Pierre Boulard

Fresh from sending out four winners at Cheltenham's November Meeting, Dan Skelton issued another statement of intent in his quest for a first British trainers' championship when revealed as the new trainer of the two most expensive lots sold during Monday's opening session of the Arqana Autumn Sale. In the space of three lots, the three-year-olds Mets Ta Ceinture (Hunter's Light) (lot 380) and Merci Mam (Karaktar) (lot 378) sold for an aggregate sum of €1,230,000. Both horses went through the ring following the decision to dissolve the partnership between...

Arqana's Autumn Sale, which began on Saturday with a session of Flat yearlings, resumed with a lively session of horses in training, headed by Make Me King (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) at €380,000, one of two six-figure purchases on the day by Wathnan Racing. Sold as lot 420 by the Channel Consignment, the three-year-old has been in training with Andre Fabre and has won in both his seasons to date, as well as finishing runner-up in last year's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon. Out of the Listed-winning juvenile Miss Infinity (Ire)...

No trainer in Ireland has farmed France for top-class talent quite like Willie Mullins has in recent times. Superstars Hurricane Fly (Ire), Douvan (Fr), Un De Sceaux (Fr), Vroum Vroum Mag (Fr) and Benie Des Dieux (Fr) are all a product of that hugely successful resource.  It seems as though not one week goes by where Mullins fails to unleash a leading French prospect, which was evident at Clonmel on Tuesday when Ireland's dominant National Hunt trainer sent out Night And Day (GB) and Gaelic Warrior (Ger) to record emphatic...