Jumpers Head Arqana's Summer Sale

Arqana's mixed Summer Sale enjoyed a bumper year back in 2014, when the subsequent GI Woodbine Mile winner Mondialiste (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was offered by the Wertheimer brothers and sold privately for €190,000. The clearance rate, and consequently turnover, fell markedly last July but the first of two days of trade at this year's event provided an increased average of €26,198 (+12%), while the median also rose to €16,000, from €15,000. An 11% rise in clearance to 69% led to an 8% boost in the aggregate, which stood at €2,530,000 for 96 horses sold.

In this session of breeze-up horses for the Flat and young store horses, it was the jumping sector which monopolised the top of the market, with Haras de la Source's 2-year-old son of Walk In The Park (Ire) leading the way when bought by Willie Browne for €150,000.

Runner-up to fellow Montjeu (Ire) stallion Motivator (GB) in the 2005 Derby, Walk In The Park has become a hot property in the National Hunt division in recent seasons. From covering relatively small books at the French farms of Haras du Val Requet and Haras des Granges, he has sired some highly exciting young jumpers, including the Willie Mullins-trained duo of seven-time Grade 1 winner Douvan (Fr) and Min (Fr). He was switched to stand on Coolmore's National Hunt roster at Grange Stud for 2016.

Walk In The Park's session-topping gelding, named Roll Again (Fr) (lot 125), is a son of the dual jumps winner Olina (Fr) (Dounba), whose first foal is the Grade III-winning chaser Argentique (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}).

Browne commented, “This horse is a real rarity on the market. He was expensive but this is what you have to pay for such good-looking horses. He will be re-offered next year.”

English jumps owner James Douglas-Gordon lost the highly talented young hurdler Bonito Du Berlais (Fr) (Trempolino) in a paddock accident last month but reinvested in French stock on Thursday when instructing agent Bertrand Le Metayer to go to €145,000 to secure a Saints Des Saints 2-year-old (lot 87) from the Haras du Buff draft. The youngster is the third foal of En La Cruz (Fr), a Robin Des Champs (Fr) half-sister to the top-class chaser Voy Por Ustedes (Fr) (Villez {Fr}).

“It is unfortunately a sad story with the recent passing of Bonito du Berlais,” said Le Metayer. “This horse reminds me a lot of him. He has the same profile and offers similar potential on conformation as well as pedigree. I bought his dam on two occasions and she was a sound, tough racemare. I knew the mating with Saint Des Saints would work. We will keep the horse in France.”

In total, four store horses broke the six-figure barrier, including lot 131, named Duc De Beauchene (Fr), a 3-year-old AQPS gelding by the recently deceased Saddler Maker (Ire), who was bought by Hubert Barbe for €145,000. Jehan Bertran de Balanda will train the Jacques Cypres-bred El Salvator (Fr) (Network {Ger}) (lot 132), who made €120,000.

The Haras de la Cauviniere freshman Rajsaman (Fr) has had four first-crop winners to date and his colt out of the listed-placed Platini (Ger) mare Macina (Ire) was the highest-priced breezer of the day when knocked down to Sylvain Vidal for €69,000. Powerstown Stud bought the March-born colt at Arqana last August for €30,000 and reoffered the half-brother to Washington Singer S. runner-up Practitioner (GB) (Dr Fong) (now a three-time winner in Hong Kong under the name Fat Choy Oohlala) as lot 27. The colt will be trained in Chantilly by Alessandro Botti.

The sole Frankel (GB) juvenile in the catalogue (lot 12) was offered by Mocklershill and bought by Armando Duarte for €42,000. A grand-daughter of the dual Classic winner Imagine (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), the filly's dam Guessing (Kingmambo) is a half-sister to the Group winners Horatio Nelson (Ire) (Danehill), Viscount Nelson (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) and Kitty Matcham (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).

The Summer Sale continues today in Deauville with another mixed session of fillies, mares and stallion prospects from 11am local time.