ORCHID Bouquet set a new record price for the Tattersalls July Sale when fetching 550,000gns on Wednesday, but that figure was knocked out of the park at Thursday’s final session, when Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown stretched to 775,000gns for Royal Ascot winner Quai de Bethune.

After seeing off an online bidder and Dr Khaled Salami, Brown, unsurprisingly, confirmed that Andrew Balding’s colt was bought on behalf of Wathnan Racing. “The horse won at Royal Ascot, didn't have the smoothest passage in the race but still found a way to win,” Brown continued.

“It is rare for a Royal Ascot winner to come onto the market, and he is still relatively lightly raced. The plan looks like he is going to go back to Andrew [Balding] with potentially a Middle Eastern campaign ahead , but we will give him a break now.”

The French-bred three-year-old hails from the first crop of Persian King and was bought by Richard Venn and owner Gary Gillies at BBAG for €75,000. Team Valor joined ownership after his debut third and the bay has progressed since then, winning a Kempton maiden and placing in the London Gold Cup, before landing the Golden Gate Stakes off a rating of 93.

Expensive potential

After a relatively subdued morning session, trade picked up after racing, with the record setter sandwiched between 210,000gns and 160,000gns sales, all sold by Balding’s Kingsclere Stables.

The former price demonstrated the strength of the market, as General Admission sold as a seven-race maiden, officially rated 73. Rated 80 by Timeform, the three-year-old son of Kameko was knocked down to Ali A Aneizi, who after signing as Al Watan Club, commented: “It is the same story – he is for the big race in Libya, I think he will get the Classic distance, and he is a very sound horse.”

Stablemate Time Allowed gained his maiden win since the catalogue was printed, earning him a rating of 85 and 160,000gns from Australian training partnership Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.

Speaking from Australia, Busuttin explained: “We have been active buyers over the last three or four years at Tattersalls and we have had great luck with similarly lightly raced sorts of horses as this.

“He looks like an improving and progressive type and fits the criteria to go through the grades here in Australia. He will be syndicated.”

Thorne off the mark

Early trade was led by Harry Eustace’s three-time winner Sir Les Patterson. Stephen Thorne went to for the four-year-old, who will carry the colours of Shamrock Thoroughbreds. Thorne is hoping there is more to come from the Zoustar gelding, he divulged: “He has got a high Timeform rating on his last couple of starts on the all-weather and the turf, and he could make up into a premier handicap horse at home.

“There might be a bit more to come and, down the road, he could develop into a horse with stakes potential, he is still a very lightly-raced sprinter. There is something of a lack of sprinters at home, and so I think he will fit the programme well. He might always be one to travel, if he gets his rating up a bit, too.”

Reflecting on trade this week, the Co Meath-based trainer commented: “It has been tough week to try and buy what we wanted, and we were beaten on a couple yesterday. We have to pay plenty for these horses, but we need them on our side so we can get the yard to the next level.

“We are just very happy to secure a nice horse here – the horse came highly recommended by his former trainer Harry Eustace, and I know he was hoping to keep hold of the horse himself.”

At the close of business on Thursday, 88% of 639 horses offered had sold, generating turnover of 16,981,700gns. The median leapt by 36% to 15,000gns, a record set in 2022 and up from 11,000gns 12 months ago. The average price increased by 17% to 30,015gns, the second highest in the sale’s history.