Wednesday, 7 July 2010: The Tattersalls July Sale got off to a solid start on July 6 when 147 breeding stock lots sold for 1,818,900 guineas.
With a clearance rate of 78 % including six private sales, the average for the day was 12,373 guineas and the median 5000 guineas.
The opening session was topped by the unraced three-year-old Pivotal filly Flag Day, who was knocked down to agent Amanda Skiffington for 115,000 guineas.
The Darley consigned filly is a daughter of the European Champion two-year-old Danzig filly Blue Duster and a half-sister to Blue Symphony, dam of the Group 1 placed filly Fantasia.
Skiffington purchased the filly on behalf of Oakgrove Stud's John Deer.
Skiffington and Deer had earlier been underbidder on the Cape Cross filly Cross Section who was offered in foal to Dubawi.
The half-sister to the Listed winners Il Warrd and Coy is out of the Machiavellian mare Demure and was knocked down to London based agent Charlie Gordon-Watson for 110,000 guineas on behalf of US breeder Bill McAlpin's Greenwood Lodge Farm.
Oakgrove Stud's John Deer made his presence felt again when he secured the Mediciean filly Zarkavean for 75,000 guineas via Amanda Skiffington.
A daughter of the Darshaan mare Zafadola, third in the Group 1 Irish St Leger and dam of the Group 3 winner Emily Bronte and Listed winner Zelanda, Zarkavean was consigned to the sale by Bill & Tara Dwan's The Castlebridge Consignment in foal to the G1 Prix du Moulin winner Aqlaam.
Margaret O'Toole secured the dam of the recent Listed National Stakes winner Dinkum Diamond for 65,000 guineas. The daughter of Lomitas was offered with an Excellent Art filly foal at foot.
A recent lifting on the ban on the importation of mares from the UK into India had an immediate effect on the opening day with locally based agent Anthony Stroud buying six lots bought on behalf of Indian clients for a total of 178,500 guineas.
