Cover image courtesy of Arqana
At A Glance
The reduction in top-class fillies available compared to last year's sale was underlined by a 20% drop in the total turnover, from €41,349,000 (AU$72.49 million) down to €33,082,000 (AU$57.99 million), despite 16 more lots being offered.
The average was down by 27% to €190,126 (AU$333,291) and the median by 31% to €105,000 (AU$184,065).
Of the 227 lots offered on the sale's opening day, 174 sold at a clearance rate of 77% (from 82.1% in 2024).
Henry Lascelles secured the top lot of the session, Group 3 winner Half Sovereign (Ten Sovereigns), for €2.6 million (AU$4.56 million).
Wertheimer and Frere end the first day as top vendors by aggregate, selling 18 lots for €2.892 million (AU$5.07 million), and Barton Stud were leading vendors by average (two or more sold), selling four lots for an average of €411,250 (AU$721,000).
Australian buyers McEvoy Mitchell Racing purchased a Ghaiyyath filly foal with Belmont Bloodstock for €100,000 (AU$175,300). First Light Racing purchased two horses on day 1.
McEvoy Mitchell Racing spring for Ghaiyyath filly
Tony and Calvin McEvoy combined with Damon Gabbedy of Belmont Bloodstock to purchase a daughter of Group 1-producing sire Ghaiyyath for €100,000 (AU$175,300) from the draft of Montaigu.
The weanling filly is a daugher of G1 Preis von Europa victress Donjah (Teofilo), from a strong German black-type family featuring triple Group 1 winner and sire Earl Of Tinsdal.
First Light Racing purchased two lots on day 1; Lot 64 Hold My Hand (Threat) and Lot 80 Miss Chastain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), both in conjuction with Matthew Houldsworth. Miss Chastain cost €100,000 (AU$175,000) and Hold My Hand was a €80,000 (AU$140,000) spend.
Henry Lascelles snaps up Half Sovereign for €2.6 million
From Newmarket bargain buy to Deauville showstopper, Half Sovereign made “a dream come true” on Saturday when selling to Henry Lascelles for €2.6 million (AU$4.56 million) to headline the opening session of the Arqana Vente d'Elevage.
Offered by Consign Ltd on behalf of trainer Karl Burke and his partner in the daughter of Ten Sovereigns, Adam Spratt, the 2-year-old has gone from strength to strength since her low-profile appearance at last year's Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale.
Purchased by Burke for just 12,000gns (AU$25,350) at Park Paddocks, Half Sovereign has gone on to win five of her seven subsequent starts, culminating with an impressive victory in October's G3 Prix Miesque at Chantilly. Little over a week later she was announced as a wildcard for the Vente d'Elevage, setting in motion the events which had Chloe Battam of Consign Ltd in tears as the bidding progressed rapidly under the Deauville lights on Saturday evening.
Lot 195 - Half Sovereign (Fr) | Image courtesy of Arqana
David Redvers proved a determined underbidder, acting on behalf of Resolute Racing's John Stewart, but Lascelles ultimately won out to secure the filly for an undisclosed client.
For Burke, the sale was made even sweeter once it was confirmed that Half Sovereign is set to stay in training with him at his Spigot Lodge in Middleham.
“It's a win-win situation,” said the thrilled trainer, who would have been significantly worse off had he accepted a previous offer for the filly from a certain Yorkshireman with a nose for a bargain.
“I worked the Somerville with Elaine, my wife, and we just loved her. We couldn't believe we got her for 12 grand. Before I signed the docket, Mick Easterby came up and offered me a grand profit!
“We couldn't believe we got her (Half Sovereign) for 12 grand (as a yearling).” - Karl Burke
“Luckily for Adam (Spratt) a friend of his came up and said, 'Would you sell half of her?' I hadn't met Adam at that time, but I said, 'Yeah, no problem.' He's a lovely guy and we would have sold half of her to somebody, so I'm delighted it was him.”
He added, “When we first entered her, I thought she might make six or seven hundred the way the market's going. When I got here, all of the right people were on her and I thought then we had a good chance of making a million – but I certainly didn't expect that.”
Burke has had a whole bunch of talented 2-year-old fillies in his care this season, none better than the G1 Prix Morny heroine Venetian Sun (Starman). It will give the trainer some juggling to do next year, but a provisional plan is already taking shape for Half Sovereign and her Classic campaign, with a return to France on the cards in the spring.
Karl Burke | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
“With the size of her, you'd expect her to strengthen and we weren't too busy with her early on in the year,” Burke continued. “Obviously, we had a lot of nice 2-year-olds early on this year and she was working nicely with them. She just kept progressing. We didn't aim too high to start with, but it was always the plan from midsummer to go down that sales route for the prizemoney.
“With the size of her (Half Sovereign), you'd expect her to strengthen and we weren't too busy with her early on in the year.” - Karl Burke
“We'll see how she trains – we've got a lot of good yardsticks – but I would have thought it would be a French trial and then the French Guineas.”
A winter of dreaming lies ahead for Burke but, for Battam and Harriet Jones of Consign Ltd, the work has already been done and a dream realised when it comes to their short association with Half Sovereign.
“I'd say we'll be putting away a few champagnes in Deauville tonight!” said Jones following the transaction which dwarfed their previous best result, at this sale last year when Burke's Dawn Charger (Soldier's Call) changed hands for €300,000 (AU$526,000).
“I never thought this would be quite achievable. It's a dream come true in our second year, to have been able to offer a filly of this calibre and for everything to fall into place. The right people came to the door and this has exceeded expectations, for sure.
“It's a dream come true in our second year, to have been able to offer a filly of this calibre and for everything to fall into place.” - Harriet Jones
“After she achieved a million, which we thought we might be able to get, it all became quite surreal. I sort of did enjoy the bidding process after that. It's the end of the season now for us as well, so it's nice to finish on a massive high.”
Having been the one to deliver that massive high for all connected to Saturday's top lot, Lascelles added, “She's a Group 3 winner and you'd have to be excited about her next year. All she has done is improve and you'd think there's more improvement to come next year. She's got a lot of scope. She will be a breeding prospect down the road, but next year we're very much focused on her racing career.
“I thought she was the best racing prospect here. When you look at some of the results last week in Newmarket, when there's not that many of them and two people lock on, fillies can make that sort of money.”
It was Stewart, bidding through bloodstock agent Redvers, who joined Lascelles in locking on to Half Sovereign, before eventually having to admit defeat.
Speaking to the TDN from America, he added, “We are looking for horses to race and we had good luck last year, but there have not been many good racing prospects and that has pushed prices really high. The estimates were €800,000 to €1.4 million for her.
“If it is a top filly anywhere, I am probably bidding. (It's) good to be a seller.”
Pierre Talvard gets his pick of the sale
Lily Hart came into the Deauville sales ring as a sought-after prospect; a Listed-winning and Group-placed 4-year-old filly, by Galileo and in foal to Wootton Bassett. She was, said Haras du Cadran's Pierre Talvard, his number one selection of the sale, and when the hammer fell and she was his at €1,050,000 (AU$1.84 million), he was temporarily too moved to speak.
“She was my selection of the sale,” he said, wiping tears from his face. “I would have done anything for her. She is a daughter of Galileo, winner of a Listed race, in foal to Wootton Bassett – everything that makes me happy. Unreal.”
“She (Lily Hart) was my selection of the sale. I would have done anything for her.” - Pierre Talvard
Asked what his plans were for her, he said, “I don't know yet, but I'm going to reflect a little bit on it.”
Lot 207 - Lily Hart (Ire) | Image courtesy of Arqana
Bred by Coolmore, and raced by them in partnership with Masaaki Matsushima and Westerberg, the former Aidan O'Brien trainee was the second filly on the day to reach seven figures. The Galileo/Wootton Bassett cross has produced 10 stakes winners and four Group 1 winners to date.
Margie's Music makes a million to Monceaux
Margie's Music (Hurricane Run), the dam of two stakes horses including 'TDN Rising Star' and Group winner Mr Hollywood (Iquitos), completed the session's trio of millionaires when sold to Ecurie des Monceaux's Henri Bozo for €1,000,000 (AU$1.75 million). The 11-year-old mare was offered in foal to Night Of Thunder.
“She really seems to produce well at the top level,” said Bozo. “I loved her physically. She has the class of Montjeu and Hurricane Run. She's in foal to a great stallion, so we really wanted to give her a good go.”
“She (Margie's Music) has the class of Montjeu and Hurricane Run.” - Henri Bozo
Mr Hollywood won the G3 Bavarian Classic in 2023 and is twice Group 1-placed.
Just before purchasing Margie's Music, Bozo also claimed the winning €660,000 (AU$1.16 million) bid on Eyota (Golden Horn), the dam of Group-placed filly Kiss Melody (Almanzor) and a half-sister to dual Group 1 victress Flotilla (Mizzen Mast).
Lot 210 - Eyota (GB) | Image courtesy of Arqana
Bozo said that plans for both purchases will be determined in the coming week.
“It's a very competitive business and I'm always amazed to see how many good mares are heading to Japan,” he noted. “I really want France to keep producing good racehorses, so we decided with the partners to give this a good go and I'm delighted we were able to do it.”
Classic-placed filly bound for Piltown
Echoing the sentiments expressed by John Stewart with regards the difficulty in acquiring top-class fillies, David Lanigan was relieved to land on a good one on behalf of another American owner, Scott Heider, when going to €875,000 (AU$1.53 million) to recruit the G3 Hamburger Stutenpreis winner and G1 Preis der Diana third placegetter, Nyra.
Consigned by Ronald Rauscher, the 3-year-old daughter of Isfahan is out of an unraced half-sister to the Group 1 winners Novellist (Monsun) and Magical Lagoon (Galileo). Previously trained in Germany by Waldemar Hickst, she will now continue her racing career in Ireland with Joseph O'Brien.
Lot 187 - Nyra (Ger) | Image courtesy of Arqana
“She's three turning four and there's been very few of them on the market this year,” said Lanigan. “It's been very hard to buy any sort of filly privately that aren't four turning five. We tried to buy Lush Lips in Keeneland, but those fillies with that form are making top money.”
“Those fillies (three turning four) with that (top) form are making top money.” - David Lanigan
He added of future plans, “This filly will stay a trip, so we'll start her off in Ireland and see how she goes. He (Heider) is very selective on the mares that he keeps and he's not afraid to put them back on the market when they've finished racing. On average, he keeps between 10 and 15 of his own mares. We've already got a lot of grass mares in Kentucky at the moment and he's probably more inclined to keep a dirt mare.
“It depends what she does. If she can go and improve on her race record, you'd like to think that you'd get your money if you put her back on the market when she's finished racing.”
Session's early pacesetter goes to Wertheimer et Frere
The first real landmark result of the session was provided by Lot 161, the 4-year-old filly Paraiba (Soldier Hollow), a winner at two in foal for the first time to Siyouni. Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for Wertheimer et Frere, won a protracted battle with Newsells Park Stud, taking the mare home at €810,000 (AU$1.42 million). She was offered by the Channel Consignment.
Lot 161 - Paraiba (Fr) | Image courtesy of Arqana
“She was a good filly on the track and we knew she had the quality,” said Bureau. “It's a nice page and she's in foal to a proven stallion.”
Out of the Listed winner Pearls Or Passion (Monsun), Paraiba is from the family of the G1 Matron Stakes heroine Pearls Galore (Invincible Spirit).
“There are not that many who have everything like that,” Bureau added. “She was a bit expensive, and we were fighting against a big operation like Newsells as well, but we are very happy to have her.”
“She (Paraiba) was a bit expensive, and we were fighting against a big operation like Newsells as well, but we are very happy to have her.” - Pierre-Yves Bureau
Barton Stud draft finds favour with Newsells Park and Fittocks
The Newsells Park team enjoyed better luck later in the day when getting its hands on With Stars (Sea The Stars) (Lot 239), in partnership with Fittocks Stud, for €870,000 (AU$1.53 million). Offered in foal to Zarak as part of the Barton Stud consignment, she is out of the G1 Prix Rothschild winner With You (Dansili), from the family of Call The Wind, Friendly Soul, and We Are.
Lot 239 - With Stars (Ire) | Image courtesy of Arqana
Newsells Park owner Graham Smith-Bernal said, “Luca (Cumani, of Fittocks Stud) was absolutely determined to have her and she'll be owned in partnership between Fittocks and Newsells. We already had four and we'll have another two in partnership. We bought one at Tattersalls and this one will probably come to Newsells. We get first dibs this year. They had Innevera, whose yearling sold this year for 2.2 million gns, so we'll have this one, I think.”
“Luca (Cumani, of Fittocks Stud) was absolutely determined to have her (With Stars).” - Graham Smith-Bernal
Still, the Cumanis can look forward to welcoming at least one new face to their Fittocks Stud, having stretched to €560,000 (AU$982,000) to secure Arandu (Lot 167), an unraced daughter of Wootton Bassett and the triple Oaks heroine Alexandrova (Sadler's Wells).
Another from Barton Stud, the 3-year-old hails from a family synonymous with eye-watering sales at Arqana, with the millionaire siblings that have topped the last two editions of the August Yearling Sale among those featuring under this filly's third dam, Souk (Ahonoora).
Lot 167 - Arandu (Ire) | Image courtesy of Arqana
Fittingly, Souk herself sported the familiar Fittocks Stud colours when achieving a rating of 87 in six starts for Cumani, with the large majority of her progeny also starting their careers at the former trainer's Bedford House Stables.
“We've always been very interested in this family because we go right back to the beginning,” Sara Cumani said of the dynasty founded by Souk. “I thought she (Arandu) was a really beautiful individual. She was gorgeous to look at and she's got the page. She obviously wasn't much good, but plenty of mares that weren't much good become good broodmares. It's just a family that we know very well and it's done everybody well along the way, so let's hope it carries on.”
“I thought she (Arandu) was a really beautiful individual. She was gorgeous to look at and she's got the page.” - Sara Cumani
Barton Stud ended the session with an impressive average of €411,250 (AU$721,000) from four lots sold.
Ginalyah bound for America for Oceanic Bloodstock
This year's G3 Prix de Flore runner-up Ginalyah (Chacknak), whose dam, Creamcake (Mr Greeley), also features as the second dam of the G1 Dewhurst Stakes winner Gewan (Night Of Thunder), is bound for the Chad Brown barn in America after being bought by Michel Zerolo of Oceanic Bloodstock for €800,000 (AU$1.4 million).
Lot 205 - Ginalyah (Ire) | Image courtesy of Arqana
“We bought her for Peter Brant and she's going to America to Chad Brown,” Zerolo confirmed. “She's a good filly and she fits the right profile to do well there.”
Previously, Zerolo purchased the G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Rougir for Brown and Brant when she topped the 2021 Arqana December Sale at €3,000,000 (AU$5.26 million). She went on to win the following year's G1 EP Taylor Stakes.
Doyles splurge on standout Lope De Vega foal
Peter and Ross Doyle signed for the most expensive foal sold during Saturday's opening session, a Lope De Vega colt bought on behalf of an undisclosed client for €400,000 (AU$701,000). Lot 139, from the Haras d'Etreham draft, is out of the G2 Prix de Sandringham second Pure Zen (Zoffany), with his new connections yet to decide whether to race him or offer him for resale next year.
Lot 139 - Lope De Vega x Pure Zen colt | Image courtesy of Arqana
“I thought he was the outstanding foal in the sale,” said Ross Doyle. “We came up against some of the best judges in the game, so we knew we were in good company. He's by a very good stallion and it's a very good cross. The mare was obviously a black-type mare and she's produced a horse rated 91 as her first foal.
“The Sea The Stars (yearling) was a big upgrade and is with Godolphin and Andre Fabre. Hopefully, Lope De Vega, with this cross, will be another upgrade again.”
Sam Sangster’s buying spree continues
Less than four months on from Diego Velazquez's finest hour when winning the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, Sam Sangster returned to Deauville as a man on a mission, spending a total of €730,000 (AU$1.28 million) on six mares to send to the new National Stud resident next year.
They were headed by a pair of €200,000 (AU$350,000) purchases, including Darousha (Redoute's Choice), a half-sister to Arc champion Daryz (Sea The Stars) and G1 Prix Ganay winner Dariyan (Shamardal) from the Aga Khan Studs draft. Based in Australia at Arrowfield Stud for five years, Darousha produced three fours by Dundeel and one by Maurice.
Lot 171 - Darousha (Fr) | Image courtesy of Arqana
Diego Velazquez was bought by Sangster shortly before his Deauville victory and it's apparent that the syndicate behind him is intent on giving him the best possible chance in his second career. Previously, Sam Sangster Bloodstock was registered as the buyer of five mares at the Tattersalls December Sale, spending a total of 1,800,000gns (AU$3.8 million).
