Arqana October Underway Tuesday

It's been quite a week for Haras d'Etreham. Not only did the farm manage to buy back into its homebred Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) before witnessing him storm to a fourth Group 1 victory in the G1 QIPCO Champion S. on Saturday, but Sans Equivoque (Ger) (Stormy River {Fr}) also added the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte to her tally of four wins. The filly, who was bred in partnership with Maurice Lagasse, was released from Etreham ownership when sold on Oct. 1 for €180,000 to Sun Bloodstock following success in the Listed Prix de la Vallee d'Auge and G3 Prix Eclipse. Etreham is selling her half-sister by Soldier Hollow (GB) as lot 145 at Arqana's October Sale, which begins its four-day run today. Furthermore, the stud's draft also includes a Falco (Fr) half-brother to Almanzor, who is likely to create plenty of early interest when offered as lot 4 during Tuesday's single-session Part I of the sale.

“It was a very special weekend,” said Nicolas de Chambure at Arqana on Monday. “There was talk of Almanzor being sold, we watched him progress all year and were keen that he should stay in training at four. So with SF Bloodstock we decided to put together a partnership and give his owners a chance to stay in with us. I think we have a happy partnership and he could be a lot of fun next year.” He continued, “We need horses like this to stay in training so the public can follow them. It's important for our industry and when it comes to promoting our sport.”

De Chambure added that, understandably, Almanzor's rising profile has done wonders for his sire, who has stood at Etreham since his retirement in 2012.

“Not many stallions can sire a champion from a first crop of 17 foals but people have realised now that he's doing a proper job and he covered 130 mares this season,” he noted.

With Part II of the October Sale taking place through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the catalogue numbers just over 600 yearlings, 576 of which are eligible to run in next year's €250,000 October Yearling Sale Criterium, which is staged during the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting at Chantilly. Both the numbers offered and the figures returned have been pretty consistent over the last few years of this popular sale, which last year sold just shy of 80% of the horses offered (443 of 551) for an average of €35,829 and median of €25,000. For the last two years, turnover has been knocking on the door of €16 million.

Recent graduates have provided decent advertisements for shopping in Deauville in the autumn, with G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Zelzal (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) having been bought by Al Shaqab Racing for €180,000 in October 2014, along with G1 Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary winner Jemayel, who cost €100,000. She was chased home in the Saint-Alary by another graduate of that year's sale, the Moa Sundstrom-bred Camprock (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), who was knocked down to her trainer Pia Brandt at €30,000. Late in today's session, Andreas Putsch's Haras de Saint Pair offers a Pour Moi (Ire) half-brother (lot 214) to Saturday's intended G1 Cox Plate starter Vadamos (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), the winner of the G1 Prix du Moulin on his most recent start before shipping to Australia.

The sale gets underway today at 11 a.m. local time, which is the start time for every session bar Wednesday's, which commences at 2:30 p.m.