Arqana

Juvenile colt Gentlemanlike caught the eye of Mandore International Agency's Nicolas de Watrigant for €250,000 during Arqana Online's August Pop-Up Sale on Wednesday. De Watrigant signed for a French partnership consisting of Alain Jathiere, Gousserie Racing, Ecurie David Layani and Gerard Augustin-Normand. He was originally sold for €12,000 from the Baroda Stud draft during the Arqana October Yearling Sale last year to owner/trainer Igor Endaltsev. Consigned by Endaltsev on Wednesday, the Al Shira'aa Racing-bred son of Group 1 sire Australia and the Kodiac mare Samskara won his only start by...

6th-Goodwood, £75,000, Mdn, 8-2, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:26.63, g/s. ISAAC NEWTON (IRE) (c, 2, Camelot {GB}--Etive {SW-Ger & MSP-Fr, $126,693}, by Elusive Quality), a nose shy of stablemate New Zealand (Frankel) when a July 19 debut runner-up over this trip at the Curragh last time, raced in a midfield seventh through halfway here. Urged closer with three furlongs remaining, the 8-13 favourite went third approaching the final furlong and was driven out to prevail by a neck from Evanesco (Too Darn Hot). "He had a very good run the first...

Irishman Brian Acheson has acquired a minor stake in Ecurie des Monceaux. The news was confirmed by Monceaux's Henri Bozo to Jour De Galop on Wednesday evening. A prominent NH owner under the Robcour banner, Acheson has now handed Bozo more financial firepower to continue the French Flat nursery's consigning dominance at the upcoming Arqana August Yearling Sale. Monceaux has led the vendor table for each of the past 13 years. "I am delighted to have a new partner on board, a successful entrepreneur with dynamic ideas who will strengthen...

Sandra Russell, breeder of Grade I winner Excellent Truth, opens up about the emotion surrounding that top-notch triumph  Much of the attention surrounding Excellent Truth's breakthrough success at the highest level at Saratoga last weekend revolved around the game's larger than life owner John Stewart. And rightly so given it was the man behind Resolute Racing who forked out €1.6 million for the daughter of Cotai Glory at the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale last December. But a little over 3,000 miles away from Saratoga, the magnitude of what Excellent Truth...

Newmarket's Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes has a rich history and Friday's renewal had the right feel to it as Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) emerged to become the race's fourth straight TDN Rising Star. Whether Godolphin's €1.9million Arqana May Breeze-Up topper will be more Field Of Gold than Epictetus and Arabic Legend remains to be seen, but there was much to like about the way her battled by Ballydoyle's Constitution River (Wootton Bassett) with the pair clear. "He's been straightforward since he's arrived and full credit to the people...

The Godolphin-Appleby-Buick triumvirate was in celebratory mood for a third time on the opening day of Newmarket's July Festival after TDN Rising Star Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath) doubled his stakes tally with a decisive success in the Listed Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes. "It's easy to say after the event, but I'd have been disappointed if he'd got beat," Appleby said. "He's a very exciting horse we thought a lot of in the spring and even in the winter to be fair. He shows signs of his father as...

The curtain came down on the Arqana Summer Sale on Thursday where Victoire Des Borde (Antarctique), a sister to Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero Kopek Des Bordes (No Risk At All), led the concluding session when selling to Guy Petit for €85,000.  All told, the aggregate for the Summer Sale was up a massive 24% to €13,311,200 while the average was up by 9% to €36,074. The clearance rate was a healthy 80% [up 14% on last year] while the median was up by €4,000 to €20,000.  A press release issued...

Some of the earliest clues for next year's Triumph Hurdle may well have been on show at Arqana on Wednesday when the highly-touted Zekret (Fr) was purchased on behalf of a leading Irish owner to continue his career with Joseph O'Brien. The Zarak colt boasted smart form in France for trainer Andre Fabre on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing and was last seen running respectably - only beaten a little over three lengths - in a Group 3 contest at ParisLongchamp over 1m3f.  It was agent Alex Elliott, working alongside...

A strong catalogue of 171 yearlings, including a Hello Youmzain half-brother to GIII Florida Oaks heroine Outburst (Outstrip), features in the Arqana v.2 catalogue. Selling as lot 347, he is joined by a Thunder Moon colt out of a half-sister to G2 Prix de la Nonette heroine and GI Diana Stakes second Dream Peace (Dansili) (lot 467); a Goken colt (lot 445) who is from the same family as G3 Prix Minerve winner Maroussies Wings (In The Wings); another colt by Thunder Moon (lot 312) who is out of the...

The catalogue for the Arqana August Yearling Sale was published on Wednesday, with 307 lots set to go under the hammer in Deauville between August 16-18. The first two sessions, each featuring 80 yearlings, will get underway at 5.30pm, before the remaining lots go through the ring in a final session which kicks off at 11am. Look De Vega, Ramatuelle and Shin Emperor feature among the top-class graduates of this sale in recent years, in addition to the G1 Champion Stakes and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Sealiway, who will...

Last year's G3 Prix de la Rochette winner Houquetot (lot 416) is one of 13 new additions to the catalogue for the Arqana Summer Sale, which takes place between Monday, June 30 and Thursday, July 3. Trained by Christopher Head, the son of Wootton Bassett and G3 Athasi Stakes scorer Happen (War Front) was last seen finishing sixth in the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac. He will be offered by Haras de Bouquetot, along with fellow three-year-old Zekret (lot 414), a son of Zarak who recently finished fifth in the...

Last year's G3 Derby-Trial winner Augustus will be offered as a wildcard during the Arqana Summer Sale, which takes place between Monday, June 30 and Thursday, July 3. The full catalogue is available to view here. The son of Soldier Hollow will be consigned by trainer Waldemar Hickst, having finished third behind the top-class Goliath (Adlerflug) when making his most recent appearance in the G3 La Coupe at ParisLongchamp earlier this month. A Listed-winning juvenile, he followed his Derby-Trial success last year with a third-place finish in the G1 Deutsches...