Pilgrim Soul tops Tattersalls Ascot August Sale for Andrew Balding and Kerry Lee

The daughter of Yeats, Pilgrim Soul became the top lot at the Tattersalls Ascot Sale when knocked down to trainer Kerry Lee for £40,000. The turnover for the sale concluded at £423,200 while the average finished at £5,038, the median at £2,500 and an improved clearance rate of 87 per cent. 

Consigned by Andrew Balding’s Park Stables, the three-year-old daughter of multiple Gold Cup winner Yeats has been placed on five of her seven starts for Balding and will now take up residence with Kerry Lee with an introduction to National Hunt racing. She is a half-sister to Roserrow, twice a winner over hurdles.

Consigning at Tattersalls Ascot Sales for the first time, the dispersal of The Jockey Club South West Syndicate provided the catalogue with some highly sought-after horses. All winners, their draft took third, fourth and fifth top prices with The Last But One, a four-time winner for Paul Nicholls being knocked down to Tom and Casey Malone for £32,000, Timeforwest, winner of three hurdle races and two chases for Jonjo O’Neill knocked down to Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock for £18,500 and Final Choice, twice a winner on the flat for Warren Greatrex knocked down to John Morton for £17,000.

Godolphin were again leading consignor of the day with nine lots selling for a total of £93,600 and a top price of £37,000 for Parfait, a son of The Irish National Stud stalwart Invincible Spirit. The four-year-old holds three successes to his CV to date and was knocked down to the combination of Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock and Federico Barberini.

At the conclusion of the sale, Tattersalls Ireland Director of Horses in Training Sales Richard Pugh commented;

“Tattersalls Ascot Sales again has witnessed high demand denoted by a clearance rate of 87 per cent and continues be recognised as a venue for the industry to both sell and purchase. It was a nice welcome for new clients here today such as The Jockey Club South West Syndicate who have enjoyed so much success with their horses, each a winner coming here, and trusted this venue to conduct their dispersal. It was also pleasing to gain support from trainers such as Andrew Balding and Kerry Lee, who facilitated the sale of our top lot, Pilgrim Soul for £40,000. 

“Promotion of the second edition of our Ascot Yearling Sale is now at an advanced stage and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to this venue on Tuesday 11 September.”