The Tattersalls July Sale got off to a strong start on the opening day with a strong Godolphin draft dominating proceedings with four of the top five prices on a day that saw 15 lots selling for 100,000 guineas or more. The clearance for the day was a remarkable 93 percent and the turnover of 5,952,100 guineas has been bettered only twice on the opening day of this fixture.
The Godolphin draft is always a highlight of the Tattersalls July Sale and this year's renewal was no exception with the well-bred Aureum topping the session at 220,000 guineas. Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock made the winning bid and revealed:
“She has been bought for an established owner-breeder client of ours. She has a fantastic page, and she made a lot of money as a yearling. She is a lovely, lovely mare, the sister was top top class over here and she is in-foal to a great stallion.
“We knew she wasn't going to be given away here, the entire draft has some stand-out mares. She is quality, and fingers crossed she carries a good foal and is a successful broodmare, which she has been bought to be.”
The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro was sold in foal to Invincible Spirit and is a half-sister to the Group 3 City of York Stakes winner Nemoralia, placed in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The second lot to realize 200,000 guineas or more on the opening day was the Shamardal mare Excellent View who was knocked down to Charlie Gordon-Watson for 200,000 guineas. The Barton Sales consigned mare was sold in foal to exciting young sire Mehmas and with a filly foal by the record-breaking stallion at foot.
Barton Stud's managing director Tom Blain commented:
“She is a smashing mare, she had a lovely Mehmas foal at foot who is a good example of what she is carrying, and in this sale she stood out a bit. The foal is good and she has got a blacktype runner this year. She was sold for a good Irish client and I am delighted for them.”
Excellent View's first foal is the high-class Acclamation gelding Mutaraffa, runner up in the listed Dubai Dash and fourth in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint this year. She is out of the listed Empress Stakes winner Pearl Grey and her sale crowned a successful few minutes for Barton Sales, who had sold Tianadargent for 100,000 guineas two lots previously. The full-sister to the Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed Restiadargent was also offered in foal to Mehmas and was knocked down to Alex Elliott.
Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock's Matt Houldsworth was another to secure one of the top priced Godolphin mares when he went to 160,000 guineas to land Birdwatcher. The 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo is out of the U.S. Grade 3 winner Bizzy Caroline, a half-sister to the five-time Grade 1 winner Lady Eli, and was offered in foal to the four-time Group 1 winning sprinter Blue Point.
Houldsworth commented: “I thought she was a very good physical and obviously she cost a lot of money as a yearling. She's got a good covering too, I'm a big fan of Blue Point, and it's a lovely, deep family as well. Hopefully she can be a nice mare going forward. She's heading to America.”
The 30-lot strong Godolphin draft realied a total of 1,522,700 guineas at an average of 50,757 guineas.
The Tattersalls July Sale continues on Thursday, July 8, with the morning session starting at 9:30 a.m. and the evening session commencing at 5:15pm.
The post Godolphin Draft Dominates Opening Day Of Tattersalls July Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
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