Mermaid Island tops Tattersalls opener

The newly expanded Tattersalls July Sale enjoyed a strong opening session

Tuesday in Newmarket, with MERMAID ISLAND (Mujadil) leading the charge with a

record final bid of 290,000gns. The four-year-old mare, in foal to

Galileo (Ire), was consigned by Bill and Tara Dwan's Castelbridge Consignment

and was purchased by Hugo Merry Bloodstock. Charlie Gordon-Watson and Richard

Brown were underbidders on the highest-priced mare ever to sell at the July

Sale. The stakes-placed Mermaid Island is a half-sister to Irish One Thousand

Guineas (Ire-G1) winner Nighttime (Galileo [Ire]) and is carrying a

three-quarter sibling to that classic winner. Merry purchased the mare on behalf

of the Fleming family's Tyreel Stud in New South Wales, Australia.

The old mark was surpassed and then tied even before Mermaid Island

entered the ring Tuesday, as first PARK ROMANCE (Dr Fong) and then LUCINA

(Machiavellian) attracted bids of 200,000gns. Park Romance, in foal to last

year's Epsom Derby winner Motivator, was purchased by Ronan Burns, son of Lodge

Park Stud principal Seamus Burns. The Burns family bred Park Romance and

consigned her to the 2003 Tattersalls Houghton Yearling Sale where she also sold

for 200,000gns. The group-placed mare was consigned by Elms Stud, agent. Lucina,

in foal to Bertolini, was consigned by Darley and was purchased by Paul McCartan,

bidding on behalf of Epona Management Ltd. The four-year-old mare is a

half-sister to Group 3 winner Blue Monday ((Darshaan), who placed in last

weekend's Coral-Eclipse S. (Eng-G1).

For the session, 179 lots sold for 4,877,400gns. The average was 27,248gns

and the median was 15,000gns. The four-session sale continues Wednesday.