Figures On The Rise Again at Osarus

The prices may not have raised the roof but the strong winds did–literally taking the awning off the sales rostrum–and the prevailing attitude through the second day of the Osarus September Yearling Sale, at which figures improved in each sector, was very much one of ‘keep calm and carry on.’

When set against events in Lexington it is of course a relatively minor Thoroughbred auction but, as reported here earlier in the week, it has a growing significance for breeders, owners and trainers on both sides of the English Channel and has undoubtedly benefited from its association with the Anglo-Irish sales behemoth Tattersalls.

Jean-Claude Rouget will again be training one of the top-priced yearlings from Osarus, a tidy dark brown daughter of Sageburg (Ire) (lot 146) out of the G2 Prix Robert Papin runner-up Louve Rouge (Fr) (Gold Away {Ire}), whom he bought for €68,000 from Alec Waugh’s Jedburgh Stud. The same vendor was responsible for the sale’s joint-top price, a filly by the popular young Aga Khan stallion Siyouni (Fr) out of an Anabaa daughter of Group 2 runner-up and listed winner Shining Molly (Fr) (Shining Steel), who was bought by Deauville trainer Stephane Wattel.

Narrowly shading the first day’s top price, the duo helped to boost the aggregate to €3,897,500, up from €3,675,000 in 2014. There were advances in both the average and the median, with the former settling at €21,202 (from €17,696) and the median at €18,000 (from €14,000). The clearance rate fell slightly, by two points to 79%, for 191 lots sold from 247 offered.

Agent Matt Coleman was among the first-time visitors to the sale from the UK and bought six yearlings for a variety of English trainers and Irish breeze-up consignors, including lot 152, Haras du Buff’s first-crop son of Harbour Watch (Ire) and the first foal of juvenile winner Make Up (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) for €62,000.

Candida Baker and Valerie Murphy, the wife and assistant trainer, respectively, of Manton-based George Baker, were also at the sale for the first time and, working in partnership with Coleman, bought lot 140, a Miesque’s Son half-brother to Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. winner To My Valentine (Fr) (Dyhim Diamond {Ire}) for €46,000.

“We’d heard quite a bit about the sale when we were at Doncaster, and it sits very nicely with the kind of value you might find at Tattersalls Ireland next week. We like to travel horses and regularly have runners in France and Germany, so it makes sense to come here to try to find a nice yearling with French premiums,” said Baker, whose point was illustrated by the timely victory in Fontainebleau of her stable’s runner, Intibaah (GB) (Elnadim). She continued, “You perhaps have to sift through to find a nugget, but there are some nice individuals to be bought–it’s a very easy sale to work.”

One who has witnessed some major improvements over the years is William Huntingdon, who has been shopping at Osarus since its first sale in 2008 and this time around, with partner Liam Norris, bought two horses to be trained in Newmarket.

“It started with horses being sold from tents, but there’s now a very good stabling unit and great facilities,” he commented. “Thanks to Kendargent (Fr), Siyouni (Fr) and Le Havre (Ire), there are now three stallions in France who can hold their own anywhere in Europe, which helps this type of sale. Moving the breeze-up sale here in the spring and with the yearling sale now fully established, there is now a viable alternative to Arqana.”

Caesar The Teaser Has His Day…

Julian Ince of Haras du Logis was at Osarus to oversee his draft of four yearlings, but he could have been forgiven for being a little distracted around lunchtime. Up at Fontainebleau, Tiberian (Fr) (Tiberius Caesar {Fr}), a horse he owns and bred in partnership with Danedream’s former owner Heiko Volz and Stefan Falk, recorded the second victory of his four-start career.

The sire of the 3-year-old may have a few pedigree buffs scratching their heads, as Tiberius Caesar’s day job is as the Haras du Logis teaser. He was no slouch as a racehorse, however, and won the G3 Grosser Preis der Freien Hansestadt Bremen in Germany back in 2004. Each year the son of former Logis resident Zieten is allowed to cover one mare, and in 2012 it was the turn of Toamasina (Fr) (Marju), who was listed-placed and a three-time winner in her racing days and is the dam of one other winner, La Fiesta (Fr) (Country Reel). Her dalliance with Tiberius Caesar may yet provide her with her finest hour–as well as a potential promotion for the teaser–as their son Tiberian holds an entry in the G2 Prix Chaudenay at Longchamp during the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting.