Cover image courtesy of Arqana
Shattering a record set a decade ago, a Night Of Thunder filly out of the Ecurie des Monceaux blue hen Prudenzia (Dansili) was sold for €3 million ($5.38 million) to Amo Racing and was one of six seven-figure transactions on the final day of the Arqana August. There were eight across the sale as a whole.
Such a lively last session ensured that the figures were well beyond those of a relatively quiet edition of the sale in 2024. The €266,576 ($478,000) average was not only up by 22% on last year but represented an all-time record, as did the €57,847,000 turnover ($104 million) which was up by 18% on 2024. The clearance rate rested at 80% which was up by 3% on last year while the median was up by €30,000 ($53,800) to €170,000 ($305,000, +21%).
Baaeed | Standing at Beech House Stud
Baaeed put in a pretty solid debut performance at the European yearling sale circuit with four lots selling for a total €1.53 million ($2.75 million) and an average of €382,500 ($686,500). Frankel ended the sale as the undisputed top dog with three horses selling for the highest average of €1,033,333 ($1.85 million), however, Wootton Bassett was the only stallion who managed to have two yearlings clear seven figures.
'There are some superpowers in the game right now'
It was bloodstock agent Alex Elliott who signed for the record-breaking top lot on behalf of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing, which famously took the yearling market in Europe by storm last year and continued that momentum in a big way at Arqana this week.
“For somebody like Kia, we're trying to create a dynasty, I suppose, and you've got to start with those types of horses,” Elliott explained after eclipsing the previous record of €2.6 million ($4.67 million) that was set by John Ferguson at this sale for this filly's close relation Parabellum.
Elliott continued, “If she never races, she's a collector's item. It's a well-used term but she is a collector's item. She's got a great body for a filly out of a mare of that age and her sister (Diamond Necklace) was a TDN Rising Star last week. The mare is still doing it, even though she is a good age. We've bought into one of the greatest families there is. She doesn't take much explaining. We'll take her home but I'd imagine she'll be one for Kevin Philippart de Foy at Freemason Lodge.”
“If she (lot 206) never races, she's a collector's item. It's a well-used term but she is a collector's item.” - Alex Elliott
Elliott went on to sign for a Lope De Vega colt for €850,000 ($1.53 million) from Haras du Cadran before topping out Amo Racing's spend at €4.95 million ($8.88 million) on another Night Of Thunder filly – this time from Etreham – for €900,000 ($1.62 million) and a €200,000 ($359,000) Wootton Bassett colt from Haras de la Louviere.
Speaking after landing the Lope De Vega, Elliott provided some insight into Amo Racing's buying strategy, and said, “You wouldn't describe Almanzor as being an elite stallion but the mare (Queen Trezy) is by him and she was a very good racemare. It's a wonderful pedigree and I just thought he had a must have sticker on him. Thank God Kia was brave, I love that colt.”
Asked if he had ever witnessed a stronger edition of the August Yearling Sale at Arqana, Elliott responded, “No, but that's the game we're in. The top has never been stronger. There are a lot of players who want to be there. The way the business is gone, it's all about the elite. It's all about the top. And when you want to get a horse at that level, you are going to have to pay for them.
“The way the business is gone, it's all about the elite. It's all about the top.” - Alex Elliott
“There are some superpowers in the game right now. You'd worry about the middle and the bottom as there is not a lot there. But if you want to be in the top, you've got to put your head down and that's what everyone is doing. There's no point fighting soft. You've got to fight hard.”
Alex Elliott | Image courtesy of Zuzanna Lupa
Godolphin end sale as leading buyers
Anthony Stroud hinted that the majority of Godolphin's business would be done on Monday and, true to his word, the powerhouse bloodstock agent raised the temperature almost single-handedly when spending €4.25 million ($7.63 million) on two separate lots within the space of just a few minutes early on in the session.
Godolphin spent €5,950,000 ($10.7 million) on five yearlings on Monday, bringing the total outlay at the August Sale to €8,050,000 ($14.4 million) for eight lots. The day three spending spree was kick-started by a €2.35 million ($4.22 million) Frankel colt from the family of Derby winner Wings Of Eagles and consigned by Haras de Montaigu.
“The horses today are strong,” Stroud rightly summed up. “There are a number of horses who should sell very well. I think today is the strongest day. A very good easy-moving horse, he has good conformation and is obviously by Frankel out of a Siyouni mare, which is a good cross. He was one of our picks of the day. It's like everything else – your first impression (of a horse) is what counts. Without doubt.”
“He (lot 178) was one of our picks of the day. It's like everything else – your first impression (of a horse) is what counts.” - Anthony Stroud
Asked if the Frankel colt could be a potential Derby horse in time, he replied, “We're all dreaming about that. That's why we're here and that's why our boss does this. We're wanting to get to that level, winning those races – the Derbys, the Arcs and whatever.”
Both Juddmonte and Ed Sackville, bidding on behalf of Simon Sadler, were involved in the running for the Frankel colt, with the latter filling the runner-up spot.
Stroud continued, “He (Simon Sadler) very kindly gave me a lift to the taxi yesterday. I didn't know who he was. We had a very pleasant conversation but I didn't realise we would be bidding against each other quite so early in the morning!”
Anthony Stroud | Image courtesy of Goffs
The dam of the Frankel colt, Orendina (Siyouni), is understood to have a Kingman foal at foot and is back in foal to the Juddmonte stallion.
Haras de Montaigu's Sybille Gibson said, “He comes from an incredible family. We were expecting something big, but not this big, definitely. This is beyond dreams. This is absolutely incredible.”
“We were expecting something big, but not this big, definitely. This is beyond dreams.” - Sybille Gibson
No sooner had Stroud finished his debrief with the media, he followed up with buying a Dubawi filly out of Group 3 winner Paix (Muhaarar) for €2 million ($3.59 million). A series of timely updates surely contributed to that sum given the Dubawi filly's brother Parachutiste won a Listed race at Clairefontaine on Saturday. On top of that, Skydance, the 2-year-old half-sister by Night Of Thunder, filled the placings in a Group 2 and Group 3 respectively this season.
“Dubawi has been an extraordinary stallion for our organisation,” Stroud said. “It's rare to see fillies of such quality come up for sale, so you have to seize the opportunity. We're very lucky to have him.”
Dubawi | Standing at Darley
'Best day in the business' for Rimaud
Credit to William Rimaud, farm manager at Haras de la Perelle, as he predicted big things for his Camelot colt (lot 191) in the TDN consignor Q&A during the build-up to this sale. But selling the horse for a cool €1.2 million ($2.15 million) to Coolmore exceeded the 33-year-old's wildest aspirations for the homebred.
Rimaud, who is the son of Georges, former boss of the French division of the Aga Khan Studs, was left visibly shaking with emotion following the seven-figure sale which he said represented his greatest day in the bloodstock business by far.
Speaking from the restaurant behind the rostrum at Arqana, where Rimaud sprinted to in order to embrace his Haras de la Perelle bosses, he beamed, “It's great, it's awesome! The TDN kind of wrote it already this week! It feels amazing. We always knew he was nice and thought he would do well but, man, this is the top price for me and it just feels good.”
He continued, “It feels like the job was well done and hopefully the horse will do great. There is no reason he won't. We really thought he'd do well, but we didn't think we could get more than a million for a Camelot. I don't know if many Camelots have sold for that price before or not. It's definitely my best day in the game. By far. We will try to have more of these days in the future, for sure.”
“We always knew he (lot 191) was nice and thought he would do well but, man, this is the top price for me and it just feels good.” - William Rimaud
MV Magnier signed for the Camelot colt, from the family of Pensee Du Jour, who is by the same sire, alongside White Birch Farm and commented, “He's a lovely horse and it seems like Camelot does pretty well with mares from the Giant's Causeway line.
“He's having a very good year again this year and we have a couple of very good two-year-olds by him in Ballydoyle. Godolphin ran a good horse by him there the other day too (Del Maro), so the stallion's flying. He's very capable of getting a good horse so let's hope this fella is one of them.”
MV Magnier | Image courtesy of Zuzanna Lupa
Top money comes for top fillies
Kieran Lalor admitted to banging his head against a brick wall on some of the millionaire lots earlier in the session. But good things come to those who wait and Lalor, bidding on behalf of Al Shira'aa Racing from his favourite spot in the restaurant behind the rostrum, went to €1.2 million ($2.15 million) for a Monceaux-consigned Wootton Bassett half-sister to Listed winner and Group 2-placed Audubon Park (Dubawi).
Lalor said, “Wootton Bassett is the best sire in the world at the moment. He's on a roll. It's a family we love and obviously Rumi is at the bottom of the page. She's a real Classic-looking filly and hopefully our luck can continue with Monceaux. She was one on our shortlist today and we tried hard on the Dubawi filly and the Zarak half-sister to Vespertilio earlier. They obviously made plenty of money and I'm delighted for them. Business has been good today. This is only the mare's third foal so there's plenty more to come.”
“Wootton Bassett is the best sire in the world at the moment.” - Kieran Lalor
The millionaire lots just kept on coming and Lordship Stud, signing under One Agency, went to €1.1 million ($1.97 million) on a Zarak half-sister to Group 1-placed Vespertilio (Night Of Thunder) from Monceaux. Lot 205 is out of a full-sister to Prudenzia and is therefore from the family of Magic Wand and Chicquita.
Kieran Lalor | Image courtesy of Zuzanna Lupa
Lordship Stud's Tom Harris said, “She's going to go to Francis Graffard. It's an amazing family, beautifully cultivated by our good friend Henri Bozo. Over time we've been looking to buy something from this family and we loved this filly. We're delighted to get her. We've been partners with Monceaux for many years, they do a fantastic job.”
Owner-breeder Craig Bernick got stuck in at Arqana and came home with three long-term broodmare prospects through bloodstock agent Hubie de Burgh for a combined €1.26 million ($2.26 million). The most expensive of the trio came on Monday when the buying team came down on a Siyouni filly from Monceaux at €750,000.
De Burgh commented, “The prize-money and the bonuses are so good in France that the obvious place for this filly to be trained is France and she will go to Francis Graffard. Craig is right in his view that, when you try to buy mares at public auction in December, it's impossible. Your only chance is to buy the fillies from the big families as yearlings and, if they are good enough to become stakes fillies, you have something that you couldn't buy in December. We're playing the long game.”
“The prize-money and the bonuses are so good in France that the obvious place for this filly (lot 302) to be trained is France.” - Hubie de Burgh
Anyone who wanted to view the Monceaux draft over the past few days at Arqana needed to book a time slot in advance. That's how popular and how busy Henri Bozo's horses have become and it showed once again in the results with Monceaux ending the sale as by far the most successful vendor with 36 lots sold for €17,455,000 ($31.3 million). You've got to say that Bozo's loyalty to Arqana has been paid off in spades this week.
Pinhooking action in both directions
Despite the record trade, many breeze-up handlers managed to get up and running for the season. Brendan Holland, Johnny Hassett, Ellie Whitaker, Mark Grant and Cormac Farrell were just some of the names who managed to get in on the action. Farrell was the busiest and spent €365,000 ($655,000) on three lots, including a filly and a colt by Night Of Thunder.
There were a couple of good pinhooking results on Monday, notably with lot 266, a Havana Grey filly who was transformed from a 58,000gns ($127,000) foal to a €145,000 ($260,000) yearling and lot 300, a Churchill filly who more or less doubled her money at €55,000 ($98,700). Such results are not to be sniffed at but it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for pinhookers on the whole this week and the swashbuckling results were few and far between.
