Record Smashed at Arqana Breeze Up
RECORD SMASHED AT ARQANA BREEZE UP
By Emma Berry
For the third successive year, a new record was set at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, with last year’s benchmark of €520,000 bettered substantially by a €750,000 son of Invincible Spirit (Ire) (Lot 112) who will race in the colors of Sheikh Joaan Al Thani’s Al Shaqab Racing.
Though the clearance rate dipped slightly, from 79% last year to 76% this time around, overall the day’s trade was pleasing for the team at Arqana, with 18 six-figure lots boosting the aggregate to €6,750,000 (from €6,074,000 in 2013). The average rose sharply to a new record for the sale of €76,705 (from €66,747) and the median was also up at €55,000 (€49,000).
Out of an unraced half-sister to the legendary German sire Monsun (Ger), the record-breaking colt had been selected last October in Deauville by Brendan Holland of Grove Stud for what now seems an incredible bargain price of €55,000.
“It’s just unbelievable,” said a naturally delighted Holland. “This completely justifies everything we’re trying to do at home in slowly improving the quality and this is now the third record we’ve had this season–we sold the highest-priced filly at the Craven Sale and the top lot at Doncaster. To have all this happen in the same year is really just unbelievable–that’s the only word for it.”
Bidding on the sheikh’s behalf was Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International, who didn’t enter the fray until the colt reached €550,000 after some determined early exchanges between MV Magnier, who was the eventual underbidder, David Redvers and Jean-Francois Bernard.
Sheikh Joaan’s racing manager Harry Herbert was effusive in his praise of the well-presented colt, saying: “It’s rare to see a horse of this quality at any auction. He has an unbelievable head, outlook and balance and of course he did a very good breeze. He’s one of those horses who just knocks your socks off. He’s very special.”
Among De Watrigant’s purchases for Al Shaqab at the same sale last year was Redbrook (Ire) (Raven’s Pass), the winner three days ago of the Listed Prix du Pont-Neuf at Longchamp and, with Sheikh Joaan in attendance at Saint-Cloud, the agent also went to €200,000 for another smart son of Invincible Spirit (Ire) (Lot 91) offered by Alban Chevalier du Fau and Jamie Railton’s Channel Consignment.
“He did a superb breeze but he will need a little time,” said De Watrigant of the son of the listed-placed Inchinor (GB) mare In The Light (GB), who hails from a successful George Strawbridge family that includes G1 St Leger winner Lucarno (Dynaformer).
The influence of the Al Thani family was keenly felt in Paris with Sheikh Joaan and his cousin Sheikh Fahad, the two leading buyers on the day, accounting for four 2-year-olds each to the tune of €1,835,000.
The offspring of freshman stallions were very much in vogue with a colt by Siyouni (Fr) (Lot 159) holding sway at the top of the leader board for much of the day after selling for €300,000 to Qatar Racing. Named Svoul (Fr), he is out of the winning 2-year-old Dansia (Ger) (Lavirco {Ger}).
After signing the ticket, Sheikh Fahad’s racing and bloodstock advisor David Redvers said: “He did a very quick and stylish breeze and he’s a really nice horse. I’ve been very impressed with the sire’s stock and have seen some really speedy and athletic-looking types by him.”
The colt was offered by Willie Browne of Mocklershill, who witnessed a ten-fold increase on the price he gave for him at Arqana’s October Sale and ended the day as leading vendor. Browne’s 11 lots sold garnered a return of €1,175,000, with Grove Stud close to that tally at €1,088,000 for five sold, which included a Kendargent (Fr) colt by the name of Mondial Jet (Fr) at €180,000. The brother to listed winner Princedargent (Fr) was bought for Frank Gillespie by Stephen Hillen, who said: “I bought [three-times group-placed] The Grey Gatsby for the same owner from the same vendor at this sale last year and he was recently runner-up in the [G3] Craven S. I do a lot of work looking at horses through the winter and this was one who really stood out. He’ll be trained by Kevin Ryan.”
Another successful bid by Redvers was made for Lot 40, a colt by Whitsbury Manor Stud’s first-season sire Showcasing (GB), who is also out of a German-bred mare, this time Acetanango’s (Ger) daughter Armanda (Ger), a dual winner whose first three foals are all winners. Secured for €210,000–again a significant increase from his yearling price of €27,000–the colt, consigned by John Cullinane’s Horse Park Stud, could be seen on French racecourses in the near future.
“He’s been bought for Qatar Racing. He’s French-bred so there’s every chance he could come back here. We’re looking for something to win the bonus like we did last year,” said Redvers, referring to the maiden and group victories of Arqana Breeze-up graduate My Catch (Ire) (Camacho {GB}), who justified his €135,000 price tag when earning €110,000 in Arqana jackpot payments in addition to a decent haul of prize-money for his victories in Maisons-Laffitte and in the G3 Prix Cabourg at Deauville last summer.
He added: “Showcasing has made a good start and had a really impressive winner in Ireland recently trained by Ger Lyons. This colt is typical of a horse coming from John Cullinane and Roger Marley–he looks the complete package.”
Curragh trainer Ken Condon returned to a happy hunting ground to buy two six-figure juveniles on Saturday, going to €210,000 for the most expensive filly of the sale Lot 100, Athassel House Stud’s daughter of Bernardini out of a Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) half-sister to GII San Marcos S. winner Loup Breton (Fr). He also bid €140,000 for an Oasis Dream (GB) half-brother to G1 Falmouth S. winner Giofra (GB) (Dansili {GB}), offered by Bansha House Stables as Lot 74. Condon said: “We’ve had some luck buying at this sale in the past–of the two we bought in 2010, the Marju colt won first time out and sold well to Hong Kong and the Elusive City filly [Marvada (Ire)] won a Group 3. So we wanted to come back and try again.”
Of the Oasis Dream colt, he added: “This is a lovely horse. He’s a really easy-moving colt who did a really nice gallop and the mare’s already bred a Group 1 winner.”
Stephen Hillen had a busy day and among his five purchases he signed for a Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) wild-card entry slated as Lot 98b. Hammer fall for the half-brother to listed winner Lungwa (Ire) (One Cool Cat) came at €180,000 and he is set to race for owners Jim and Fitri Hay.
“We saw the horse in the winter at Willie Browne’s so he’s been in our minds for a little while and he did a very sensible, nice breeze,” said Hillen, who also went to €115,000 to buy Lot 50, a colt by the Aga Khan Studs’ popular freshman Siyouni, whose six 2-year-olds to change hands at the sale notched a respectable average of €100,667.
“He’s a lovely colt, one of the best physically in the sale, and he’ll be trained by Kevin Ryan for Middleham Park Racing,” added the agent. “I’ve seen a few by Siyouni and I’ve liked what I’ve seen. We tried to buy one from Roger O’Callaghan at Doncaster. This colt has size and scope and I’m delighted to get him.”
Mastercraftsman (Ire) ended last season as Europe’s leading first-season sire, and a colt bred on the same cross as his principal flag-bearer, Kingston Hill (GB), will be trained in Chantilly by Pascal Bary after being knocked down for €160,000 to Gerard Larrieu of Chantilly Bloodstock Agency. Lot 58, named Cinq Rules (Fr), is out of the Rainbow Quest (GB) mare Coup d’Eclat from the further family of Coup de Folie (Fr).
At the conclusion of the day’s trade, Arqana’s general director Olivier Delloye said: “For the third year in a row the record has been broken, and there has been an improvement in all the sectors except the clearance, which was very high last year at 80%. There was more pressure on pinhookers because last year’s yearling trade was so strong. The sale took a little while to get going early on but got much stronger towards the end. It was good to see young French stallions like Siyouni being well received by purchasers.”