Strong international trade continues on day two of July Sale

After a frenetic opening session that saw a 420,000gns high mark head 11 six-figure lots, prices proved rather more prosaic on day two of the Tattersalls July Sale in Newmarket on Thursday.

However, the clearance rate continued to prove extremely healthy, closing at an impressive 95 per cent, which spoke of strong trade for the level.

Gassim Ghazali, who landed three of the top ten lots during day one, had warned rival bidders that he would be busy on Thursday, and duly made the day's first six-figure purchase when securing Mr Diamond during the post-racing stint.

View full Tattersalls July Sale results and stats

The three-year-old son of Bated Breath, who was bred by Mel Roberts and trainer Richard Fahey, changed hands having won three times for previous connections, and was last seen finishing third behind Awe, who finished fourth in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Mr Diamond was the highlight of Fahey's draft, which also supplied King Of Tonga, who went the way of Colm Sharkey's CDS Bloodstock for 65,000gns.

The second 100,000gns lot came among the final offerings when Al Rashed Racing collected the lightly raced Train To Georgia, who was offered by Joe Tuite on behalf of Matt Morgan.

"We watched his win at Lingfield and he won well," said the operation's racing manager Tariq Moubarak. "And he's by Scat Daddy, who we like. He's a good-looking horse who vetted well. He'll go to Dubai, though I'm not sure which trainer will have him yet, and perhaps he'll be one for the Carnival."

The 60,000gns breeze-up buy made a winning debut at Lingfield in March, and was last seen finishing runner-up behind Saffran at Chepstow last month.

Moubarak added: "Al Rashed Racing is quite a new operation but we have ten horses in training here; some with Richard Hughes and the rest with Peter Chapple-Hyam."

The only time the bid board showed a sum above 100,000gns on Thursday was when Volatile Analyst, a wildcard entry who made a winning debut for Keith Dalgleish, took his turn in the ring. However, the son of Distorted Humor went unsold at 145,000gns.

TATTERSALLS JULY SALE DAY TWO STATS

Lots offered 179
Sold 170 (95 per cent)
Aggregate 3,218,300gns (down eight per cent year-on-year)
Average 18,931gns (down seven per cent)
Median 13,000gns (up eight per cent)

Shamrock get lucky

Current Option, who brought a winning update to the sale having won at Thirsk on his final start for William Haggas, brought the session's third-highest price when Shamrock Thoroughbreds struck for the Camelot colt at 85,000gns.

Shamrock Thoroughbreds' Stephen Thorne, assistant trainer to Ado McGuinness, did the bidding on behalf of Dooley Thoroughbreds, and the successful purchaser said: "Current Option was the pick of the sale for me and he came highly recommended. This is the sort of horse that we want in the yard and so we need to go out and buy them."

Thorne also landed Politicise, another son of Camelot offered by Haggas's Somerville Lodge, with a bid of 60,000gns. The three-year-old has been a consistent performer since breaking his maiden at two, having reached the frame on three of his four starts this campaign.

Dooley Bloodstock is comprised of three brothers – Mark, David and James Dooley – who are from Manchester but have their horses trained in Ireland by McGuinness, who is based in Lusk, County Dublin.

Lloyd's quickfire double

The Juddmonte draft of horses in training saw bidders flocking into the Park Paddocks ring as early evening set in, and among those was Jamie Lloyd, who snared the well-related Frontman with a bid of 80,000gns.

Lloyd had to show a bit of patience after filling the role of underbidder on more than one occasion on Thursday, but was plainly delighted with his purchase of the placed Kingman half-brother to 2013 Nassau Stakes winner Winsili.

"We were getting a little frustrated," said Lloyd with a smile, "but we're delighted to get this horse."

The three-year-old colt failed to make the track at two, but had run twice since the publication of the catalogue, and was last seen finishing a neck second to Rum Baba in a mile maiden at Windsor, an effort for which jockey Robert Havlin received a 13-day ban for using his whip above the permitted level.

"He had a setback as a two-year-old but has run twice now and looked very promising, I think there'll be plenty more to come from him," continued Lloyd, who said the colt will now continue his racing career abroad.

"He vetted very well and is going to Qatar to be trained by Stefano Ibido for Abdulhadi Mana Al Hajri," said the agent. "We actually bought Beachwalk here last year from Sir Michael Stoute and he went on to win the Amir Shalfa. Stefano really loved this horse and he was his pick."

A short while later Lloyd was back in action and landed the progressive Crystal Tribe from William Haggas's Somerville Lodge draft for 82,000gns.

"He'll be heading to California to be trained by Jeff Mullins," said Lloyd. "We've had some luck with Jeff in the past, we bought Battle Of Hastings here a long time ago and he won everything over there as a three-year-old. He seems to be very progressive and looks ahead of the handicapper.

"My business partner, David Meah, loved the horse and loved his replays so we're very happy to have him."

The three-year-old son of Dansili, bred by Watership Down Stud, was merely listed as having "ran 3 times at 3 years" in the catalogue, but had won his last two starts, including a Brighton handicap by four and a half lengths on his most recent outing.

"He's one Jeff can go on with and the plan will be for him to run in Del Mar, where he'll be eligible for the valuable 'Ship And Win' bonus - they run for 40 per cent more when they run outside of the state," said Lloyd.

St Lawrence snares Finney

Another son of Kingman was among the leading lights of a session that was providing solid, if unspectacular trade, as Oliver St Lawrence went to 70,000gns for Albert Finney, who was consigned by John Gosden's Clarehaven Stables.

"He has been bought for Fawzi Nass and will be going to Bahrain," said St Lawrence. "He's by Kingman and he's a nice type to go with it. He has a good profile and he goes on the faster ground, so he should suit Bahrain well."

The three-year-old, who boasts a peak Racing Post Rating of 87, was bred and owned by Rachel Hood, and has won races at Wolverhampton and Lingfield this season. The gelding is the fourth foal out of Gertrude Bell, a daughter of Sinndar who won the Lancashire Oaks for Gosden and Hood, and hails from the further family of Notnowcato.

Day one report:

Mick Flanagan buys July Sale top lot At Last for 420,000gns