Tattersalls July sale: Juddmonte filly leads final session as sale posts gains

Tattersalls ended its three-day July auction Friday with across-the-board gains and a Juddmonte Farms session-topper on the final day.

The July sale grossed 6,970,300 guineas, or about $11,051,411 at Friday's exchange rate, for 436 horses sold and enjoyed what Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony called “a discernible feeling of cautious optimism returning to the market.” Compared year-to-year in guineas, the gross soared 47 percent ahead of last year’s total for 402 horses. The average of 15,987 guineas ($25,347) was up 35 percent, and the median of 8,000 guineas ($12,684) was up 23 percent.

Juddmonte’s 2-year-old Oasis Dream filly No Such Zone led selling Friday, bringing 120,000 guineas, or about $190,260, from Richard Knight Bloodstock. No Such Zone is a full sister to Group 2-placed Address Unknown. More importantly, No Such Zone is a granddaughter of the Roberto matron Slightly Dangerous, whose produce features such champions as Warning and Commander in Chief, Epsom Derby runner-up Dushyantor, and Flower Bowl Handicap winner Yashmak, herself the dam of a group stakes performer.

No Such Zone’s new owner, not surprisingly, was focused on the filly’s potential as a broodmare.

“She’s been bought for an Irish client who is putting a new broodmare band together,” Knight told media after purchasing the filly.

The other six-figure lot at Friday’s session was Zamoyski, a 3-year-old Dutch Art gelding who won at Kempton just two days before arriving in the auction ring. American-based steeplechase owner Irvin Naylor bought Zamoyski for 105,000 guineas ($166,478).

Otherwise, though, Qatari shoppers dominated the buyer’s list at the three-day sale. On Thursday, the overall sale-topper - the course record-setting 3-year-old Durand - sold for 260,000 guineas ($414,960 at that day’s exchange rate) to Ibrahim al-Malki for a planned tilt at the Qatar Derby. And at Wednesday’s opening session, Qatari trainer Gassim Ghazali picked up the session-topper, the stakes-winning Teofilo colt Miblish, for 250,000 guineas ($399,000 on that day).