Written by TDN Europe and Keely Mckitterick
Cover image courtesy of Arqana
On the eve of the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the action-filled opening day at Paris Longchamp, crowds gathered at Arqana’s Arc Sale at Saint-Cloud on Saturday evening.
The Arqana Arc Sale is held in a unique format, annually offering buyers the chance to purchase horses with entries on Arc Day, making it a proper and irresistible draw.
Of the 32 horses that sold from 42 offered (76.2 per cent), 26 made six figures or more for a gross of €9,811,000 (AU$16.15 million). The average and median also outpaced last year's figures at €306,594 (AU$504,700) and €245,000 (AU$403,300).
A drawcard of the sale was the G1 Preis der Diana heroine Muskoka (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who was knocked down for €1.3 million (AU$2.14 million) to leading buyer BBA Ireland. The price was the highest at the Arc Sale since 2016 when G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Toulifaut (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and G2 Rockfel S. victress Spain Burg (Fr) (Sageburg {Ire}) made €1.9 million (AU$3.13 million) and €1.5 million (AU$2.47 million) respectively.
Lot 38 - Muskoka (Ger) sold to BBA Ireland for €1.3 million (AU$2.14 million) | Image courtesy of Arqana
Sold as Lot 38 as part of leading vendor OH Consignment's draft, the Classic-winning filly was bred by Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten of Liberty Racing. She is engaged in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Opera on Sunday.
BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe said, “I've bought her for one of my clients that has horses-in-training and breeds horses worldwide. She'll run in the Prix de l'Opera tomorrow and we'll then decide on a plan for her future. You don't have the opportunity to buy a Group 1 winner every day, so we're very happy. Her trainer has done an excellent job with her and she has a great pedigree for breeding.”
“You don't have the opportunity to buy a Group 1 winner every day, so we're very happy. Her (Muskoka) trainer has done an excellent job with her and she has a great pedigree for breeding.” - Michael Donohoe
An €80,000 (AU$131,700) graduate of the BBAG September Yearling Sale, Muskoka also has wins in the G3 Brummerhofer Stuten-Meile and Listed Henkel Stutenpreis to her credit besides her G1 Preis der Diana victory in 2023. Trained by Henk Grewe, she formerly raced in the colours of Stall Golden Goal. Her dam is a half-sister to dual French Classic winner Brametot (Ire), who stands at Gestut Ebbesloh. Under the third dam is influential German sire and top runner Monsun (Ger).
BBA Ireland purchased four heads for a total of €2,050,000 (AU$3.37 million) and an average of €512,500 (AU$843,600).
Starspangledbanner, who sired Friday's G2 Rockfel S. winner Carla's Way (Ire), was also responsible for the third highest lot on Saturday with Lot 44, Laulne (Fr), successful in the G3 Prix Six Perfections and placed twice more at that tier this season. Consigned by Yann Barberot, the bay, like Freville, was another Franklin Finance-bred, who earned group distinction in Augustin-Normand's silks. Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency purchased the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte entry-holder for €750,000 (AU$1,234,600).
Blue Point's (Ire) two-time winner Mondrial (GB) (Lot 53) was a €370,000 (AU$608,600) buy from Jean-Claude Rouget, while the G3 Prix de la Grotte third Palerma (Fr) (Alex The Winner {USA}) (Lot 3) cost €230,000 (AU$378,300) from the consignment of Nanon Scandella-Lacaille. Rounding out the quartet was the Listed-winning Kizuna (Jpn) colt Yoozuna (Ire) (Lot 23) at €150,000 (AU$246,700) from the Wertheimer et Frere draft.
Private purchase catches eye
Initially a seven-figure buy back by her vendor, G3 Prix d'Aumale heroine Freville (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}) (Lot 25) was later reported sold at €1 million (AU$1.645 million) as a private sale from Haras du Cadran in partnership with Ecurie Melanie for 50 per cent of her ownership. The Christopher Head trainee holds an entry in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac.
One of the bloodstock stories of the year has been the noteworthy success of the Emir of Qatar's Wathnan Racing, and a pair of lightly raced Dubawi (Ire) colts both offered by Wertheimer et Frere will now carry the Wathnan colours.
Kovanof (GB) (Lot 17), a dual winner in France, hammered for €420,000 (AU$690,900). Third in the Listed Prix Pelleas this year, the 3-year-old is out of G3 Prix Cleopatre victress Terrakova (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Terrakova, in turn, is out of G1 Breeders' Cup Mile superstar Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa {USA}), and thus a half-sister to stakes winner and G1 Prix Rothschild third Goldistyle (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Earlier in the sale, Silawi (Ire) (Lot 9) attracted a winning bid of €380,000 (AU$625,100). A winner in seven starts, one fewer than Kovanof, the 3-year-old placed second in the G3 Prix du Lys in June.
Wertheimer et Frere was the second leading vendor with eight lots sold for a gross of €1,552,000 (AU$2.55 million) and an average of €194,000 (AU$319,100).
Australians active
The Australian’s were active across the Arqana Arc Sale picking up three lots.
Blandford Bloodstock and Annabel Neasham combined to secure Lot 4 - Shahzad (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}) for €80,000 (AU$131,600) from the Aga Khan Studs. Blandford Bloodstock then combined with Ontrack Thoroughbreds to score Lot 13 - Sosino (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) for €50,000 (AU$82,200) from Wertheimer & Frère. Rounding out the Australian purchases was Lot 37 - Eliyass (Fr) (Le Havre {Fr}). Astute Bloodstock paid €330,000 (AU$542,700) for the gelding from the Aga Khan Studs.
Other notable results
Other lots of note were the Jerome Reynier-consigned stakes winner Zarakem (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) (Lot 39) who made €500,000 (AU$822,600) on the bid of NBB Racing and Haras d'Etreham; Peter Schiergen trainee and multiple Group winner Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) (Lot 32) was sold for €400,000 (AU$658,000) to Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock; and Friday's Listed Prix Montenica scorer Shalromy (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}) (Lot 19), who is a two-time stakes winner and Group placed, caught the eye of Narvick International Agency also for €400,000 (AU$658,000).
Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said after the sale, “We are very pleased with the results from the sale this evening. The figures from this type of auction are closely linked to the lots offered, and for this we would like to thank all our vendors for their trust and the quality of the horses sold through us. In response to this exceptional catalogue, buyers made numerous purchases for Europe and the United States for fillies, as well as purchases for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Australia for colts. We wish the best of luck to all those who have runners tomorrow.”
The Longchamp eight-race meeting will commence at 11.15pm AEDT on Sunday with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe set to jump at 1.05am AEDT Monday.
