Almost four years to the day after trading through the Tattersalls auction ring as a 55,000 guineas weanling, Saffron Beach returned to become the sixth most expensive thoroughbred sold at auction anywhere in the world this year.
The 3,600,000 guineas (USD4,550,000) paid for the China Horse Club bred mare by HRH Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s owned Najd Stud represented a 6500 percent return on the mark she realized when traded in 2018 to promote the first crop of New Bay who the club holds a significant stake in.
Saffron Beach’s final price has only been bettered by five exceptional mares headed by U.S. champion Gamine and British champion Alcohol Free.
“Saffron Beach has realized the highest ever auction resale price for a graduate from any of our international breeding programmes, superseding the 2021 auction results of Valiance (USD3,000,000) and Kimari (USD2,700,000),” said Eden Harrington, China Horse Club’s Vice President.
“It is a fantastic result for her ownership group headed by the Sangster family and James Wigan. Saffron Beach looks to have so much still to offer and hopefully she can reward HRH Prince Faisal throughout 2023.”
Saffron Beach may target the USD20 million Saudi Cup after Saudi’s Najd Stud fended off bids by a slew of international suitors to secure her last night.
“[Saffron Beach] is in good order and she’s tough and I believe she’ll get the nine furlongs out in Saudi. You never know about the surface but we’ll give it a go,” said trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam after the sale.
Earlier in the day, China Horse Club secured Melodic Charm, a half-sister to Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior. The lightly raced mare is in foal to Dark Angel and will head to France’s Monceaux Stud ahead of a planned mating with Siyouni in 2023.
The strength of China Horse Club’s breeding programme was reinforced when Secretive (Justify x Media Mischief colt) posted an impressive debut win at Deauville yesterday. The Monceaux based Media Mischief foaled down a quality Siyouni colt in 2021 and was covered by Siyouni Southern Hemisphere time ahead of being relocated to Australia.