THE European flat-bred bloodstock sales calendar will effectively come to a close with Arqana’s Breeding Stock Sale, which runs from Saturday, December 3rd to Tuesday, December 6th.
Last year’s four-day sale saw an Arqana record price of €3 million paid for Rougir, the Grade 1/Group 3 winner. Appropriately, Rougir was also sold as a foal at this sale, as was this year’s Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes winner Al Riffa.
That French-bred son of Wootton Bassett was bought for just €31,000 as a foal before being sold as a yearling by Michael Fitzpatrick’s Kilminfoyle House Stud for 150,000gns to trainer Joseph O’Brien.
This year’s Irish 2000 Guineas winner Native Trail was a €50,000 foal purchase at Deauville.
There are over 1,000 mares, fillies and foals in this year’s ‘Vente d’Élevage’. Among the highlights are dispersals for the legendary Haras du Quesnay and the Saudi entity Marbat LLC.
Saturday’s session contains around 250 mares, fillies and foals, headed by Group 1 winner Sweet Lady. A four-year-old by Lope De Vega, Sweet Lady won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille in September before finishing down the field at Ascot in October. She is out of the listed winner High Heel Sneakers, by Dansili.
Malavath is another eye-catching entry. The three-year-old Mehmas filly was a Group 2 winner at two and placed second at the Breeders’ Cup meeting that season. She’s been keeping top company this year too, winning a Group 3 and finishing second to Kinross in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret last month.
Irish racing fans will know the names Thunder Beauty and Mighty Blue. When trained by Ken Condon, Thunder Beauty (by Night Of Thunder) was a winner and listed-placed. Transferred to David O’Meara this season, she was a 40/1 shot when second to Saffron Beauty in a Group 2 at Royal Ascot, before bagging a listed race at Pontefract.
Other familiar names in the catalogue include Oscula, Hello You and Mighty Blue. Trained by George Boughey for Nick Bradley Racing, the three-year-old Oscula (by Galileo Gold) seemed to run every other week this year. One of the toughest horses in training, she ran 23 times, won six (including three Group 3 races) and was placed on a further 10 occasions.
David Loughnane trained Hello You for Amo Racing and the daughter of Invincible Spirit won the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes last year.
Mighty Blue was a classy dual-purpose runner for Joseph O’Brien. A six-year-old by Authorized, she ran 30 times, winning at listed level and group-placed on the flat before gaining a few bits of blacktype over hurdles.
She is a late entry for the sale, as was the Christophe Ferland-trained Times Square. Placed at Group 1 level at two and three, the three-year-old by Zarak won a listed race. She finished runner-up in the Prix Marcel Boussac and was third in this year’s Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.
Deccan Queen is a winning daughter of Rail Link and a half-sister to Group 2 winner Bellamy Cay. She will be offered in foal to St Mark’s Basilica.
Italian Group 2 winner Romagna Mia was a very consistent filly. She’s by Mastercraftsman and hails from the family of Group 1 winners Blue Duster and Highland Chief.
The supremely well-bred Group 3 Prix de Royaumont winner Thunder Drum is another late entry. By Dubawi out of Irish Oaks winner Great Heavens, she was initially trained for Lady Bamford by John Gosden before transferring to Jerome Reynier and winning her Group 3 at Chantilly in 2021.
Ecurie des Monceaux will offer the unbeaten Next Episode. Trained by Christophe Ferland, the two-year-old daughter of Kingman won on her debut over six furlongs at La Teste before following up when easily winning over half a furlong further at Deauville.
Among the sires of foals on offer are Sottsass, No Nay Never, Mehmas, Persian King, Zarak, Night Of Thunder, Wootton Bassett, Dark Angel, Siyouni, Kingman, Le Havre, Justify, Camelot, Pinatubo, New Bay, Time Test, Romanised, Magna Grecia, Lawman, Too Darn Hot, Ten Sovereigns, Soldier Hollow and Almanzor.
Catalogue highlights
Lot 31: Perle D’Auge, 5yo Le Havre half-sister to dual Group 3 winner Eternal Pearl, from family of Pearls Galore.
Lot 95: Villefranche, 3yo filly by Siyouni, listed winner.
Lot 123: Atomic Blonde, 3yo filly by The Grey Gatsby. Group 3 winner in Italy.
Lot 141: Goldana, 3yo filly by Galileo Gold, listed race winner in Germany.
Lot 150: Mighty Blue, 6yo mare by Authorized, listed winner and group-placed for Joseph O’Brien.
Lot 162: Rose Premium, 3yo filly by Dark Angel, listed race winner.
Lot 166: Le Havre filly foal, half-sister to dual Arc winner Treve.
Lot 177: Burgarita, 4yo filly by Sea The Stars, a listed winner and classic-placed.
Lot 179: Thunder Beauty, 4yo filly by Night Of Thunder, listed race winner and Group 2 placed.
Lot 180: Times Square, 3yo filly by Zarak, Group 1 placed at two and three.
Lot 182: Oscula, 3yo filly by Galileo Gold, winner of three Group 3 races this year.
Lot 186: Penja, 4yo filly by Camelot, winner of the Group 3 Prix de Psyché.
Lot 188: Sweet Lady, 4yo filly by Lope De Vega. Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 winner.
Lot 190: Romagna Mia, 3yo filly by Mastercraftsman, Group 2 winner in Italy.
Lot 191: Ottilien, 3yo filly by Holy Roman Emperor, listed winner and placed in the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu.
Lot 193: Waldbiene, 4yo filly by Intello, winner of the Group 2 T von Zastrow Stutenpreis.
Lot 195: Hello You, 3yo filly by Invincible Spirit, winner of the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes.
Lot 197: Toride, 10yo Fuisse half-sister to dual Arc winner Treve, already dam of a listed winner, in foal to Zarak.
Lot 199: Malavath, 3yo Mehmas filly, Group 2 winner and runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf.
Lot 200: Next Episode, 2yo Kingman filly, dual winner this year.
Lot 204: Amazing Grace, 4yo filly by Protectionist, Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed.
Lot 208: Final Gesture, 3yo Dubawi filly out of Group 2 winner Secret Gesture. Dual winner and listed placed.
Lot 210: Thunder Drum, 4yo filly by Dubawi out of Irish Oaks winner Great Heavens. Group 3 winner.
Lot 213: Lastotchka, 3yo Myboycharlie filly, winner of the Group 3 Prix Belle de Nuit.
Lot 227: Queen Trezy, 3yo filly by Almanzor, a winner and twice Group 3-placed.
Sale info
Sale: Arqana Breeding Stock Sale, Deauville
Dates: Saturday, December 3rd to Tuesday, December 6th. Starts 10am on Sat-Sun, 11am on Mon-Tues.
Lots: 1,036
Tel: 0033 231 81 81 00
Email: info@arqana.com
Web: arqana.com