Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE -- "Deep German family" was an oft-uttered phrase during Sunday's session of the Arqana Vente d'Elevage, most notably in the case of top lot Qualixia (lot 464), who is set to continue her racing career with Joseph O'Brien after being bought by Blandford Bloodstock's Stuart Boman for €320,000. Last seen making a black-type breakthrough in the Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau, Qualixia was offered by trainer Philippe Decouz as the winner of four of her 11 career starts. Bred by Gestut Fahrhof, the four-year-old daughter of Blue Point...

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE -- From Newmarket bargain buy to Deauville showstopper, Half Sovereign made "a dream come true" on Saturday when selling to Henry Lascelles for €2.6 million to headline the opening session of the Arqana Vente d'Elevage. Offered by Consign Ltd on behalf of trainer Karl Burke and his partner in the daughter of Ten Sovereigns, Adam Spratt, the two-year-old has gone from strength to strength since her low-profile appearance at last year's Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale. Purchased by Burke for just 12,000gns at Park Paddocks, Half Sovereign has gone...

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE -- For the second time in as many years, the young team at Consign Ltd is bidding to close out the sales season in style when high-class filly Half Sovereign is offered as a wildcard during Saturday's session of the Arqana Vente d'Elevage. When the TDN cameras visited Harriet Jones and Chloe Battam in July last year, the newly-founded Consign Ltd was preparing to get the ball rolling with a bumper draft numbering 18 horses at the Tattersalls July Sale. Then, less than five months later, Jones and...

High-class fillies Nyra, Egina and Daylight headline the catalogue for the 2025 edition of the Arqana Vente d'Elevage, which takes place from December 6-9. The first part of the catalogue features 248 mares, fillies and foals, with Nyra set to be one of the early highlights when she is offered as lot 187. Trained by Waldemar Hickst, the daughter of Isfahan gained her biggest success to date in July's G3 Hamburger Stutenpreis, before also finishing a close-up third in the G1 Preis der Diana. She is out of a half-sister...

Offered in foal to Persian King (Ire) by Haras d'Etreham, the Pivotal (GB) mare Quara (Ire) topped the third day of the December Breeding Stock Sale at Arqana when being bought by Llama O'Mahony's Whitethorn Bloodstock for €72,000. The 10-year-old Quara is out of the Listed-winning Dubawi (Ire) mare Quanzhou (Fr), a half-sister to the G1 Prix du Cadran hero Mille Et Mille (GB) (Muhtathir {GB}). Though Quara was unraced, Quanzhou is the dam of five winners, including the Listed scorers Hooking (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Le Destrier...

Leading American owner Mike Repole opened up about his long-term breeding plan after sourcing six fillies and mares for just shy of €2 million at the December Breeding Stock Sale at Arqana, headed by the Sunday sale-topper Hoshiana (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) at €220,000.  Fourth in a Listed contest on heavy ground when last seen, Hoshiana is out of Doctor Dino (Fr) mare Galtika Coat Frity (Fr) and was knocked down to bloodstock agent Alex Solis on behalf of Repole. She was sold by trainer Nicolas Perret.  Speaking from America, the...

Mauricio Delcher Sanchez sent G3 Prix de Psyche heroine Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) through the ring at Arqana, and the G1 Prix Rothschild runner-up was knocked down for €1,600,000 to Stamford Bloodstock/Meridian Bloodstock on behalf of John Stewart's Resolute Racing, as the first millionaire of the 2024 Vente d'Elevage. Sold as lot 171, the daughter of Moment Of Truth (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) is a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Memo De L'Alguer (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). Bred by Sandra Russell, the 4-year-old was a €52,000 purchase out of the...

Classic hero Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), who will stand at Haras d'Etreham beginning next year, will be available for viewing at Haras du Thenney on Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7, during the Arqana Vente d'Elevage from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Metropolitan won the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and was third in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was also a close second in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, and will be available for €15,000 in 2025. Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure said,...

This year's Oaks d'Italia winner Tomiko (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) has been added to Arqana's December Breeding Stock Sale and will be offered by Baroda Stud as lot 170 during the opening day of the sale on Saturday, December 7. Trained by Paolo Aragoni for owner Luigi Ginobbi, Tomiko also finished third in the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio. She is one of two winners from four runners out of the unraced Lawman (Fr) mare Testimony (GB), a half-sister to the 10-time winner--including at Listed level--Saltonstall (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Her second dam...

This year's Preis der Diana runner-up Spanish Eyes (Ger) has been added to Arqana's December Breeding Stock Sale and will be offered by Ecurie des Monceaux as lot 180 during the opening day of the sale on Saturday, December 7. Trained by Andreas Wohler for owner-breeders Gestut Karlshof, Spanish Eyes made a winning debut over nine furlongs at Hoppegarten in June. That remains her sole victory in five career starts, though she was beaten just a length behind Erle (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}) in the Preis der Diana, before running...

The catalogue for Arqana's December Breeding Stock Sale, which begins on Saturday, December 7, is now available online. A total of 956 fillies, broodmares and foals have been catalogued across the four days of trade in Deauville. Among the more notable names set to sell are this year's G3 Prix de Cabourg winner and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up Daylight (Fr) (Earthlight {Ire}) (lot 178); Strawberry Lace (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) (lot 144), offered carrying a full sibling to last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Unquestionable (Fr)...

The four-day Arqana Vente d'Elevage concluded on Tuesday, with four fillies and mares making €1 million or more, and 668 horses (77%) marked as sold for a gross of €47,135,000. Overall, the average was down 8% to €70,561, however, the median rose to €20,000, an increase of 16% off of 2022's mark. The sale was topped by Group 1 winner Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) at €4.025 million from leading buyer Portofino Bloodstock. Taking just Tuesday's trade into account, 109 lots sold (79%) for a gross of...