Arqana October Holds Steady

The second day of the Arqana Yearling Sale, first of the three-day Part 2, registered results slightly down from 2013, owing to a more selective market as had been seen on day one. A total of 106 of the 138 yearlings on offer changed hands for a clearance rate of 76%, down 6.2% from the 81% in 2013. Gross sales totaled €3,042,000, 11% less than in 2013, but the average and median prices were marginally up, the former settling at €28,698 (+2%) and the latter reaching €26,000 against €25,000 (+4%). 

A ‘Qarn’-ival Atmosphere in Deauville… 
Lot 276 was the highlight of the day on pedigree, and with a physique to match, it was no surprise to see it top the session at €150,000. The Haras de Saint-Pair offering is a May-born colt by Shamardal out of the Danehill Dancer (Ire) mare Anna Pavlova (GB) who won the G2 Prix de Royallieu. The page gained even more appeal after the catalogue was printed, as the 3-year-old Darlux (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) opened his account in the French provinces. Alban de Mieulle of Umm Qarn Farm outbid agent Guy Petit for the bay. 

“He is a gorgeous colt, the nicest in the sale, and with an excellent page,” the conditioner offered. “He will go into training with Francois Rohaut, who knows the family very well, as he has trained all the siblings. We haven’t had many horses with him so far, but will send him more this year. Our total number of horses in training in France will grow to around 40 in 2015, with some 20 yearlings coming in, between the ones we breed and those we buy at auctions”. 

Root, Root, Root for the Home Team… 
French owners and trainers, who had been rather discreet during day one, were busy shopping for fresh ammunition on Tuesday. Ghislain Bozo, Nicolas de Chambure and Frank Walter’s Meridian Racing Club spent €55,000 on a scopey filly (lot 226) from the first crop of five-time Group 1 winner Canford Cliffs (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) from the female family of G2 Grand Prix de Deauville scorer Silver Pond (Fr) (Act One {GB}). The colours of the Meridian Racing Club first appeared on a race card this season, but they quickly shot to prominence courtesy of Listed winner Bocaiuva (Ire) Teofilo (Ire) and the highly rated Cabral (Henrythenavigator). 

Vendors Lucie Lamotte and Gwenael Monneraye, the couple behind La Motteraye Consignment, were satisfied with the result and said of the day’s market: “We think it is holding up very well today. It is actually healthier and more consistent than yesterday, when everyone tended to focus on the same lots. Vendors have also adjusted their reserves as there were a few disappointing results yesterday”. 

Progeny of Kendargent (Fr) were very popular on Monday, when six of seven yearlings on offer sold for an average price of €74,333, and they continued to be in demand on day two. Crispin de Moubray went to €85,000 for lot 227, a colt out of the winning Anabaa mare Steel Woman (Ire), who was consigned by Haras des Granges. “This horse is bred on the magical Kendor/Danzig cross–it works every time,” said Moubray. “He is by a serious sire and comes from a farm that produces good horses. I bought him for a friend and he will stay in training in France”. 

Czech-ing the Boxes… 
Leading Czech owner Jiri Charvat has enjoyed some great success with his Deauville purchases. The yearlings selected by his agent Chris Richner have included Trip To Rhodos (Fr) (Rail Link {GB}), a €40,000 buy who went on to win at Listed level in Germany and Italy, and My Old Husband (Fr) (Gentlewave {Ire}), a €10,000 bargain who won four races in Slovakia before being sent to French trainer Jean-Michel Lefebvre, for whom he was unbeaten in five outings this season, including a hat-trick at Listed level. Richner and Lefebvre joined forces to bid on lot 243, a Sunday Break (Jpn) half-brother to Trip To Rhodos (Fr) (Rail Link {GB}), and full-brother to another stakes winner in Danza Cavallo (Fr). The pair had to go to €52,000 to secure the colt offered by Haras d’Ombreville. “I had to spend more than I intended, but I was determined not to leave without him,” a delighted Richner explained. “Mr. Charvat was not very keen on the sire and I had to work hard to convince him. I purchased another Sunday Break a couple of years ago, a horse called Always On Sunday (Fr) who won the Czech St Leger for us, which shows that Sunday Break can be a stamina influence. It is important for Mr. Charvat, as his main aim is to win the Czech Derby. This horse will go to Czech first, probably to Mr. Tuma, and if he is good enough we’ll send him to Jean-Michel Lefebvre at a later stage”. 

Vendor Mathieu Gouesnard was equally thrilled with the results. “I am very happy for the clients, who have supported us from the start and already did well with the full brother last year,” he commented. “This horse was the right type for this sale, and the market seems better today than yesterday. It is a healthy domestic market with plenty of activity from French trainers and owners, which is very encouraging”. 

Just Gotta ‘Havre’ ‘Em… 
Yearlings by Le Havre (Ire), sire of the Classic-winning Avenir Certain (Fr), continued to attract some strong interest from international buyers, with Anthony Stroud joining Michael Wallace, Umm Qarn Farm, Chantilly Bloodstock, Stephen Hillen and of course Sylvain Vidal on the list of his supporters at this sale. Stroud’s pick, at €60,000, was lot 250, a filly out of the young Gulch mare Villerville (Ire) consigned by Haras de l’Hotellerie. 

“She looked precocious, and of course the sire needs no introduction,” Stroud explained. “I was underbidder on one of the Kendargents earlier, so I am happy to have bought this one. She is for Craig Mather, who buys a French-bred yearling every year. He normally sends them to Francis Graffard”. 

Resellers Join In… 
Pinhookers were also out in force on day two of the sale. Con Marnane bought 4 lots for a total €90,000 while Paddy Twomey forked out €63,000 for a grey colt by Dark Angel (Ire) (lot 232), signing in the name of Crispin de Moubray. The Hawthorn Villa Stud principal said of the colt offered by Haras de la Louviere, “I haven’t necessarily bought him for breezing. We’ll take him home and see. I am very fond of the sire and this horse looked like a two-year-old to me.” 

Another Dreamy Purchase for Larrieu?… 
Gerard Larrieu of Chantilly Bloodstock was one of the busiest French buyers on Monday, signing for six yearlings for a total €455,000 on behalf of owner Jean-Louis Bouchard, of Dream Well (Fr) fame, as well as for Arqana’s Omnium Racing Club. He was back for more on Tuesday, and top of his shopping list was a daughter of Siyouni (Fr) (lot 281) who cost €65,000. Offered by Haras du Bois aux Proux, she is the third foal out of a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to Spanish champion Plantagenet (Spa) (Trade Fair {GB}). 

Larrieu said, “I liked the sire and broodmare sire, and the fact that this filly is out of a young mare. She is for Jean-Louis Bouchard, who is re-investing in yearlings after a few years away from the sales. She will go into training with Pascal Bary, who has looked after most of his horses so far [including the aforementioned Dream Well and fellow Prix du Jockey Club hero Blue Canari (Fr) (Acatenango {Ger})]. Having said that, Mr. Bouchard is sending three yearlings to Christophe Ferland this year. He has always been keen to support young people, whether in his business or racing activities”. 
Broadhurst Agency’s Laurent Benoit signed for one of the best-bred fillies in the sale (lot 293), a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) out of the Highest Honor (Fr) mare Baino Ridge (Fr). The latter is a full sister to the successful sire Take Risks (Fr), and she has already produced two stakes winners in Baino Rock (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Baino Hope (Fr) (Jeremy). She descends from one of the finest families developed at Haras de Manneville, which was offering the filly. 
“I was looking for a well-bred filly, by a proven sire and out of a proven mare, so this one ticked all the boxes,” Benoit explained. “I also liked the fact that this is a fillies’ family. She is for Ecurie Serval, a racing and breeding operation that keeps horses with trainer Jean-Marie Beguigne. They had the smart stayer Manduro’s Son (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) this year, who won two valuable handicaps before being sold to Australia”. 

‘Boll’-ing Along… 
Chantilly trainer Myriam Bollack-Badel has enjoyed a tremendous season, winning five stakes races with a stable of around 25 horses, and she was busy looking for the next generation in Deauville. She notably secured a daughter of Exceed and Excel (Aus) from Haras de Grandcamp for €58,000. Lot 303 is out of a full sister to G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine Bluemamba (Kingmambo), and the page received a significant update when the 3-year-old Beautiful Heroine (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) took the Listed Prix Panacee after the catalogue was printed. 

“I have bought her for James Dunne,” Bollack-Badel confirmed. “I fell in love with her because she is a late foal who hadn’t done much preparation for the sale, so you can see that the best is yet to come. I also noticed that she had straw marks all over her back, which means that she was asleep in her box right before selling, and this is a good sign!”. 

Strong to the Finish… 
The ring was still buzzing as the sale drew to a close. Anthony Stroud, seating alongside James Stafford, signed at €85,000 for lot 328, the only Poet’s Voice (GB) in the sale and from the ever-popular draft of Ecurie des Monceaux. Stafford explained: “She is a very nice filly, with a good walk and has a lovely attitude. I have bought her for [syndicate] Thurloe Thoroughbred and she will be trained by Andrew Balding. We also bought a Turtle Bowl colt [lot 93] yesterday, and he will stay in France, either with John Hammond or Francis Graffard. We now have four or five horses in France, and about 15 in the UK, split between various trainers. In total, there are 180 shareholders in our syndicates”. 
The sale continues tomorrow from 2 p.m.