WHOEVER buys the horse is the maddest person on the day, or so said Stuart Williams, after going to 190,000gns for Andrew Balding’s improving three-year-old Humam on the opening day of the Tattersalls July Sale.

A two-time winner on the all-weather early in the year, the Kodiac half-brother to Vadream was last seen making all in a seven-furlong handicap at York last month, which saw his rating rise to 92. Tuesday’s price was a drop down from the 260,000gns Al Shaqab paid for him at the venue’s Book 1 Sale, and the €230,000 Tally-Ho Stud pinhooked him for.

Williams, who bought the colt online under the name TY Equine, revealed: “He’s for a new owner to the yard who wanted to have a horse to run at the big tracks. We’ll target some of the big meetings and try to replicate what Andrew’s done with him by winning at places like York.

“He won well last time and looks a solid horse. He’s one we’d hope would carry on improving with age and in line with what his family has done. I don’t know what he’s done lately, he hasn’t run for three or four weeks, but we’ll get him back to the yard and assess him before settling on a target.”

On whether he had valued Humam at that figure, the trainer replied: “Whatever the price is, there’s that many people around the sale and whoever buys the horse is the maddest person on the day because you’re the one who bid the most! That sort of price was what we were expecting to pay, though.”

Frankel fever

Anthony Stroud also bid online to secure Godolphin’s unraced three-year-old filly Rose Arbour for 170,000gns late in the session. The one-half of Stroud Coleman later commented: “She is for an existing client in Ireland. She is a good-looking mare, is by Frankel, is out of a smart stakes-winning Dubawi mare and is from a lovely family.

“Frankel is not only a fantastic stallion, but is an outstanding broodmare sire too, as is Dubawi – she has got the genetics to have a very good chance at stud.”

Rose Arbour’s dam, Crown Walk, was a Group 3 winner in France and later finished second in the Prix Rothschild. In a strange coincidence, the Godolphin filly who finished one place behind her in that Group 1, had one of her daughters sell for 150,000gns on Tuesday.

The six-figure filly, also by Frankel, was knocked down to Tony Fry, stud manager of Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe. Offered with a maiden cover to Pinatubo, the six-furlong winner was bought to visit Bizakov’s Group 1 winner Charyn.

“She looks perfect for Charyn,” Fry commented. “She was quick and is strong, and we are pleased to have got her.” On how the son of Dark Angel has taken to his new role, Fry reported that the three-time Group 1 winner covered 175 mares at 92% fertility.

Good going for Gaelic

Gassim Ghazali paid the same price of 150,000gns for Jorge Alvares later in the day, representing a fine bit of business for Gaelic Thoroughbreds. David Spratt and Phil Burns’ partnership paid 38,000gns for the gelding at the venue’s Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale and sent him to Ger Lyons, for whom he won a Dundalk maiden, placed in a premier handicap at the Curragh and finished fifth at Royal Ascot.

His new trainer revealed that he, too, had been interested in the sprinter last year. “He is a smart horse and will suit the sprint races we have in Qatar,” he said. “My son tried to buy the horse last year and did not – we have had to pay more now!”

Ghazali’s later comments may explain his increased budget this time, as he added: “I had a very good season last year with 62 winners, and only Hamad Al-Jehani for Wathnan had more. Hopefully, this horse will be a winner – I need plenty of good horses to take on Wathnan!”

Having earlier purchased another horse for 65,000gns, Ghazali ended the day as leading buyer. The clearance rate came in at 81%, four points down on last year’s opening figure, when 6% less horses were offered. The average price fell by 15% to 23,127gns, while the median rose by 10% to 11,000gns.