Royal Ascot heroes among the many temptations for international buyers

Selling returns to Tattersalls on Wednesday with the three-day July Sale kicking off at 9.30am. With 859 lots catalogued to come under the hammer, there will be plenty of action during what Tattersalls bills as "Europe's premier midsummer sale", and here we pick out the key plotlines that can drive trade in Newmarket this week.

Australians out to pick up where they left off

The weight of international investment has long been an important feature of trade at the July Sale, and has been one of the key drivers behind aggregate sales more than doubling in the last ten years. Middle Eastern interests in particular have had a major bearing on proceedings, with leading Qatar-based trainer Gassim Mohammad Ghazali heading the buyers’ charts on four occasions between 2013 and 2019.

Buyers from the Gulf states have been far from the only overseas visitors to make an impact at the July Sale in recent times, however, with southern hemisphere spenders beginning to make their presence felt with increasing regularity until Covid-19 curtailed global travel.

In 2019 antipodean buying power reached a new peak when leading Australian-based agent and syndicator James Harron purchased that year’s top lot, the Frankel colt New King, for 450,000gns - the second-highest price ever commanded at the July Sale.

And since then results in Australia have advertised the quality on offer at the July Sale to great effect. Yulong Investments’ dual Group 1 heroine Hungry Heart is out of Harlech, who was sourced by Sheamus Mills from the Godolphin draft at 60,000gns in 2016 before the daughter of Pivotal was bred to Frankel on southern hemisphere time.

New King was a major mover in 2019 when bought by Australian interests for 450,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

And this year’s unbeaten two-year-old Amelia's Jewel, who was last seen winning the Group 2 Amelia Park-Karrakatta Plate, is out of Bumbasina, who was purchased by Louis Le Metayer’s Astute Bloodstock for 75,000gns in 2018 before visiting Siyouni for the mating that yielded the rising star filly.

With results like these capturing the imagination down under, travel restrictions lifted and a favourable exchange rate, it will be interesting to see the extent to which Australia buyers have an impact at this year’s sale.

Jenny McAlpine, Tattersalls’ Australian representative, recently told ANZ Bloodstock News that southern hemisphere-based agents such as Harron, Justin Bahen, Paul Moroney and Julian Blaxland are all expected to be on the grounds at Park Paddocks, as are Ciaron Maher Racing’s bloodstock manager Will Bourne as well as studmasters Arthur Mitchell of Yarraman Park and Michael Kirwan from Kia Ora, all of which leaves the Australians well poised to pick up where they left off in 2019.

Recent Royal Ascot winners come under the hammer

The chance to purchase a Royal Ascot winner is a rare thing, and having the opportunity to do so when ink in the form book is only just dry is even rarer still. However, those on the hunt at the July Sale will be rather spoilt for choice with not one but two such offerings due to come under the hammer on Friday.

First up comes Latin Lover (lot 710), who gave Harry Eustace a day to remember when storming to success over five furlongs in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes. That was the three-year-old son of Starspangledbanner’s third win from 11 starts and the way in which he cut down the leaders to score by half a length points to there being bigger performances in the locker. The relation to Group 1 winners Leading Light, Toylesome and Romantic Proposal will be consigned by Barton Sales.

Hayley Turner's Royal Ascot scorer Latin Lover is also going under the hammerCredit: Mark Cranham

Next comes Inver Park (752), who provided Classic-winning trainer George Boughey with his first Royal Ascot success with a dominant performance in the Buckingham Palace Stakes. The four-year-old son of Pivotal, whose dam is a half-sister to Group 1-winning sprinter Maarek, has won three races for Boughey and improved his official rating fully 20lb, rising from a mark of 78 to 98 over the course of five runs. The manner in which he swept through from in rear to score by a length suggests he may not have reached his ceiling just yet.

Given recent form tends to count for so much at the horses-in-training sales, if Latin Lover and Inver Park are free of veterinary issues then they should reward connections with a handsome profit, as the former was bought as a yearling by De Burgh Equine for just £21,000, while Inver Park was purchased from Mick Quinn by Sam Haggas’s Hurworth Bloodstock for £35,000.

Breeders presented with blue-chip opportunities

The July Sale not only offers breeders the chance to replenish their broodmare bands but, with a whole host of mares due to be offered in foal, they can also gain access to some in-demand sires.

Eyecatchers on this front include the three-year-old Footprints (271), who is not only a Galileo sister to the dual Group 2-winning and multiple Group 1-placed Armory but has the added bonus of being offered by The Castlebridge Consignment carrying to Wootton Bassett, who stood the 2022 season at Coolmore at a fee of €150,000.

Other blue-chip names among the covering sires index include Dark Angel, with Shadwell offering the nine-year-old Rihaam (179) in foal to the Yeomanstown Stud resident. Rihaam, who is a sibling to five black-type performers and out of a half-sister to Bahri, has already bred one winner by Dark Angel in the shape of the Listed-placed Ribhi.

Galileo mare Footprints is being offered in foal to Wootton BassettCredit: Tattersalls

The Castlebridge Consignment also offers Exceling (199), a three-time winner by Exceed And Excel who hails from the same extended family as Rihaam. The three-year-old is offered in foal to Tally-Ho Stud’s record-breaking two-year-old sire Mehmas, who stood the latest covering season at a career-high fee of €50,000.

The foal out of Exceling would be bred on the Mehmas - Exceed And Excel cross that has yielded six winners from eight runners, including the smart Clarendon House, who ran to a Racing Post Rating of 109 when second at Goodwood earlier in the year, and the 97-rated dual scorer Mishal Star.

Godolphin will also offer the four-year-old Rainband (130), a winning and Listed-placed daughter of Medaglia D’Oro carrying to the Irish National Stud stalwart Invincible Spirit. There is an abundance of black type on Rainband’s page as she is out of Fitful Skies, a Group 3-winning and Grade 1-placed daughter of Dubawi who descends from champion filly Dahlia.

Those on the lookout for a mare in foal to a stallion on the up could do a lot worse than consider the nine lots in foal to Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Havana Grey, who heads the European first-season stallion - and general two-year-old sire - standings with 21 winners, of which seven are black-type performers.

Among the group are All About Time (116), a ten-year-old daughter of Azamour from Whatton Manor Stud whose Havana Grey foal will be bred on the same cross as recent juvenile scorer Panama, and Renaissant (50), who comes from the complete dispersal of Helescane Stud and who bred this year’s two-year-old winner Jiffy Boy.

Tattersalls July Sale factfile

Where Park Paddocks sales complex, Newmarket

When Three-day sale begins on Wednesday at 9.30am. Morning sessions on Thursday and Friday begin at the same time, while evening sessions start at 5pm

Last year’s stats From 574 lots offered, 538 sold (94 per cent) for turnover of 12,301,300gns (up 107 per cent against the Covid-impacted renewal in 2020), an average of 22,865gns (up 27 per cent) and a median of 12,000gns (up 20 per cent)

Notable graduates Janina, dam of Campanelle (sold by Shadwell, bought by Tally-Ho Stud for 39,000gns in 2016); Entreat, dam of Golden Horde (sold by Cheveley Park Stud, bought by BBA Ireland for 14,000gns in 2016); Queenofthefairies, dam of Fairyland (sold by Ecurie Henri-Alex Pantall, bought by Tally-Ho Stud for 32,000gns in 2010)

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