Mastercraftsman Colt On Top At Osarus

Making an early splash and holding top honors throughout the first session of the Osarus September Yearling Sale was La Motteraye Consignment’s colt by Mastercraftsman (Ire) (lot 11), who was knocked down to Marc-Antoine Berghgracht for €65,000.

Bred in Brittany by the Jeffroy family, whose stakes-winning graduates include Never On Sunday (Fr) (Sunday Break {Jpn}) and Holy Dazzle (GB) (Sunday Break {Jpn}), the compact grey colt is the first foal of the winning Orpen mare Abandagold (Ire).

“I’m not sure yet who will train him but he is for one of my regular clients,” said Berghgracht. “He’s a good first foal who looks like he could be fairly precocious. He comes from a very good breeder and good consignor.”

The agent later went to €54,000 to secure lot 80, a Kendargent (Fr) colt called Kenamo (Fr) from Haras de Reboursiere et de Montaigu.

The 95 yearlings sold through the first session of the two-day sale accrued turnover of €1,975,000 at a median price of €17,000 and average of €20,442. The clearance rate was down slightly on the sale as a whole for last year at 78%.

The sole representative of Darley’s shuttler and freshman sire Sepoy (Aus) (lot 14) will be trained in Lambourn by Charles Hills after being bought by Alastair Donald for €63,000.

“She was the one for me here today,” Donald said. “I saw several by the sire at Doncaster and I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far. This is a strong, good-walking filly who looks like she’ll make a 2-year-old.”

Part of a beautifully presented draft from Haras des Loges, the filly is the fourth foal of Ainia (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}), a winning half-sister to the Listed Pipalong S. winner Expensive (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}). The same agent/trainer partnership bought recent maiden winner Saguna (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) for €30,000 from this sale two years ago.

The same consignment was responsible for another of the top fillies, a Mastercraftsman daughter of the eight-time winner Karmina Burana (Fr) (Highest Honor {Fr}) (lot 120), who was knocked down to trainer Damien de Watrigant for €58,000. The filly was the first Thoroughbred purchase for English-based Iraqi owner Mohammad Al Nujiafi, a keen owner of Arab racehorses and recent winner of the Ghazwa Trophy in Turkey. De Watrigant said, “It’s lovely to buy a Thoroughbred for this owner, who is passionate about his horses and loves coming racing with his sons. She’s a lovely filly who walks well but will probably need a bit of time.”

Late in the session, Tina Rau went to €50,000 for lot 136, named Etoile Bere (Fr), a daughter of Hurricane Cat and the Chilean Group 3 winner L’ete (Chi) (Hussonet). The agent bought her for a partnership that includes American breeder Deborah Norton, who bred Hurricane Cat’s dam Sky Beauty. She said, “She’ll be trained by Nicolas Clement. I thought she walked well and had great depth and good quarters. She certainly looks racey.”

Breeze-up pinhooker Con Marnane is a veteran of the September Sale in La Teste, having visited since its inception in 2008. He added seven yearlings to his team of potential breezers for 2015, including lot 55, a filly by Exchange Rate out of the young Encosta De Lago (Aus) mare Chinook Wind (Ire), who was bought for €45,000 from La Motteraye. Also on the list was the only yearling in the catalogue by Coolmore freshman Excelebration (Ire) (lot 103). The well-made chestnut filly, knocked down at €40,000, is a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes winner Whatsthescript (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}). Marnane commented, “I haven’t seem many yearlings by Excelebration yet, but if they all look like her then I’d like to see more. I thought she was a stand-out–her brother was very good and consistent for a long time. She’ll go breezing next year.”

He added, “I love coming here. It’s been a very lucky sale for me and the French premiums are just fantastic. It’s a huge plus for us.”

The eighth edition of the September Yearling Sale started on a sombre note as staff members from Osarus and Tattersalls gathered on the rostrum in a moving tribute to their colleague, Nadja Govaert, who died last week at the age of just 43. A minute’s silence was observed for Govaert, a founding member of the Osarus team with Guy Blasco Gondard, who described his friend and colleague as “courageous to the end.”

He said, “We will continue to work hard to make her proud of us. She was full of energy and she will be very much missed by us all.”

The sale continues today from 12.30 p.m. local time.