Clifden Sets Sale Record As Tattersalls July Mixed Sale Ends

The Tattersalls July mixed auction ended with a flourish Thursday in England when Italian group III winner Clifden shattered a sale record for a 2-year-old with his price of 170,000 guineas (approximately $292,526). The 287 horses sold during the three-day auction brought a sale record average price of 11,286 guineas ($19,418), and they grossed 3,238,800 guineas ($5,573,133), the second-highest total ever. It ranked behind only last year's figure of 3,635,100 guineas for the 333 horses sold. The 2002 average was 10,916 guineas, and the median was 6,000 guineas, the same as this year's figure. The buy-back rate was only 14.6% this year, down slightly from 14.8% in 2002.

Befordshire-based bloodstock agent David Metcalfe purchased Clifden for Shiekh Mohammed's son, Sheikh Rashid, whose recently acquired Nevisian Lad scored in Wednesday's TNT July Stakes (Eng-II). Winner of three of five career races while owned by Mrs. R.G. Hillen, Clifden captured the Premio Primi Passi (Ity-III) on June 22. The son of Gold Away -- Romora, by Sillery, will remain with first-season trainer Mark Wallace, who is based in Newmarket. Woodlands Stables consigned the chestnut colt.

On the sale's final day, 70 horses were sold for a gross of 820,200 guineas ($1,411,351), an average of 11,717 guineas ($20,612), and a median of 7,250 guineas ($12,476).