Virginia-based owner-breeder Jim Treptow provided a boost to the four-day Tattersalls July mixed sale, July 8-11, in Newmarket, England. He purchased six lots for a total of 329,000 guineas.
Treptow and his advisor Joe Seitz were also underbidders on several other offerings at the mixed sale.
Treptow purchased Hickory Tree Farm at Middleburg, Virginia, from the du Pont family and was looking for both racing and breeding prospects at Tattersalls.
Buying as Hickory Tree Equine, Treptow spent 75,000 guineas each on the 4-year-old fillies Eclectic Mix (by Zamindar), who is unraced, and Watchful (by Galileo), a two-time winner. He also paid the same amount for group III-placed 3-year-old colt Gaspar Van Wittel (by Danehill Dancer), who could continue racing in Europe.
“We find this sale is a nice spot for us,” said Treptow, who was second to BBA Ireland on the table of leading July sale buyers. “We like European pedigrees and horses that can run on the turf. Everyone else is running their horses on the dirt so I guess we are contrarians.”
Rebellion, bought by Treptow for 30,000 guineas at the 2006 July sale, was sent to the United States and went on to win the grade II Commonwealth Stakes and the grade III Ack Ack Handicap with trainer Graham Motion.