July Sale jewels: the bargain buys who went on to reap major rewards

There have been some significant sums spent at the July Sale down the years, none more so than the 460,000gns given by Kern/Lillingston Association for Business As Usual back in 2010.

Three of the top five prices in the sale's history came 12 months ago, as James Harron went to 450,000gns for Frankel colt New King, Mick Flanagan spent 420,000gns on At Last, a Galileo half-sister to Zoustar, while Rabbah Bloodstock paid 350,000gns for the Listed-winning Inverleigh.

However, some of the July Sale's most notable graduates have come from the opposite end of the market and have made their marks once retired from racing and sent to the breeding shed.

The dams of 23 Group/Grade 1 winners have changed hands at the July Sale, including a whole host who have far exceeded their purchase prices. With this year's auction kicking off on Thursday, we run the rule over four of the biggest July Sale bargains of recent years.

Entreat

Pivotal - River Saint (Irish River)
Bought byBBA Ireland for 14,000gns
Sold by Cheveley Park Stud

James Cloney of Clara Stud in County Kilkenny, who breeds under the name CN Farm, picked up a producer of considerable promise for a bargain sum in 2016 when giving 14,000gns for Entreat through BBA Ireland.

The daughter of broodmare sire extraordinaire Pivotal was sold by her breeders Cheveley Park Stud, and was carrying to that operation's former resident Lethal Force.

The foal she was carrying in utero was, of course, Golden Horde, who supplemented his Richmond Stakes success at two by running away with the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on his reappearance at three.

Golden Horde (right) draws clear of his rivals in the Commonwealth CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Further success could be in the offing, with Golden Horde a warm favourite for the July Cup on Saturday, while the mare's two-year-old son Line Of Departure has shown distinct promise in two runs for Roger Varian.

Moreover, Golden Horde fetched his breeder £65,000 when sold as a yearling, while his exploits did plenty to enhance the value of Line Of Departure, who brought £260,000, all of which serves to make Cloney's initial outlay of 14,000gns look decidedly good value.

Cheveley Park Stud offers 20 lots at this year's July Sale, including seven daughters of Pivotal.

View full Tattersalls July Sale catalogue

Janina

Namid - Lady Dominatrix (Danehill Dancer)
Bought byTally-Ho Stud for 39,000gns
Sold by Shadwell Estate Company

Few breeders have mined the July Sale to quite the same effect as the O'Callaghan family of Tally-Ho Stud, having picked up the likes of La Chicana, dam of Desert Encounter, for 48,000gns and Queenofthefairies, who bred Fairyland, for 32,000gns, and they repeated the feat in 2016 when going to 39,000gns for Janina from the Shadwell draft.

That price could have been considered money well spent at the time given the daughter of Namid won the Listed Marygate Stakes and was herself out of a Group 3-winning daughter of Danehill Dancer, though her breeding career had got off to a rather low-key start.

Roger and Tony O'Callaghan of Tally-Ho StudCredit: Tattersalls

Nonetheless, a sharp upturn in fortunes was on the cards. Janina was sold in foal to Exceed And Excel, and the filly she went on to produce recouped much of Tally-Ho's outlay when sold to Karl Burke for 34,000gns as a yearling.

Much better was to come though, as Janina visited Tally-Ho linchpin Kodiac for her next covering, and duly produced a striking filly who was sold to Ben McElroy for 190,000gns at last year's Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale.

Named Campanelle and sent into training with Wesley Ward on behalf of Stonestreet Stables, the filly has done plenty to upgrade her dam's profile, having maintained her unbeaten record with a polished performance in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell operation are due to offer 28 lots at Park Paddocks later this week.

Seeking Solace

Exceed And Excel - Flamelet (Theatrical)
Bought byBBA Ireland for 65,000gns
Sold by Darley

Ten Sovereigns ranks an exciting stallion prospect for his owners Coolmore, being a Middle Park Stakes and July Cup winner by a rising star in No Nay Never.

He was bred by the partnership of Camas Park, Lynch Bages and Summerhill, who acquired his dam from the Darley draft at the 2011 July Sale, where BBA Ireland signed the 65,000gns ticket.

That may make her the most expensive mare on this particular list, but she has more than justified that sum, not only producing a Group 1 winner but with Ten Sovereigns also having contributed to some punchy progeny sale numbers.

Ten Sovereigns: his dam was bought from the July Sale for 65,000gnsCredit: Edward Whitaker

The 200,000gns Ten Sovereigns is a brother to Eden Quay, a 600,000gns buy by MV Magnier, and another No Nay Never filly sold to Magnolia Bloodstock for 320,000gns last year.

All told, Seeking Solace's yearlings have sold for over 1,200,000gns, and with a yearling colt by No Nay Never on the ground and the mare having visited the Coolmore resident again last year, there could be plenty more sales ring and racecourse highlights to come.

Godolphin are due to send a 44-strong draft through the ring this July Sale, with full details, including videos and veterinary certificates, available on the operation's website.

Little Book

Librettist - Cal Norma's Lady (Lyphard's Special)
Bought byElusive Bloodstock for 7,000gns
Sold by Machell Place Stables

Having won the Japanese Derby, Roger Barows is undoubtedly a horse of international renown. Being a son of the late, great breed-shaping stallion Deep Impact is plainly a factor in his success, but what would be easier to overlook is that his dam once sold for as little as 7,000gns at the July Sale.

Admittedly the daughter of Librettist had not achieved a great deal for her first owner Ali Saeed and trainer Ed Vaughan, but being a three-parts sister to Cheveley Park and Cherry Hinton Stakes winner Donna Blini would always count for plenty. Moreover, that sibling had, of course, sold to Katsumi Yoshida for 500,000gns at the end of her racing days.

Little Book sells to JS Company for 230,000gnsCredit: Tattersalls

Nonetheless, Little Book was sold for a mere 7,000gns, with Elusive Bloodstock the shrewd purchaser who brought the hammer down.

What may have been missed by many during the 2011 July Sale is that Donna Blini was now in Japan and had been mated with Deep Impact, with her second foal turning out to be seven-time top flight winner Gentildonna.

With Donna Blini and Gentildonna's reputations very much in the ascendancy, Little Book's owners, the Jim Goldie Racing Club, cashed in their asset, and, with a third place in an Ayr handicap the only noteworthy addition to her profile, she was sold to JS Company for 230,000gns the following December, netting a tidy profit and setting in motion a Grade 1-winning breeding career.

Tattersalls July Sale fact-file

Where Tattersalls, Park Paddocks Newmarket
When Two-day sale begins on Thursday at 10am
Last year's stats From 578 lots, 535 sold (93 per cent) for turnover of 12,748,800gns (up six per cent), an average of 23,830gns (up 11 per cent) and a median of 12,000gns (up 20 per cent)

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