Eight horses sold for six figures at the Tattersalls July mixed sale, which ended its three-day run July 12 with advances for all major indicators and an 86.4% clearance rate that signified strong demand.
Cumulative total sales on 436 horses rose 46.8% to 6,970,300 guineas ($11,111,425 in U.S. funds) while average and median prices also showed healthy double-digit increases.
Average price climbed 35.4% to 15,987 guineas ($25,485) and median was up 23% to 8,000 guineas ($12,753).
Tattersalls chairman Edmund Mahony said the sale started strong July 10 and maintained momentum throughout.
"The key indicators of average, median, and turnover are all significantly higher than last year, and a clearance rate hovering around 90% demonstrates the strength and depth at all levels of the market."
Qatar interests helped bolster the sale, posting six of the top 10 highest prices, including sale-topper Durand, who sold on day two July 11 for 260,000 guineas ($409,691). Mahoney noted, however, that buyers from more than 20 nations were active at Park Paddocks over the past three days.
"The key to mixed sales of this type at Tattersalls is that they consistently attract buyers from all corners of the world and the overseas buyers, in particular from Qatar, have made a huge impact," he said.
Durand, a 3-year-old Motivator colt, sold out of trainer John Murphy's Irish-based Highfort Stables operation to Qatari trainer Ibrahim Saeed Al-Malki. The colt is a twice-raced 3-year-old, who impressively tallied his first career win June 10 at Roscommon in Ireland, setting a 1 1/4-mile track record of 2:09.14 in a 3 1/2-length triumph.
Ultimately bound for the Qatar Derby in December, Durand is out of the unraced Elusive City mare Rouge Dancer. The family includes Italian champion Grease, who is the dam of English highweight and French group III winner Susurration. Before being shipped to Qatar to continue his career, he could compete in the 1 1/4-mile Royal Whip Stakes (Eng-III) Aug. 11 at the Curragh.
The top-priced horse on closing day was 2-year-old No Such Zone, an unraced Oasis Dream filly, who was knocked down to agent Richard Knight for 120,000 guineas ($191,293).
Knight saw off BBA Ireland's John Tyrell to secure the filly out of the Juddmonte Farms consignment as a broodmare prospect for an undisclosed Irish client.
"We've pinhooked foals together before and bought a couple of mares last December; hopefully this will be a real foundation mare," Knight said.
No Such Zone is out of the Sadler's Wells mare Return, a half sister to the 1993 Epsom Derby (Eng-I) winner Commander in Chief, multiple group I winner Warning, and group winners Yashmak and Dushyantor.
"She will get a commercial cover with a view to selling the offspring, though fillies might be kept to race," Knight said. "She has a great pedigree and we are delighted to get her."
Mahony signed off on the July sale noting that there was a "discernible feeling of cautious optimism returning to the market.
"It would be wrong to attach too much significance to the vibrant trade this week, but as we start to look forward to the October yearling sale, one can draw some encouragement from the sustained global demand we have experienced at Tattersalls this week," he said.
