EAMONN Reilly of BBA Ireland bought the top lot at Thursday's session of the Tattersalls July Sale when spending 330,000gns on the three-year-old filly Balalaika.

A daughter of No Nay Never, Balalaika was trained by Rebecca Menzies to finish third in the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot last month, off a mark of 86. She carried the colours of Lady Ogden.

Among the bidders for the filly were Gavin Hernon, Matt Coleman, and Mark McStay, but the action developed into a two-way battle between Reilly, standing in his usual place by the back wall, and Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, who was in his regular spot on the short stairs.

The two traded blows from the 250,000gns mark, right through to 330,000gns, which saw the Irish agent successful.

"She is for an existing client," said Reilly. "There are no plans, but she will stay in training and although no trainer has been decided she will probably stay in the UK. Her last run was very promising, and she has been brought as a long-term broodmare prospect for the client.

"She is good topped filly, has a good walk and behaved very well up here. There is plenty happening with the pedigree."

That pedigree action includes Bluestocking (by Camelot), who also finished third at Royal Ascot collecting her first group race blacktype with her placing in the Ribblesdale Stakes on just her third start.

Balalaika is out of the unraced Frankel mare War And Peace, a half-sister to Bluestocking, the pair out of Emulous (by Dansili), winner of the Matron Stakes.

Off to Australia

The progressive Whiskey On The Hill was sold by Ado McGuinness's Skylark House Stables for 135,000gns and will go to Australia.

The docket was signed by Armando Duarte on behalf of agent Paul Moroney and the southern hemisphere-based Ballymore Stables.

The three-year-old son of Ribchester won his third start in succession last time out when taking a 12-furlong 47-75 handicap at Roscommon off a mark of 76. He is now rated 83.

"This is the only horse we looked at, we liked him and he fitted our profile," said Duarte. "He will head straight to Australia on the next shipment. He is very similar to a Juddmonte horse we bought a few years ago called Emissary.. Let's hope he is lucky for them."

Emissary certainly went on to make a mark Down Under – he won the Group 3 Geelong Cup and was runner-up in 2022 Group 1 Melbourne Cup.

Ballymore has training yards in Flemington, Australia, and Matamata in New Zealand.

Weld winner

Jerry McGrath gave 100,000gns for the two-year-old winner Tiverton, a three-year-old son of Expert Eye trained by Dermot Weld for Juddmonte.

"He is going to the US," said McGrath. "As a young man I worked for Dermot Weld, I have a few contacts there still and they told me how highly this horse was regarded, particularly as a two-year-old."

Tiverton won his juvenile maiden on his third start, and finished in mid-division as a two-year-old in the Group 3 Killavullan Stakes. He has only run twice at three.

The four-day sale concludes on Friday morning.