‘The blood is what’s important’ - Calyx’s sister sets a Tattersalls July Sale record at 550,000gns

A July Sale record was set on Wednesday when the blue-blooded Orchid Bouquet was hammered down at 550,000gns. An online bidder went up against Grant Pritchard-Gordon, who was leaning nonchalantly against the rail in the packed gangway. The rivals engaged in a protracted tussle until Pritchard-Gordon created a little slice of sales history with a decisive 25,000gns raise. 

The unraced Juddmonte-bred three-year-old filly is by Kingman and out of the Group 3-winning and Group 1 runner-up Helleborine, making her a sister to not only Calyx but Coppice, winner of the Listed Rosemary Stakes, as well. 

There are a whole host of celebrity names on the page, as Helleborine is a sister to Haydock Sprint Cup heroine African Rose, dam of Frankel’s first stakes winner Fair Eva. Another full-sibling is the dam of champion two-year-old Native Trail, while Dewhurst Stakes hero Distant Music appears beneath the third dam. 

Read the report from the first session of the Tattersalls July Sale

The Badgers Bloodstock man said this lineage had been central to his decision to bid the sales-record sum. 

“It’s just the Juddmonte family, that’s the whole attraction,” he said. “She’s for a good client who I’ve bought a lot of Juddmonte families for. This person has been very keen on Juddmonte families, and we both agree there. She’ll stay in Europe. She’s a filly who’s had sore shins throughout her life. Maybe they’ll try her, but the paddock value is what’s important. The blood is what’s important.” 

Asked whether he had expected to have to bid to such a level, Pritchard-Gordon, who spent 17 years as Juddmonte racing manager, said: “No. Juddmonte families always have a premium though; there’s so much happening around these families. I know this pedigree going back to the fifth dam, it’s just a fabulous family that’s very much alive. Some of those families from my time have disappeared completely but this one doesn’t give any indication of dying out.” 

The previous July Sale record was set back in 2022 when Blandford Bloodstock went to 540,000gns for the Shadwell-consigned Rihaam. The daughter of Dansili subsequently bred a Dark Angel filly named Luminare for Lynch Bages and Camas Park Stud. Coincidentally the winning two-year-old changed hands during Tuesday’s session of the July Sale, with Rabbah Bloodstock signing the ticket at 105,000gns. 

The Juddmonte draft saw 22 lots sell for an aggregate of 2,003,000gns at an average price of 91,045gns. 

The consignment contributed 26 per cent of the day’s turnover, which reached 7,775,000gns - a total that was up 62 per cent year-on-year. The average also rose by 60 per cent to 40,285gns, while the median went up 67 per cent, increasing from 12,000gns in 2024 to 20,000gns on Wednesday. The clearance rate was 91 per cent as 193 lots sold from 211 offered.

Blandford man bags back-to-back lots

Blandford’s Tom Goff spent 410,000gns on back-to-back Juddmonte lots, with the first of the pair, Fleeting Ember, costing 300,000gns after an online bidder had been seen off. The unraced three-year-old is a half-sister to three winners, most notably Gimcrack Stakes scorer Threat. 

The siblings are out of Flare Of Firelight, a daughter of Birdstone and the Niarchos family’s champion older mare Shiva. Flare Of Firelight was bought privately by Juddmonte from Derek and Gay Veitch of Ringfort Stud, who paid just 9,000gns for the talented producer at the December Mares Sale in 2014. 

Fleeting Ember: Juddmonte's Frankel half-sister to Threat sold to Blandford Bloodstock for 300,000gnsCredit: Alisha Meeder

Goff also went to 110,000gns for the very next lot into the ring, Porto Verne. The three-year-old Kingman filly is a sibling to seven winners, including Grade 1 Arlington Million scorer Set Piece. 

“There was a very aggressive online bidder!” said Goff, who stood beside Coolmore’s Paul Shanahan as he signed the docket for Fleeting Ember. “She’s a lovely filly by Frankel. I saw her down in the bottom yard and thought she was an absolute smasher. It’s a lovely Niarchos family that’s been added to by Juddmonte. What more could you want? I thought she was very nice. She was going to be a certain value until two bidders went at it. The next one [Porto Verne] was incredibly good value.” 

Ace Stud make an impact

Online participants may have missed out on a few of the more choice Juddmonte offerings, but a flurry of digital bids saw a buyer signing as Ace Stud hit the mark on three occasions. The haul cost a combined 645,000gns and was headed by the 375,000gns Regal Agenda. 

While Ace Stud may sound like a new entrant to the market, there is a well-known name at the helm. This is the banner under which major owner and breeder Zhang Yuesheng has rebranded Dullingham Park Stud, which was purchased earlier this year. 

“Ace Stud is our operation just outside Newmarket, it was purchased back in March and we have two stallions out there in Shaquille and Soldier’s Call,” said the operation’s Paul Curran. “We’re here trying to support the stallions, particularly Shaquille with this purchase. She perfectly suits him and us, as we’re looking to get as many quality mares into his next book as we can. He’s already got a good level of support from breeders, especially last year.” 

The three-year-old Regal Agenda remains a maiden after five starts for Karl Burke and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, although she was runner-up in a Yarmouth maiden on her second outing. 

Regal Agenda, a half-sister to Group winners Royal Champion and Outbox, after her 375,000gns sale at the July SaleCredit: Alisha Meeder

But what she lacks in race record she more than makes up for in pedigree. The daughter of Pinatubo is out of Lancashire Oaks winner Emirates Queen, and therefore a sibling to Group 2 scorer Outbox and Winter Derby victor Royal Champion. 

Ace Stud’s other signings were the 140,000gns Aleksandrina, a Bated Breath sister to Viadera and Sacred Bridge, and the 130,000gns Quadratic, a daughter of Dubawi and Fillies’ Mile winner Quadrilateral. Both six-figure buys came from the Juddmonte draft. 

“They have similar profiles to Regal Agenda,” added Curran. “We’re looking for those quality mares for Shaquille to get him rocking and rolling. They fit the bill. We’re obviously going to support Lucky Vega again next year as well. That’s the plan.” 

It was recently revealed that Yueshang’s burgeoning thoroughbred interests also include the development of a bespoke 300-acre breeding facility housing mares and young stock at Willingham Stud in Brinkley, six and a half miles south of Newmarket. 

Ghazali back for more 

Qatari trainer Gassim Ghazali shored up his position as the sale’s leading buyer with three buys on the day. The most eye-catching addition to his haul was wildcard entry Green Storm, who drew a final bid of 380,000gns when presented by Charlie Johnston’s Kingsley Park operation. 

The three-year-old son of Circus Maximus won a Yarmouth maiden at two and also finished second of three behind Tennessee Stud in last year’s Criterium de Saint-Cloud. He was seventh at a respectful distance behind Lambourn in this year’s Derby, and was last seen running fifth to Amiloc in the King Edward VII Stakes. 

“I’m very lucky to have been able to buy this horse,” said Ghazali. “He will fit into the programme, travelling to Qatar shortly with a plan to run in the Qatar Derby and then, hopefully, the big races in the region through the spring. 

“Buying at the July Sales gives enough time for the horses to acclimatise before the winter season. He could be a horse to run back in Europe; I have done that before and I am keen to do that again.” 

Green Storm’s price on Wednesday was much more in keeping with his pedigree as he is out of Ribblesdale Stakes heroine Banimpire. Despite that breeding, he was signed for by Johnston Racing at just €12,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2023. The first nine starts of his racing career came in the colours of Ahmad Al Shaikh. 

The Group 1-placed Green Storm was another highlight on day two of the Tattersalls July SaleCredit: Alisha Meeder

Ghazali also bid 220,000gns to secure the useful Basalt, a winner for Archie Watson who was offered through The Castlebridge Consignment. The three-year-old son of Pinatubo, a €60,000 breeze-up buy by Blandford Bloodstock, is set to follow a similar programme to Green Storm. 

“He will be aimed at the Qatar Derby,” said Ghazali. “He’s a three-year-old now and his form is good. He could also be a horse for the big races in other countries in the Middle East.” 

The trainer added: “He was too expensive! However, the competition is strong now in Qatar and throughout the region. We have to spend this sort of money.” 

Bahrain mission for Grand Karat

Recent winner Grand Karat will continue his racing career in Bahrain after being knocked down at 200,000gns. The four-year-old was signed for by JS Bloodstock, the banner under which Billy Jackson-Stops, racing manager to Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa's Victorious Racing, operates. 

The son of Gleneagles won three of his nine starts for Harry Charlton, with his most recent success coming over six furlongs at Windsor. That effort earned the gelding a career-high Racing Post Rating (RPR) of 101. His earlier victories both came over seven furlongs at Southwell. 

Grand Karat: three-time winner sells to JS Bloodstock for 200,000gnsCredit: Alisha Meeder

Jackson-Stops left media duties to Fawzi Nass, who said: “He’s going to Bahrain because he’ll suit the international series races over there. There are races for horses rated between 85 and 100, there about six of them in the sprint division, so that will be his aim. We’ll ship him over there and give him time to adapt.” 

Grand Karat was bred by Rabbah Bloodstock and ran in the colours of Mohammed Jaber. He was consigned on Wednesday by Barton Sales. 

The Tattersalls July Sale concludes on Thursday, with the pre-racing session starting at 9.30 and the post-racing session beginning at 5.45. 

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