much respite from Britain's stifling heatwave so interested parties were forgiven for feeling on the lethargic side through Tuesday's July Sale - if they made the journey at all.

Most of the significant transactions ended up coming from those choosing to bid online from elsewhere, with Nick Bradley the most notable remote shopper as he added the £60,000 top lot Resilience to his operation.

Four times a winner for Tony Carroll this year, including on his most recent start in a sprint handicap at Windsor late last month, the three-year-old proved a characteristically wise purchase by his trainer having already earned back the 20,000gns he cost at the Tattersalls February Sale on prize-money alone.

Major syndicator Bradley, an equally sharp mind, was not keeping himself cool from home but was required for several runners at Beverley.

He has already identified further potential reward for the gelding bred by Jeff Smith's Littleton Stud and by high-flying young stallion Aclaim in the care of new trainer Craig Lidster, who was formerly with Richard Fahey.

Winning three-year-old Crush And Run will shortly be aimed for a career in QatarCredit: Debbie Burt

"He's been bought with Craig, who has set up at York, he's been in the yard only a couple of months and had his first two-year-old winner at Chester on Saturday," said Bradley.

"Craig went down to the sale and saw the horses that were on our list. He's a horse that has shown very good form over five furlongs, he qualifies for the Windsor £75,000 race that's in two or three weeks' time.

"He looks an absolute speedball and a horse we'd aim at things like the Epsom Dash in years to come. He'll be easy to manage and place and could start off at Goodwood over five furlongs in a three-year-old 0-95 in a couple of weeks. Craig is in need of Saturday horses and hopefully this fellow will be one."

Such solid horses will always attract admirers and so it also proved for the Richard Hughes-trained three-year-old Crush And Run, who had not finished worse than fourth in eight starts, all this term.

The gelded son of Zoffany, a half-brother to Irish Listed-winning sprinter Primo Uomo, landed a five-furlong maiden on the Lingfield Polytrack and had gone very close several other times to earn a peak Racing Post Rating of 80.

Al Jasra Stud successfully bid £38,000 online but had a representative on the ground in Ahmad Kobeissi, father of trainer Hilal who has stables in Newmarket and Qatar.

"The plan might be to have one or two runs over here and in the end go to Qatar," said Kobeissi snr. "The boys liked his form, he looks like the sort of horse that will handle faster ground and the sharp track."

Vintage Valley was the first entrant to break through the slumber, with the predictably grey son of Mastercraftsman showing not much more than a glimmer of promise in three starts for Andrew Balding but having enough presence about him to have cost 210,000gns as a yearling less than two years ago.

Owner Jimmy Fyffe will send Vintage Valley juvenile hurdling with Donald McCainCredit: Debbie Burt

Jimmy Fyffe proved the most determined online bidder as he won out at £32,000. The businessman and major figure at Dundee United FC has horses largely based around northern England and Scotland, including useful dual-purpose type Sir Chauvelin and Becher Chase runner-up Hill Sixteen.

His latest purchase, who has staying blood from the likes of his dam's half-sister Gravitation, winner of the Lillie Langtry Stakes, will be switching disciplines too.

"I have a number of jumpers for this upcoming season and I wanted a three-year-old to go juvenile hurdling," Fyffe explained later.

"I watched this horse's races online and he looks as though a bit of softer ground will suit. Andrew Balding recommended him highly, and he goes now to Donald McCain. He looks a scopey type and hopefully he can jump."

It perhaps says it all that this was not even the most notable horses in training auction of the last few days, let alone the calendar, with many vendors and purchasers focusing on the sprawling array of prospects on offer at last week's Tattersalls July Sale in Newmarket.

That sister event's international draw, though, still puts even fairly moderate performers beyond the means of many smaller parties for whom a sale average of £6,686 and median of £3,200 represented more feasible pickings.

It is unlikely that too many members of this catalogue will make headlines - for all that the admirable Cheltenham Festival winner Coole Cody was unearthed for a mere £5,200 at this sale six years ago and Lucy Wadham put this year's Grade 2 Yorkshire Rose Mares' Hurdle winner Miss Heritage through the ring the last time it was staged in 2019 - but a change is as good a rest for horses whatever their price and new owners of the 69 to change hands have the chance to continue or revive their fortunes.

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