Godolphin trio set the benchmark at ERA sale in Dubai

Members of the Godolphin draft again proved popular at the Emirates Racing Authority's horses in training sale in Dubai on Tuesday. 

The top lot ended up as Sovereign Prince, a Dubawi gelding who had a good run for Charlie Appleby in the Gulf last year, winning the Listed Jumeirah Classic and running a fair fifth in the Saudi Derby.

He won a conditions race at Meydan in January before disappointing in the Jebel Ali Mile and will now join Saudi Arabian connections, having been bought by the big-spending Najd Stud for a tidy AED1,300,000 (£284,000/€323,000).

Fellow Appleby trainee, and also a Dubawi, Walk Of Stars, was just behind him when making AED1,200,000. From the family of Nathaniel, he was a close second to United Nations in the Lingfield Derby Trial last year before finishing last in the Classic itself. 

He later ran more encouragingly in the Bahrain Trophy and the Great Voltigeur, and was bought by Athbah Racing, another Saudi entity. The same owner also bought Newbury maiden winner Falling Shadow for AED625,000.

Bay Of Honour, another from the Appleby stable and a three-time winner, was the other horse to pass the seven-figure mark. He was bought for AED1,100,000 by Mohammed Khaleel Ahmed, the owner of Dubai World Cup sixth Bendoog and Group 3 winner Discovery Island. 

With the domestic season at its end, plenty of trainers were offering horses for resale to buyers from across the region. In all, 143 horses were put through the ring and 137 of them sold for a total of AED12,575,000 (£2,747,000/€3,127,000).

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