Oasis Dream Colt Tops Arqana Opener

The combination of a world-class sire and a world-class breeding operation provided the top lot for the premier section of Arqana's October Sale when a Diane Wildenstein-bred Oasis Dream (GB) colt (lot 161) was the pick of the day for Ted Voute at €290,000.

Voute, who secured the colt and two other yearlings from Part 1 on behalf of HRH Prince Faisal bin Khaled, was delighted to be able to take home his first choice, saying, “From when I arrived on Sunday, I thought he was far and away the best colt in the sale but I didn't think I'd be able to buy him. He has been beautifully prepared by the Coulonces Consignment and he's from a great breeder. He'll come back to my farm while we decide where he is to be trained. He'll be broken in by Malcolm Bastard and Prince Faisal has two trainers–Pascal Bary in France and John Gosden in England.”

The colt is the third foal of Soudanaise (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), a sister to the G1 Gran Premio di Milano winner Sudan (Ire), who was trained in France by Ellie Lellouche before being sent to Bobby Frankel, for whom he won the GIII Golden Gate Fields S.

Voute was in action from early in the session on behalf of his Saudi Arabian client. His signings included lot 27, a €130,000 colt from the penultimate crop of High Chaparral (Ire) named Brickfield (Fr) and consigned by Haras de la Reboursiere et de Montaigu.

“Ideally I'm looking for horses who will stay a mile and two furlongs as ultimately they will be going to race in Saudi Arabia with the aim being the King's Cup,” he explained.

Brickfield is the third foal of the listed-placed multiple winner Biased (GB) (Haafhd {GB}), a half-sister to G3 Prix Exbury winner Court Canibal (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). Voute also went to €90,000 for lot 4, Haras de Colleville's brother to the G3-placed Mount Kiara (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}).

One more yearling was sold on Tuesday than in the corresponding session for 2014, with turnover falling by 5.5% to €8,044,000 for the 129 horses to have changed hands at a slightly improved clearance rate of 75%. The average price fell by 6% to €66,357, with a more marked drop in median, from €57,000 12 months ago to €45,000.

Of the buyers in play on Tuesday, Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International had the most clout, with seven yearlings bought for €980,000 on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing.

Members of the first Northern Hemisphere-bred crop of Redoute's Choice (Aus) created quite a stir when presented for sale at Arqana's yearling-sale opener in August, and another of his daughters (lot 22) brought the hammer down at €260,000 to head de Watrigant's purchases. The April-foaled filly is out of Benzolina (Ire) (Second Empire), whose offspring include the listed winners Baine (Fr) (Country Reel) and Bassamba (Fr) (American Post {Fr}). Both those fillies were trained by their breeder Francois Rohaut, as was Benzolina, whose yearling daughter was presented on Rohaut's behalf by Haras de Saint Pair.

“It's a really strong family and the fact that she's by Redoute's Choice is definitely a plus. It's been a really good family for Francois Rohaut so I think that gives quite a good indication of who will train her,” said de Watrigant.

With Treve (Fr) now in retirement, there's arguably no more popular horse in training in France than the game veteran Cirrus Des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {GB}), and his Alamo Bay half-sister Vie Des Aigles (Fr) provided a late highlight of the session when her Siyouni (Fr) filly (lot 187) was another to join the Al Shaqab team when bought by de Watrigant for €250,000. Named Vision Intense (Fr) and consigned by Haras de Grandcamp, she is to be trained in Chantilly by Francis Graffard.

The agent also went to €150,000 for a pair of colts. Lot 92, a La Motteraye-consigned son of Zoffany (Ire), is the first foal of the unraced La Jalouise (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}), a half-sister to G1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up and listed winner Believe Me (Ire) (In The Wings {Ire}). He was followed on the Al Shaqab list by lot 113, the sole More Than Ready yearling in the catalogue offered by Pierre Talvard's Haras du Cadran and another first foal, this time of the dual Grade 3 runner-up Miss Cato (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}).

The only yearling by Shamardal in the sale was, unsurprisingly, of interest to Darley, who bought lot 57, the half-brother to GII Del Mar Derby winner Fairly Ransom (Red Ransom) for €250,000 through Anthony Stroud.

The leading light from the Ecurie des Monceaux draft during the sale's opening session was lot 39, a statuesque filly by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) out of the winning Street Cry (Ire) mare Celestina Agostino, a half-sister to the GI Flower Bowl Invitational H. winner Chelsey Flower (His Majesty). Marc-Antoine Berghracht was the agent in command and signed for the bay filly at €220,000 on behalf of a racing syndicate led by Anthony Forde.

Haras du Quesnay's Redoute's Choice colt out of the listed-placed Jakonda (Kingmambo) (lot 83) was initially bought back by his vendor at €200,000, but a private sale at €160,000 was later agreed with Meridian International for the great grandson of the great racemare and producer Weekend Surprise.

Gérard Larrieu of Chantilly Bloodstock, in company with owner Jean-Louis Bouchard, bid €160,000 for lot 99, an Invincible Spirit (Ire) daughter of the listed winner Lumiere Noire (Fr) (Dashing Blade {GB}) offered by her breeder Haras du Mezeray. The filly will be trained by Pascal Bary, as will lot 128, a Siyouni (Ire) half-sister to the jumps winner Hindou (Fr) (Califet {Fr}) who was added to Bouchard's string at a cost of €150,000.

Bouchard has certainly had his fair share of luck on the racetrack–though more notably with colts–and has won the Prix du Jockey-Club on four occasions with Blue Canari (Fr), Celtic Arms (Fr), Ragmar (Fr) and Dream Well (Fr), the latter in partnership with the Niarchos family. All four Classic winners were trained by Bary.

Laurent Benoit of the Broadhurst Agency was pushed to €145,000 in his pursuit of lot 119, a Fastnet Rock (Aus) grandson of G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Pas De Reponse (Danzig) from Ecurie des Monceaux.

“He's by a really good stallion from a young mare and is really well bred. There's plenty of speed in the pedigree–it's a good Wertheimer family,” said Benoit, who added that the colt was bought on behalf of a new British client.

Multiple Classic-winning trainer John Oxx was paying his first visit to Arqana's October Sale and made his presence felt early with the purchase of lot 26, a filly by Lawman (Ire) from the Ecurie des Monceaux draft at €110,000.

“She's been bought on behalf of the Tsui family's Sunderland Holdings. She's from a very nice family and if she can do it on the track she's a lovely long-term breeding prospect,” said Oxx.

The second daughter of the winning King's Best mare Best Intent (GB) was bred by Trevor and Libby Harris of Newmarket's Lordship Stud, whose alumni include Oaks winner Love Divine (GB) (Diesis) and her St Leger-winning son Sixties Icon (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Trevor Harris, who boards Best Intent at Monceaux, said, “I'm delighted she's gone to such a good trainer. In fact it's the second horse John Oxx has bought from us in a week as he also bought one of our yearlings at Tattersalls.”

The first session of the three-day Part 2 begins today at 3:30 p.m. with 124 lots catalogued for the abridged session after racing at Deauville.