China Horse Club Goes to $1.1M for Hourglass

China Horse Club continued support for Justify  Nov. 6 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, with Mick Wallace bidding to $1.1 million for a Galileo mare in foal to the Triple Crown winner.

Hourglass, a 4-year-old mare, is from the family of multiple grade/group 1 winner Street Cry and is a half sister to Shamardal. She was consigned as Hip 256 by Paramount Sales and is carrying her first foal.

"She'll go back to Ireland. Obviously with her pedigree, she's got a lot of value in Europe," Wallace said. "There's a lot of strength in their European broodmare band, and I'm sure she'll fit into that very nicely."

Hourglass was bred in Ireland by March Thoroughbreds and raced twice in England for the Coolmore connections. Wednesday was her first time through the sales ring. She is out of the Machiavellian mare Helsinki, who is a sister to Street Cry. Named UAE's Horse of the Year, Street Cry won the Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) before a successful stud career.

Hourglass's half brother Shamardal was a four-time group 1 winner in England and France and stands at Godolphin's Kildangan Stud in Ireland. Helsinki is also the dam of group 2 winner Geoffrey Chaucer and stakes-placed Diamond Necklace, the dam of multiple stakes winner Dogtag.

"We've looked at a few (Galileo mares in foal to Justify) that we've crossed, and we bought one last night over at (Fasig-Tipton). It's on the same cross, a Galileo stakes-winning mare," Wallace said. "Obviously, we have great faith in Justify. We've all seen what these sort of stallions with his ability can be, and we know once we put the progeny in the sales ring, they're going to light the place up."

China Horse Club also purchased Easter Lily, another Galileo mare in foal to Justify, for $850,000 at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's breeding stock sale in Lexington Nov. 5. Easter Lily was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.