THE Mariga family's Coolmara Stables made a first venture into flat breeding when paying a total of 400,000gns for two of the top lots on day one of the Tattersalls July Sale in Newmarket.

Based in Youghal, Co Cork, Coolmara is best known as a leading consignor at National Hunt sales. Just last month Coolmara sold a half-brother to Douvan and Jonbon for €250,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

The farm has 28 National Hunt mares and they will now be joined by fillies by Dubawi and Frankel.

Coolmara's most expensive purchase was Over The Rainbow, a four-year-old filly by Dubawi out of dual Oaks winner Seventh Heaven, in foal to St Mark's Basilica. She cost 270,000gns.

Bred by Coolmore, Over The Rainbow ran twice for Aidan O'Brien last year and finished second on both occasions. A full-sister to winner and recent Group 3 runner-up Boogie Woogie, she was brought to Tattersalls by The Castlebridge Consignment.

Paul McGrath, Coolmara farm manager, saod: "This is a new division for us. We have been talking about getting a flat broodmare band up together for some time. We decided we'd make a dart this week. She was not easily bought and went for a bit more than we thought, but we are delighted to have her.

"She is a foundation flat broodmare. She has a good covering and she has a good pedigree – it s hard to get. We will make stallion plans once we have got the foal from here. We want to keep the quality up, and we will take it one step at a time as regards developing a flat band of mares. We will be aiming to operate on a commercial basis."

A little earlier, Coolmara paid 130,000gns for Pansy, an unraced three-year-old daughter of Frankel in foal to Wootton Bassett.

The rest of the session was dominated by Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland, who bought four of the top five lots. All four of them were daughters of Galileo, aged no more than four.

Donohoe paid 350,000gns for Sweet And Lovely, an unraced four-year-old in foal to Wootton Bassett. The BBA man gave 330,000gns for Different Light, a three-year-old own-sister to Grade 1 winner Deauville. The filly raced twice in France and may now be covered by either Siyouni or Baaeed.

"The Siyouni-Galileo cross has worked pretty well, and we also think that this mare and Baaeed could match well physically," he said. "I know it is a bit of an in-cross - Baaeed, Galileo and Urban Sea - but Shadwell has been sending some Galileo mares to him.

"The probable choice will be Siyouni – he has achieved so much in particular this year – and then Baaeed. She is tall, there is plenty of size and scope to her, and she has good action. She will suit either stallion."

Donohoe's other big money purchase was Godolphin's Evening Hush, an unraced three-year-old out of the multiple Grade 1 winner Wuheida.

Godolphin were the leading consignors on Tuesday, selling 30 lots for just over two million guineas.

BBA Ireland topped the purchasers' table, spending 1.3 million guineas on seven horses.

The four-day sale continues on Wednesday and concludes on Friday.

DAY ONE STATISTICS (no corresponding day last year)

Catalogued: 300

Offered: 215

Sold: 188

Aggregate: 7,179,300gns

Median: 16,000gns

Average: 38,188gns

Clearance rate: 87%