Just The Judge won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in May 2013.

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Sheikh Fahad Al Thani buys Just the Judge for 4.5 million guineas

The purchase is a British auction record for a filly in training

Sheikh Fahad enters into a new co-ownership with the China Horse Club

CNN  — 

They say it is the sport of kings, and a king’s ransom has been paid for a single horse at auction house Tattersalls.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Fahad Al Thani from the Royal Family of Qatar shelled out 4.5 million guineas ($7.3m) for Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Just the Judge, making her the highest-priced filly in training in British auction history.

On what was the second day of Tattersalls’ December sale, nearly $50m exchanged hands in a litany of purchases.

Somewhat bizarrely, Sheikh Fahad already had part ownership of the filly, but was buying out the Sangsters – a family with a rich history in racehorse ownership and breeding – in partnership with new co-owners the China Horse Club.

It was the first time a Classic-winning filly had been up for sale at Tattersalls for more than two decades.

The bidding war at the notorious auction house in Newmarket, England, had opened at 500,000 guineas, before Sheik Fahad battled it out successfully with James Delahooke and Barry Weisbord.

However, the monstrous price tag fell just shy of the 5m guineas ($8.2m) paid last year by Sheikh Joaan Al Thani – also from Qatar – for an unraced, untrained and untested filly bred from Galileo.

The purchase means Just the Judge will remain in Qatar Racing silks next season and continue her partnership with trainer Charlie Hills.

Bloodstock agent David Redvers, who acts on behalf of Sheikh Fahad, told Tattersalls: “This is a new one-off tie-up with the China Horse Club.

“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.

“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.”

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