Group III winner Esentepe topped the second day of the Tattersalls July sale, bringing 220,000 guineas ($358,770). Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff purchased the 3-year-old filly from Middleham Park Racing July 12 in England.
“It was very nearly my last bid,” said Goff, who was acting on behalf of a “new overseas partnership,” according to Tattersalls press release. “I think she is a lovely filly as both a broodmare and a racing prospect, and I think she might have made more if she had been offered in December. She will have a short holiday and will go in training with David Wachman, and (she) will then go to stud.”
A daughter of Oratorio, Esentepe has won two of her 14 career races while finishing second three times and third six times for trainer Richard Hannon. The bay filly captured the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (Eng-III) in April. She also was third this year in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (Eng-III), and she finished third in the 2011 E.B.F. Mount Nelson Montrose Fillies’ Stakes.
Peter Kelley and Wendy Daly bred Esentepe in Ireland. The filly is out of the Octagonal mare Mythie.
The results for the auction’s second day included a gross of 1,903,600 guineas ($3,104,346 in U.S. funds) for the 137 horses that were sold. The average price was 13,895 guineas ($22,660) and the median price was 7,000 guineas ($11,416).
Compared to last year’s second session, when 143 horses were sold, the gross rose 6.9% while the average grew 11.6%. The median was down 6.7%.
The clearance rate increased to 95.8% from 91.1% in 2011.