Lush Lips, the winner of the Oct. 11 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T), drew vigorous bidding Nov. 4 during Book 1 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale that ended with the hammer dropping for $3.7 million.
Consigned as Hip 129 by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, Lush Lips was purchased by Dixiana Farm, which plans to keep the 3-year-old filly in training with Brendan Walsh.
The daughter of group 1 winner Ten Sovereigns has a race record of 4-4-0 from 10 starts and $769,510 in earnings. Arriving stateside in 2024, she has competed in five consecutive stakes races this year, never finishing worse than second and culminating with the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup win.
Lush Lips was bred in England by The Pocock Family and purchased as a yearling by Avenue Bloodstock, Medallion Racing, and Donnacha O'Brien for the equivalent of $103,340 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale in 2023.
"We sponsor the QEII (Cup), so we got to see her win the grade 1 here (at Keeneland)," said Dixiana Farm's William Shively. "We've been trying to get grass fillies that really can run, we bought two today. That's the future for Dixiana, some grass mares from Europe, give us what we want."
Dixiana bought the French-bred La Mehana (Hip 117) moments earlier for $500,000 from the consignment of Denali Stud. The 6-year-old Al Wukair mare, a multiple graded stakes winner on the turf for trainer Christophe Clement and his son Miguel, is a half sister to group 3 winner Ocean Fantasy. She was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect.
Shively said he did not expect to go to $3.7 million for Lush Lips.
"I expected $3 (million), but she was special for us," he said.
Shively was optimistic about the future for Lush Lips, with the ultimate goal being next year's Breeders' Cup World Championships, held at Keeneland.
Her sire Ten Sovereigns was well represented at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar by Balantina who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) for trainer Donnacha O'Brien and owners Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and Lissa Ann McNulty.
"She's one that travels the ground so light, she doesn't hurt herself," Shively said. "I think she could have a long career, very smooth with her action. You saw the QEII, she really accelerated at the end, that's what you need in a grass horse. She's all class.
"I think the Breeders' Cup should be up here all the time. Can you put that out? The new philosophy, let's just have it here, right?"
