New Name Enters Fray at Tattersalls July Sale

Back down to three days after a bumper four-day run last year, the Tattersalls July Sale retains its earlier Tuesday start for this year. Despite the rise of online sales and pop-up offerings, this is a fixture in the calendar that retains its popularity and increases in success year on year. For breeders, it is a welcome pause after the foaling season and ahead of the start of serious yearling prep, offering the chance to stock up on a mare or two, while owners and trainers can rely on plenty of vibrancy to the buying bench for the horses-in-training sessions.

Consign Ltd is a new name on the vendors' list at this sale and, unsurprisingly, the company run by Harriet Jones and Chloe Battam does exactly as its name suggests.

With a range of experience in the racing and sales worlds, the partners decided to go into business together at this time last year, and they bring a draft of 18 horses to Tattersalls this week.

“We just felt that there was a gap in the market and I approached Chloe about doing this. She had similar ideas to me and we decided we'd join up and do it together,” says Jones.

“I've always had a very strong interest in the bloodstock side. I worked for Karl Burke for a long time and he buys all his own yearlings and sources his own stock and I ran the horses-in-training sales for him. I've worked at sales around the world and always enjoyed that side of the business as much as I did the racing side.”

Consign Ltd is based in Newmarket but offers its services beyond Tattersalls and in the online market as well, with set fees for bespoke Bronze, Silver and Gold packages depending on the needs of the owner, trainer or breeder.

Battam has worked for Sir Mark Prescott and Godolphin, as well as for leading sales consignor Jamie Railton. She also runs her own social media and marketing company. She says, “Our goal is to provide a service that is accessible to all clients at any level. That's why we set up the tailored packages. We tried to make it so there was something for everybody, and I think that sets us slightly apart from other consignors.

“One thing that we are really strong on is being very transparent about our pricing. There are no hidden fees.”

Jones adds, “The feedback we've had from trainers has been really good, it helps them if they are able to tell their owners exactly what it will cost them to send a horse to the sales.”

As part of the Bronze package, Consign Ltd offers what is effectively administrative support for clients who want to consign their own horses.

“I think that's one thing that other people aren't currently doing,” says Battam. “We are selling 18 horses at Tattersalls, but we've done all the photos, documentation, door cards and so on for Richard Fahey's Musley Bank draft.”

Among that draft of 18 lots are two mares in foal to Sergei Prokofiev on the opening day, along with horses in training from various stables.

“We've been really lucky with the support we've had so far and we are delighted with the draft for July. Karl and Kelly Burke have been a massive help in driving the support for us,” says Jones.

“We're very grateful to a number of Newmarket trainers, too – Amy Murphy, Dylan Cunha and James Horton have also supported us.”

As ever, the catalogue for the Tattersalls July Sale provides a little bit of something for everyone. Those on the search for well-related breeding prospects will doubtless be perusing the drafts from major owner-breeders such as Godolphin and Juddmonte.

Among 54 lots from Godolphin are 28 fillies and mares, including the eight-year-old  Menuetto (GB), who is being offered in foal to Teofilo (Ire) as lot 246. The daughter of Dubawi {Ire}) is out of Measured Tempo (GB), a Listed-winning daughter of Sadler's Wells and Allez Les Trois. A member of this illustrious family, Frequential (GB) (Dansili {GB}), was sold by Godolphin for 48,000gns at Tattersalls back in 2017 and she now features as the dam of this year's Irish Derby winner Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).

Juddmonte meanwhile offers lot 558, Anacapa (GB), a three-year-old Frankel (GB) filly out of the Grade I winner Ventura (Chester House) whose full-sister Fount (GB) won the G3 Prix de Lieurey.

Among the wild-card entries in the Castlebridge Consignment is lot 200B, the juvenile Sands Of Marra (Ire). The first-crop son of Sands Of Mali (Fr) is trained by Ollie Sangster and his recent win at Windsor gave a timely boost to his dam Revived (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who also features in the catalogue as lot 70. The eight-year-old mare, from the family of top sprinter Dream Ahead, is back in foal to Sands Of Mali and is among a sizeable draft offered by Dullingham Park.

The first horse will be in the ring at Park Paddocks at 9.30am on Tuesday, with trade set to begin at the same time over the following two mornings. Thursday features two sessions, before and after the top-class racing action on the first day of the Newmarket July Festival.