Cover image courtesy of Zuzanna Lupa photography
Courtesy of TDN Europe
At a glance
>> Overall, the session finished with 92 of 126 horses offered sold, marking a clearance rate of 73 per cent. A total of €13,592,000 (AU$22,057,029) changed hands and the median price sat at €125,000 (AU$202,849).
>> Direct comparisons are not being made by Arqana to its traditional August Sale. For the last seven years in August, the average price has been a six-figure sum, hitting a record high of €187,671 (AU$305,493) in 2019. But a first-day average of €147,739 (AU$240,491) this year can be viewed as a decent start to the sale.
>> Godolphin returned to the buying bench and took home the top lot, a Dubawi (Ire) filly for €620,000 (AU$1,006,133).
>> Dubawi topped the leading sires by average at €326,667 (AU$531,753) from three lots sold, while Ballylinch sire Lope De Vega (Ire) led the market by aggregate grossing €1,550,000 (AU$2,523,112) for his five lots on offer.
>> Oceanic Bloodstock was the leading buying grossing €1,060,000 (AU$1,725,483) for the eight lots purchased, followed by French trainer Jean-Claude Rouget who spent €945,000 (AU$1,538,284) across nine lots and Godolphin outlayed €880,000 (AU$1,432,476) for their two purchases.
The prominent team of Anthony Stroud and Godolphin struck on the opening day of the Arqana Select Sale in Deauville on Wednesday, purchasing a Dubawi (Ire) filly for a session-topping €620,000 (AU$1,006,133).
The filly, who was consigned by Baroda Stud and is out of G3 Almased Cup winner Daytona Bay (GB) (Motivator {GB}), became the second purchase of the afternoon by Sheikh Mohammad’s buying team of Stroud and David Loder, who held off underbidder Fawzi Nass.
“She is a very beautiful filly, very athletic with a very beautiful model,” Stroud said. “We have already had a lot of success with Dubawi.
“There was a lot of interest in the filly so we are very happy. We are delighted to be here in Deauville.”
A last minute decision to come to France with his own select Baroda Stud draft for the first time paid off for David Cox and he was delighted with the filly’s sale.
“As it happened four people followed her in so there was plenty of action for her,” Cox said. “We had been worried when it looked like a lot of the English people wouldn’t be able to travel to the Sale but plenty have made the trip and this filly showed herself well all week. It’s a great result.”
“As it happened four people followed her in so there was plenty of action for her." - David Cox
Daytona Bay, winner of the G3 Hamburger Stutenpreis for breeder Gestut Hof Itlingen, had foaled two previous fillies by Kingman (GB) and Pivotal (GB), both of whom are in training in their native Germany.
The 10-year-old mare is herself a daughter of the treble Listed winner Daytona (Ger) (Lando {Ger}) from a dynasty which has served the Ostermann family well over the years and includes the grandam’s full brother, G1 Deutschland Preis winner Donaldson (Ger).
Stroud had stepped in early in the day to sign for Lot 14, a son of Lope De Vega (Ire) from Haras d’Etreham at €260,000 (AU$421,926). The colt is out of the G2 Park Hill S.-placed Alta Lilea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and was bred by Federico and Jennifer Bianco.
Love for Lope
Ballylinch Stud’s Lope De Vega has been enjoying another good season and at Arqana his colts in particular were in demand on the opening day, with three of his most expensive horses being out of mares by Galileo (Ire) or by his son Teofilo (Ire).
Sebastian Desmontils, buying under his Chauvigny Global Equine banner, was pushed to €480,000 (AU$778,942) for Lot 23, a son of the winning Teofilo mare Attractive Lady (GB).
The 8-year-old mares’s half-siblings include the G1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan H. winner Desert Blanc (Fr) (Desert Style {Ire}) and to Listed winner Lumiere Noire (Fr) (Dashing Blade {GB}), who is in turn the dam of this year’s G1 2000 Guineas runner-up Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}).
Desmontils said of the Haras du Mezeray-bred colt, “I was very happy to be able to buy him for my Japanese client because there were lots of people on him. He was a great mover and he has such a lovely page - from one of the best French families.”
An easy-moving colt by the same stallion and offered by Haras des Capucines (Lot 93) will eventually make his way to Hong Kong after being bought by Mick Kinane on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club for €420,000 (AU$681,574).
“He was my pick of the Sale and looks every inch a racehorse,” Kinane said. “The stallion has international appeal and he works for us.”
“He was my pick of the Sale and looks every inch a racehorse." - Mick Kinane
Bred by a partnership which includes Eric Puerari, Michel Zerolo and OTI Racing, the colt is a son of the Galileo mare Foreign Legionary (Ire), whose best offspring, Mantastic (Ire) (Fastnet Rock), won the Listed CS Hayes Memorial Cup in Australia.
Foreign Legionary is herself a half-sister to Alexander Goldrun (Ire) (Gold Away {Fr}), who will be remembered by the fans at Sha Tin for her victory in the G1 Hong Kong Cup. Her outstanding career for Jim Bolger included top-flight wins in the Nassau S., Pretty Polly S. and the Prix de l’Opera.
Lope De Vega had five yearlings sell on Wednesday for an average of €310,000 (AU$503,066).
Kinane was back eight lots later for Lot 101, a colt from the first crop of Haras d’Etreham’s champion galloper Almanzor (Fr) and a half-brother to G1 Shadwell Turf Mile winner Miss Temple City (USA) (Temple City {USA}).
Offered by the Sale’s regular leading vendor Ecurie des Monceaux, the son of Glittering Tax (USA) (Artax {USA}}) was the most expensive by his sire on Day 1 at €280,000 (AU$454,382).
Also fairing well on the first day of the premier French Sale was the progeny of Shalaa (Ire), as he had two yearling fillies make six figure sums.
The first was a daughter of dual Listed winner Brasileira (GB) (Dubai Destination {USA}) who sold to Frédéric Sauque for €300,000 (AU$487,606) from the draft of Sablonnets. Brasileira is also responsible for Listed Prix Solitude and Leopardstown Silver S. scorer Bolleville (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and is a half-sister to G1 Prix de Diane third Sandbar (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
The second Shalaa to sell for six figures was the daughter of Mandeera (USA) (Bernardini {USA}), who was snapped up by Al Shaqab Racing for €260,000 (AU$422,592). Mandeera herself is out of multiple Group 1 winner Mandesha (USA) (Desert Style {Ire}).
