Explosive Start to Arqana August

EXPLOSIVE START TO ARQANA AUGUST 
By Emma Berry and Claude Beniada 
Set in the Normandy seaside town of Deauville, Arqana’s curtain-raiser to the European yearling season could not have a better backdrop, and action in the sales ring didn’t disappoint either, with two millionaire yearlings gracing the first select session. The day’s leading lady was a daughter of Monsun (Ger) (lot 11 {video}) from one of Europe’s most prolific families, who fetched a bid of €1.2 million to race for Classic-winning owners Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar. 
During an electric early first hour of the sale, the average price was running at close to €300,000 and eventually settled at €249,800, up 15% on the corresponding day in 2013, with a median price of €170,000. A highly encouraging clearance rate of 82% meant that 65 of the 79 yearlings presented changed hands for €16,237,000, again a hefty rise on last year’s aggregate of 17%. 
Top of the consignors’ tree, as has become the norm at the August Sale, was Lucien Urano’s Ecurie des Monceaux, whose recent graduates include G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Charm Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and G2 Prix Hocquart winner Free Port Lux (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The operation was yesterday responsible for four of the six most expensive lots of the first of two select sessions, including the top-priced filly. 
“The sale couldn’t have started any better for us,” said Monceaux manager Henri Bozo. “We’re delighted, but we knew we were coming here with some lovely horses early in the sale–some lovely fillies with top-class pedigrees. It’s thanks to the work the team has done at home and to all the clients who have continued to support us. We’re also very grateful to Arqana for continuing to bring in new clients to this sale.” 
Catalogue updates could hardly be more timely than that which was provided by Seismos (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}), winner of the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. at Newbury just an hour and a half before his session-topping half-sister passed through the ring in Deauville. Mind you, as a good-looking final-crop daughter of the late and much-lamented Monsun from the outstanding German family that also includes G1 Deutsches Derby winners Sea The Moon (Ger), Samum (Ger) and Schiaparelli (Ger), there was already plenty to recommend the May-born filly. 
Tony Nerses, making his first visit to France’s premier yearling sale since 1990, was not to be outdone and was pushed all the way to €1.2 million on behalf of the Saudi Arabian duo of Al Homaizi and Al Sagar, whose colors were made famous by Epsom Derby winner Authorized (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). 
“She was the pick of the sale, an absolute standout with a page like this,” said Nerses. “We’ll take her back to Newmarket and obviously we will race her, but eventually she will be a really lovely addition to our broodmare band at Blue Diamond Stud.” 

The Perfect Conclusion… 
A half-sister to Perfect Soul (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) played her part as the second seven-figure yearling of the evening when the daughter of Dance Secretary (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) by champion sire Galileo (Ire) (lot 81 {video}) went the way of South African partnership Mayfair Speculators on a single bid of €1million from agent Anthony Stroud. 
Spokesman Derek Brugman, buying on behalf of the syndicate which includes Markus Jooste, Bernard Kantor and other investors, said: “She’ll stay here to race in France. We’ll sit down after the sale and start to think about trainers. We’re looking to expand the operation–we already race horses in France, England and Germany. We love France–this is my first time in Deauville–and we’re delighted to have been able to buys some really lovely fillies.” 
The Galileo filly was consigned by Gilles and Aliette Forien’s Haras de la Reboursiere et de Montaigu, who were celebrating their highest-ever sales price. 
“The mare was sent to us and the filly was born and raised at the farm,” said Aliette Forien. “She’s the first foal from the mare that we’ve sold so we’re delighted, but she was gorgeous so we were expecting her to sell well.” 
Forien added, “I was pretty confident coming to the sale, as I knew we had a good consignment, but the sale is strong and when people see quality yearlings they are prepared to pay a good price for them.” 
Earlier in the session, Mayfair Speculators also went to €700,000 to secure lot 36 (video), a daughter of Sea The Stars (Ire) from the Aga Khan family of Vadawina and Valixir, and two lots later paid another €170,000 for a High Chaparral (Ire) half-brother to dual Group 3 winner Native Khan (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}). They also spent €650,000 on lot 87 (video), a filly from the final crop of Monsun (Ger) out of the German stakes winner Dubai Rose (GB) (Dubai Destination). 
Coolmore’s MV Magnier appeared on the buyers’ sheet twice in the opening session and he had to dig deepest for lot 30 (video), an Invincible Spirit (Ire) half-sister to the Group 1 winners Most Improved (Ire) (Lawman {Ire}) and Ectot (GB) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), who was eventually knocked down for €850,000. He said: “When we have the opportunity we’ve always bought nice fillies, and this one has a great pedigree with two very good half-brothers, so we’ll take her back to Ireland and decide what to do.” 
Magnier also bid €480,000 for lot 18 (video), an Oasis Dream (GB) colt out of the multiple Group 3 winner Soneva (Cherokee Run) consigned by Eric Lhermite’s Haras de Grandcamp. 

From France to the World… 
As has become the norm for the August Sale, the list of buyers represented a decent geographical spread, with lot 6 (video), one of the early favorites by Galileo out of the GI Beverly D. S. winner Royal Highness, going the way of Australian Michael Wallace, buying at Deauville for the first time on behalf of China Horse Club. 
After bidding €560,000 for the half-sister to Free Port Lux (GB) Wallace said, “She’ll stay in France, but she’ll be racing for the club. It’s my first visit to this sale but I’ve been really impressed with the quality on offer here and it’s great to be able to purchase a filly by a champion stallion from such a great farm. I came here with an open mind–we weren’t necessarily looking for a filly, but she ticked lots of boxes and with her pedigree there’s plenty of residual value. She’s part of a long-term plan for the China Horse Club.” 
Owner Jean-Michel Hegesippe has this season witnessed his silks being carried to Group 1 glory by Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Spiritjim (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), who was bought from Arqana’s October Sale for €310,000 in 2011. Along with that colt’s trainer Pascal Bary, Hegesippe returned to Deauville to reinvest his winnings in a future racing prospect, settling in the end for lot 39 (video), a grey daughter of Sea The Stars (Ire) out of the G3-placed Ysoldina (Fr) (Kendor) for €600,000. 
Bary said: “We’ve had good success here at Arqana and we think that the horse we bought at this sale last year is very nice, even though he hasn’t raced yet. We loved this filly and we’ve bought her to race, not necessarily as a breeding prospect. In fact, of those we’ve seen this year in the sale we mostly liked fillies.” 
Al Shaqab Racing will be racing a smart daughter of Dansili (GB) (lot 28) next season after Ross Doyle went to €480,000 for the Coulonces-consigned filly out of listed winner Thai Haku (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and from the further family of Hernando (Fr). 
“She’ll be going to Richard Hannon,” confirmed the agent. “We’re looking for nice fillies and obviously she was one–she’s a good size, a good mover and she has a great pedigree.” 
With one of the world’s most envied broodmare bands and plenty of good homebreds to race, the name Juddmonte rarely appears on the list of buyers at yearling sales, but racing manager Lord Grimthorpe struck twice on behalf of the operation Saturday evening, first going to €350,000 for lot 17 (video). Bred by Haras du Quesnay, the February-foaled colt has Juddmonte stallions on both sides of his pedigree, being by Dansili (GB) out of the Quest For Fame mare Silver Fame, and is a half-brother to the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly winner Silver Pond (Fr) (Act One {GB}). 
“He’s a good-moving horse and we really liked him and he’s from a family we know well. Time will tell if the price was reasonable,” said Lord Grimthorpe, who later bid the same amount for lot 68 (video), a second-crop Rip Van Winkle (Ire) colt out of dual-winning juvenile Caipirinia (Ire) (Hawk Wing). 
The Arqana August Sale continues today at 5 p.m. local time.