rade soared on the second day of the Tattersalls July Sale with a new record price of 550,000 guineas for Juddmonte’s ORCHID BOUQUET and four lots realising 300,000 guineas or more. The median and average were up 67% and 60% respectively from the equivalent day in 2024 and the clearance rate was an impressive 91%.
Juddmonte’s Orchid Bouquet Sets New July Sale Record
The Juddmonte consigned filly ORCHID BOUQUET set a new record for the highest priced lot ever sold at the Tattersalls July Sale when knocked down for 550,000 guineas to Badgers Bloodstock after a protracted bidding duel with an online rival.
From one of Juddmonte’s leading families, the three-year-old daughter of KINGMAN is an own-sister to Group 2 Coventry Stakes winner CALYX and to the Listed winning filly COPPICE, as well as two further black type producing half-sisters.
Badgers Bloodstock’s Grant Pritchard-Gordon, who was racing manager for Juddmonte for seventeen years from 1982, commented:
“I obviously love Juddmonte families, I knew the fifth dam and that is the whole attraction, and my client does too. The client has been very keen on Juddmonte families, and we both agree there. This filly stays in Europe.”
“I did not think we would have to spend so much, but these Juddmonte fillies and mares always have a premium. It is one of the very top Juddmonte families, there is so much happening around it, and it just keeps staying alive.”
Her Group winning dam HELLEBORINE was second in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac and is an own-sister to Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner AFRICAN ROSE and to NEEDLELEAF, the dam of Champion Two Year Old and Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner NATIVE TRAIL.
Juddmonte’s Barry Mahon commented: “She is a beautiful filly with an unbelievable pedigree. Her sisters have all produced good horses and there are plenty more in the pipeline.”
Of this year’s draft, he added: “We have brought a strong bunch – we got on very well here last year and had the top two in the sale, so we made a concerted effort to come here with a good bunch of fillies. They have sold very well and we are very happy.”
Green Storm Bound for Qatar Derby at 380,000 Guineas
The wildcard entry GREEN STORM looked one of the highlights of the second day and lived up to his lofty billing in the sales ring when realising 380,000 guineas to the bid of leading Qatari trainer Jassim Ghazali. The top class three-year-old colt was offered by Charlie Johnston’s Kingsley Park on behalf of owner Ahmad Al Shaikh.
“He ran in the Derby and was fifth at Royal Ascot in the King Edward VII Stakes, I am very lucky to have been able to buy this horse,” Ghazali said.
“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 added: “He could be a horse to run back in Europe – I have done that before and I am keen to do that again.”
The son of CIRCUS MAXIMUS was runner up in the Group 1 Critérium de Saint-Cloud at two and a fast-closing fifth in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on his most recent start. His multiple Group winning dam BANIMPIRE was runner up in the Irish Oaks and is from the family of Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner TWILIGHT PAYMENT.
GREEN STORM will be joined by another three-year-old colt in 220,000 guineas purchase BASALT with the son of PINATUBO also to be aimed at the Qatar Derby. Ghazali ended the day as the sale’s leading purchaser thus far with five lots purchased for a total outlay of 831,000 guineas.
Ace Stud (aka Yulong) to the Fore with 375,000 Guineas Purchase Regal Agenda
A thoroughly modern bidding duel took place for the day’s third highest priced lot with two online bidders vying for the Karl Burke trained filly REGAL AGENDA and Ace Stud emerging triumphant for the three-year-old at 375,000 guineas.
Ace Stud is a new name on the buyer’s sheet and representative Paul Curran revealed: “Ace Stud is Mr Zhang’s operation just outside near Newmarket – formerly Dullingham Park Stud, and purchased in March. We have the two stallions on the farm, Shaquille and Soldier’s Call.”
“We are keen to support the stallions, particularly Shaquille, and to improve the quality of his book for next year. We have had a good level of support from breeders and we want to build on that. Regal Agenda fits the bill and it is a good start. She was one that we really wanted, and we are happy – the other mares we have bought over the two days have also been purchased with the same plan.”
Curran added: “Shaquille got 130 mares this year which was really good, and we want to improve on that again. We are pleased with the foals, and we will support his foals at the December Sale. There will be plenty of quality mares to come in December, and we will be buying then too.”
Offered by Karl Burke’s Spigot Lodge Stables on behalf of owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, the daughter of PINATUBO is regal in both name and nature as a daughter of the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks winner EMIRATES QUEEN, the dam of Group winners OUTBOX and ROYAL CHAMPION.
EMIRATES QUEEN is a half-sister to the outstanding sire DUBAWI out of the dual Italian Champion ZOMARADAH, winner of the Group 1 Oaks d’Italia and placed in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
ZOMARADAH’s three black type daughters have produced six Group and Listed winners between them, whilst another daughter is the granddam of 1000 Guineas runner up CLOAK OF SPIRITS.
Blandford Strike for Fleeting Ember at 300,000 Guineas
Another regally bred Juddmonte filly to light up the sale ring was FLEETING EMBER who realised the fourth highest price of the day at 300,000 guineas. Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff saw off all rivals including a persistent online underbidder to secure the unraced three-year-old.
“She’s a lovely filly by Frankel,” commented Goff. “I saw her down at the bottom 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!”
FLEETING EMBER is a half-sister to THREAT, winner of the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes and the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at two. Her second dam is dual European Champion Older Mare SHIVA, a half-sister to the Epsom Oaks winner LIGHT SHIFT, herself the dam of Champion Older Horse ULYSSES.
The ever-popular Juddmonte draft realised a total of 2,003,000 guineas for 22 lots with seven fillies realising over 100,000 guineas.
The Tattersalls July Sale continues at 9.30am on Thursday, 10th July.
