Halation, who won going a mile at Newcastle June 28, anchored trading at the Tattersalls July sale July 9, selling for the highest price of 120,000 guineas ($216,165 in United States funds) on opening day, which saw median balloon 39%.
The session's clearance rate reached an impressive 88%, with Tattersalls reporting 202 horses as sold for 3,239,000 guineas ($5,830,200), an increase of 15% compared with last year's opening day. The median was 8,500 guineas ($15,300), and the average rose slightly to 16,039 guineas ($28,870).
David Redvers secured Halation on behalf of Sheikh Fahad Al Thani after seeing off Qatari trainer Gassim Al Ghazali. The 3-year-old son of Azamour was unraced at 2 andhas finished first or second in four of his five career starts for trainer Marco Botti. He was offered by The Castlebridge consignment.
"Halation is a very progressive horse and hopefully he will continue to be progressive," Redvers said of the colt out of the unraced Selkirk mare Ghenwah. The family includes German highweighted mare and group I winner Wind in Her Hair and elite Japanese miler Win Kluger.
"He will go to David Simcock and he was very keen on the horse and Sheikh Fahad agreed. Halation is a horse we could carry on with immediately, but he is also a type who you could travel with."
The Tattersalls July sale continues with the second of three sessions Thursday, July 10.
