Stakes Winners Prove Popular
Stakes Winners Prove Popular…
Black-type fillies off the track are always coveted commodities, and there are particularly few of them on the market this year. It was therefore no surprise to see Abys (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}) (lot 171), who was placed twice at listed level for Pia Brandt, be the center of some spirited bidding up to the €450,000 offered by Pierre-Yves Bureau.
“What can I say that is not on the page?” The manager of Wertheimer et Frere quipped. “She is just a talented, good looking filly, by Montjeu who is a broodmare sire we are very keen on, and a half-sister to two Group 1 winners. I think the price was fair for such a package.”
An hour later, the name of Wertheimer et Frere was back on the score sheet after Bureau outbid Badgers Bloodstock for Blarney Stone (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) (lot 201) with a final offer of €725,000. The 3-year-old was a winner for Alain de Royer Dupre this year, and she hails from one of the finest Wildenstein families. Her dam is the listed scorer and Group 3 runner-up Bastet (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway), who has already produced two black-type winners, both by Deep Impact (Jpn), including the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine Beauty Parlour (GB). The second dam, Benediction (Ire), has established quite a dynasty in Australasia, being the ancestor of the Group 1 winners Might and Power (NZ), Lucky Owners (NZ) and Mosheen (Aus).
“This is an awesome family and there have been very few opportunities to step into it,” commentated Bureau. “You have to go up to that sort of price to secure a half-sister to a Classic winner, by Peintre Celebre who is a proven broodmare sire, and with so much black-type under the first two dams.”
Three lots later, the bidding reached high six figures once again when agent Hugo Lascelles went to €700,000 for lot 204, the G2 Prix Chaudenay victress and Group 1 producer Behkara (Ire) (Kris {GB}) from the draft of the Aga Khan’s Studs. The 14-year-old mare is the dam of G1 Grand Prix de Paris scorer Behkabad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and two other listed winners, and was sold carrying to the first crop of Declaration of War.
Lascelles noted the price was “bang on what he thought” it would be, and said he was acting on behalf of an owner/breeder client in England.
“I would hope we’ll get some fillies out of her because its great blood,” he said. “We don’t know what she’s carrying, a colt or a filly, but that’s what the whole purpose was.”
Anthony Stroud went to €380,000 for the 3-year-old Stellar Path (Fr) (Astronomer Royal) (lot 184), winner of the G3 Prix des Reservoirs as a juvenile and of a pair of listed races this season. The grey is a full-sister to Weary (Fr) (raced in Europe as Sir Patrick Moore), who was placed in stakes races in France, the UK and Australia, including a second in the G1 All Aged S. Down Under.
“I have bought her for a group of Irish breeders,” Stroud offered. “No plans have been made yet but I assume she will be retired and shipped to Ireland to be covered.”