Maximum Dividend Heads Tattersalls August Sale at 200,000 Guineas
The Tattersalls August Sale was headed by MAXIMUM DIVIDEND at 200,000 guineas, the highest priced two-year-old ever sold at the sale, with solid trade generating turnover of 3,235,700 guineas, an average of 17,120 guineas, a median of 8,000 guineas and six lots making 100,000 guineas or more.
Maximum Dividend Bound for Australia at 200,000 Guineas
The top lot at the Tattersalls August Sale was the twice-raced AMERICAN PHAROAH colt MAXIMUM DIVIDEND who was knocked down for 200,000 guineas to Hurworth Bloodstock’s Sam Haggas after he saw off the attentions of persistent underbidder Peter Fahey. Consigned by Richard Hannon’s East Everleigh Stables, the two-year-old colt has been placed on both his starts to date and was secured by Haggas on behalf of Sydney-based John O’Shea Racing.
Haggas commented: "He is the first foal out of a good staying Galileo mare and by a sire whose stock improve a lot with age - American Pharoah himself got better with racing. I hope this horse will do the same, and that he is going to be a horse to improve from two to three and a bit beyond, and stay a bit further than the seven furlongs."
He added: "He has run two very good races, the first was particularly eye-catching at Sandown and the form looks good - the winner goes for the Solario tomorrow and the third is a Listed winner. He is sound and looks sound of mind, too."
"He is a nice straightforward horse who I hope will go and do well in Australia – he is going into training with John O'Shea, I have been working with him and his team. I like this horse's profile - he should improve and if he does he should be competitive for his new connections."
Timeform-rated 81+, MAXIMUM DIVIDEND is the first foal out of the Group 3 winning GALILEO mare SIZZLING from the family of Champion American colt and influential sire A P INDY.
O’Meara Secures Royal Ascot Winner Noble Truth for 130,000 Guineas
The Royal Ascot winner NOBLE TRUTH was expected to be one of the highlights of the Tattersalls August Sale and did not disappoint when selling for 130,000 guineas to trainer David O’Meara. Consigned by Godolphin, whose drafts are perennial highlights of horses in training sales at Tattersalls, the four-year-old was a high class performer at two and three for trainer Charlie Appleby and was offered with a Timeform rating of 116.
"There is no plan!" said O'Meara when asked of plans for the four-year-old gelding. "He is a very good horse with some high class form, we will get him home and go from there."
The son of KINGMAN was an impressive winner of the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot following a six length romp in the Listed King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket, and was also a Listed winner and runner up in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at two.
The beautifully bred four-year-old is out of a FRANKEL half-sister to Champion filly and six time Group 1 winner STACELITA, the dam of dual Japanese Champion filly SOUL STIRRING and the granddam of 2022 Champion three-year-old filly STARS ON EARTH, winner of the Japanese Oaks and 1000 Guineas.
Marco Bozzi Strikes for French Claim at 115,000 Guineas
The high class FRENCH CLAIM boasted some of the best form in the catalogue and proved one of the Tattersalls August Sale’s most sought after lots when selling for 115,000 guineas to Italian bloodstock agent Marco Bozzi on behalf of SBS Global.
Offered by the Castlebridge Consignment, the four-year-old colt was Classic placed at three in the Group 1 Irish Derby and was badly hampered when beaten only five lengths in the St Leger. Trained by Paddy Twomey for Teme Valley Racing, the son of FRENCH FIFTEEN secured a Timeform rating of 114 for a seven and a half length win on his seasonal debut at Navan in March.
"He is for my client Prince Saud Bin Salman and SBS Global," revealed Bozzi. "Prince Saud Bin Salman loved the horse, he liked the rating and his races. The horse is very nice, he moves very well. In Saudi they don't really have fast ground and the dirt is quite deep so it might work for him. He has not run since April - his trainer said that the ground has been too fast for him."
FRENCH CLAIM’s April run yielded a second place finish in the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes to subsequent Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed filly EMILY DICKINSON, with last weekend’s Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes winner BOLSHOI BALLET in third.
Marco Bozzi had earlier struck the winning bid of 100,000 guineas for promising three-year-old PIVOTAL REVIVE on behalf of the same connections. The winner of a Leopardstown maiden for Jessie Harrington and Zhang Yuesheng last week, the colt was offered by Baroda Stud and Bozzi revealed:
"The horse will go to Saudi for the autumn season. He is by Pivotal, looks progressive, is a nice type and vetted well. He will be trained by the prince's trainer Ahmad Abdulwahed, who trained Emblem Road to Saudi Cup success. The trainer will make a plan for the colt once the horse settles into the new routine."
Oliver St Lawrence Secures Bleak for 105,000 Guineas
Bahraini interests were also an active presence at the Tattersalls August Sale with Oliver St Lawrence striking at 105,000 guineas for the progressive three-year-old BLEAK, consigned by William Haggas’ Somerville Lodge. The three-year-old broke his maiden at Lingfield in June by four and three-quarter lengths and was offered with a Timeform rating of 94p.
"He looks a progressive type, and came recommended by William Haggas," commented Oliver St Lawrence. "He is for Fawzi Nass and will probably go to Bahrain. He had a bit of a blip on his last start, but his profile overall is good."
The son of HIGHLAND REEL was bred by James Wigan’s London Thoroughbred Services out of the dual Listed winner ON A CLOUD, a half-sister to the dam of St Leger winner LUCARNO and the Group winners THOUGHT WORTHY, FLYING OFFICER and CORELLI.
Chairman’s Statement
At the conclusion of the 2023 Tattersalls August Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;
“The is only the fourth renewal of the Tattersalls August Sale and numerically the smallest and while we may have been a little short of obvious stars there has been solid demand throughout the day with overseas buyers very much to the fore. Typically for sales of this nature at Tattersalls, buyers from throughout the Gulf region have been particularly active, most notably from Saudi Arabia where the racing continues to go from strength to strength. European, Australian and American buyers have also been active and the domestic demand, both Flat and National Hunt, has been evident at all levels of the market as has the widespread use of the online bidding platform which continues to prove its worth in a busy sales calendar.
“While the figures have fallen short of previous renewals of the Tattersalls August Sale, the fixture offers a valuable service for owners and trainers and is immediately followed by the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale which takes place Tuesday 5th September and has enjoyed a run of spectacular results in recent weeks. Group and Grade 1 winners BRADSELL and ANISETTE have flown the Somerville flag at the very highest level in Britain and America alongside last week's Group 2 Lowther winner RELIEF RALLY and Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb winner INDIAN RUN and we look forward to building on this success next week.”