Racehorse Just The Judge (pictured) has sold for 4.5m guineas — becoming the highest priced filly in British auction history.
The Irish 1,000 Guineas winner sold to Sheikh Fahad and the China Horse Club for 4,500,000 guineas at Tattersalls yesterday (Tuesday 2 December).
By Lawman and out of the Rainbow Quest mare Faraday Light, Just The Judge has won five times from 14 starts. She has been ridden in the past 11 races by Jamie Spencer, and also won won the Grade One EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, Canada, in October.
Just The Judge was the first Classic-winning filly to be offered at Tattersalls in the past two decades.
The four-year-old was bought by her part owner Sheikh Fahad for 4.5m, buying out the Sangster family, his previous partner, and then gaining a new one in The China Horse Club.
Mary Hambro put in an opening bid of 500,000 guineas, before Sheikh Fahad and Hugo Lascelles became involved. James Delahooke, with Barry Weisbord on the phone, then began bidding, but Sheikh Fahad stood firm going to 4.5m
“This is a new, one-off tie-up with The China Horse Club,” said David Redvers, Sheikh Fahad’s racing manager.
“This has allowed us to race another year with her and keep her — as she was our first Classic winner, we were not going to give her up easily. This fits the Club’s aims too.
“She will come back to Tweenhills [in Gloucestershire] for a holiday and then go back to trainer Charlie Hills. She is healthy and well and running as well as ever — she won the EP Taylor only a month ago!
“We will campaign in the best races, get the best possible opportunities, and then she will retire to Tweenhills and visit the best stallions in the world.
“If anyone wanted a template for a racehorse, they just need to look at her – she is athletic and beautiful and has a fantastic temperament.”
The second day of the Tattersalls December sales saw a total of 173 lots sell for 29,188,595 guineas, at an average of 168,720 guineas and a median of 70,000 guineas.
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