MOST records were smashed at the 2017 Tattersalls July Sale which concluded with a final session after racing last Friday. The top price of 330,000gns failed to beat the sale’s best of 460,000gns, but the aggregate, average and median were all in territories not seen before.

At the end of the sale chairman Edmond Mahony said: “The Tattersalls July Sale continues to go from strength to strength. The 2016 renewal produced record turnover and average as well as an 88% clearance rate, and this year’s sale has made gains across the board with turnover approaching 15 million guineas, an average well over 25,000gns and a remarkable clearance rate of almost 90%.

“The figures look even more impressive when considering that as recently as 2012 the July Sale turnover was below five million guineas and the average price was less than 12,000gns.

“Tribute should be paid to the consignors whose consistent support of the July Sale has made it an important international fixture which regularly attracts buyers from more than 30 different countries. The significant consignments from Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms and Shadwell have yet again been particularly eagerly sought after, with Godolphin fillies fetching three of the top five highest prices including the 300,000gns Time Check.

“Strong international demand for quality breeding stock is always an encouraging sign, but arguably the feature of this week’s sale has been the apparently insatiable demand for horses in training at all levels of the market.

“The combined clearance rate for the horses and fillies in training sold on days two and three was an extraordinary 95%, further enhancing the July Sale’s reputation as Europe’s premier midsummer sale.”

The sale-topper emerged late on Friday, as indeed did five lots who brought 100,000gns or more. John Gosden’s consignment contained a pair of them, headed by the sale for 330,000gns of the three-year-old Galileo maiden Asanta Sana. An own-sister to Group 3 winner Pretty Perfect and out of an Australian Group 3-winning full-sister to Holy Roman Emperor, her attraction was obvious. Bloodstock agents Andrew Williams and Cathy Grassick fought most of the battle to secure here but Saeed Manana, Rabbah Bloodstock, landed the telling punch to acquire her.

“We will send her back into training,” said Manana, “to my trainer James Tate.” Tate added: “We will try and win a race with her, and then she will join Saeed’s broodmare band. She will come straight back to us and we will ready her for a race in the autumn.”

The second member of the Clarehaven Stables draft to make a mark was the four-year-old Kyllachy gelding Castle Harbour, a dual winner last year over seven furlongs. He cost Linden Lodge Bloodstock’s Greg Chung 105,000gns and will head to race now in Hong Kong.

Michael Halford sent the Godolphin-owned Allography to the sale with an update, a recent win over a mile at Bellewstown bringing his tally of victories in 2017 to three. The son of Iffraaj, a winner on the all-weather as well as the turf, will now continue his career in Qatar after Jassim Ghazali paid 185,000gns for him.

Another purchase who had his passport stamped for export was Qatar Man, though his final destination is Singapore. Marco Botti trained the son of Archarcharch to land a mile maiden at two and he was listed-placed in the UAE where he also finished fourth in the Group 3 2000 Guineas. Elite Bloodstock Singapore, comprising Sennet Ho and Aloysius Chew, paid 150,000gns for the three-year-old.

There was an air of poignancy as the first of the lots to be sold as part of the Ballymacoll Stud dispersal was offered for sale.

The seven-year-old Monsun entire Arab Spring is a dual Group 3 winner, a Royal Ascot winner and earner of almost £220,000 in prizemoney.

A half-brother to Group 1 winner Glass Harmonium and out of a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and champion Conduit, he sold for 100,000gns to Rashad Bouresly and will head to the UAE to race, before a possible stud career.