Elimay Tops Arqana HIT

The first day of Arqana's Autumn Sale was devoted to horses in training and it was not until late into the session that the sale topper emerged when lot 239 stepped into the ring. Elimay (Fr) (Montmartre {Fr}), a 3-year-old filly offered by Carlos and Yann Lerner was purchased by Hubert Barbe of Horse Racing Advisory for €310,000. Barbe has acted for leading jumps owner JP McManus in the past and Elimay is already an accomplished hurdler having been placed on her last four starts in black type jumps races. Trade really did finish with a flourish and at the close of business 180 of the 208 offered lots changed hands for a clearance rate of 86%. Aggregate amounted to €4,385,200 while the average and median came in at €24,362 and €8,750 respectively.

Hubert Barbe made a number of significant purchases during the day and shortly after signing for the top lot he added lot 265 to his list, paying €210,000 for the 4-year-old filly Dalila Du Seuil (Fr) (Bachir {Ire}). Earlier on lot 203 Acrobate (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) was knocked down to Chantilly Bloodstock for €202,000. The 3-year-old gelding was a winner recently at Chantilly for trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias and he was part of select draft offered by the Wertheimer brothers, which also included lot 202, Sanjita (Ire) (Zamindar), who sold to Badgers Bloodstock for €100,000. A few lots later Hubie De Burgh purchased another big ticket lot when he signed for lot 205 Oistrakh Le Noir (Fr) (Kentucky Dynamite) for €160,000.

Criquette Head-Maarek's consignment proved much sought after and her well-bred filly Free (Fr) (Mr Sidney) breached six figures when selling to Hubert Barbe for €125,000. The 3-year-old was offered as lot 189 and coincidentally it was her half-sister, from the same draft, that drew the day's next highest bid. Futura (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) like Free, is out of the listed winning hurdler Funney Feerie (Fr) (Sillery) and lot 97, who is un-raced, was purchased by Nicolas de Watrigant's Mandore International for €110,000. As well as being a black type race-mare Funny Feerie is more significantly the dam of two Group 1 winners in Full Of Gold (Fr) (Gold Away {Ire}) and Fuisse (Fr) (Green Tune {Fr}).

Czech agent Tomas Janda has become a prolific buyer at European sales the last five years and he went to €60,000 to secure lot 131 Mon Cherie (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) from the Carlos Lerner stable. Janda then eclipsed that price when paying €78,000 for lot 223 Gryffichop (Fr) (Soave {Fr}). HIT drafts from the Aga Khan always attract attention and lot 171 Zeyzoun (Fr) (Excelebration {Ire}) was snapped by British agency Highflyer Bloodstock for €85,000. The 3-year-old colt has a win and two places from five runs on his CV. The previous Aga Khan offering lot 170, a colt called Tegerek (Fr) (Mount Nelson {GB}) also proved popular when knocked down to Lizzy Sainty for €75,000. Harold Kirk was also busy adding to the already powerful Willie Mullins string and among his purchases was lot 230 Eden Flight (Fr) (Great Pretemder {Ire}) who cost €140,000 and lot 248 Eglantine Du Seuil (Fr) who was knocked down for €85,000.

Trade continues at Arqana on Tuesday from 1p.m. when national hunt store horses take centre stage.