PRUDENZIA. The mare who keeps on giving. This year the listed-winning daughter of Dansili had her eighth yearling in nine years sell at Arqana, her daughter by Dubawi realising €1,625,000 from Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin, the bidding being conducted by Anthony Stroud.

This was the first time for Sheikh Mohammed to buy an offspring of Prudenzia, and by paying the sale top price he brought the average achieved by the eight yearlings to more than €1 million. Prudenzia struck gold when her first foal, the Montjeu filly Chicquita, won the Group 1 Irish Oaks and sold as a three-year-old for €6 million as part of the Paulyn dispersal at Goffs.

This year’s yearling is the fifth to bring a seven-figure sum and her predecessors include the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner and multiple Group 1-placed Magic Wand and this year’s group-placed Je Ne Regretterian, both daughters of Galileo. Stroud outlasted Michel Zerolo in a marathon bidding duel for the prized offering and revealed that Sheikh Mohammed, who arrived in Deauville on Friday, had personally selected all the purchases made on his behalf.

Stroud said: “She’s a very nice filly with a wonderful pedigree from an exceptional stud. She’s by a fantastic sire in Dubawi and she’ll hopefully be a good racehorse and a future addition to Godolphin’s broodmare band. Sheikh Mohammed came over to the sale this year - he hasn’t been for a long time and it’s fantastic to see him here. His enthusiasm is as strong as ever; this is him buying the horse – I’m just following instructions!”

The sale topper was sold just minutes after a Galileo colt out of Prudente, a winning full-sister to Prudenzia, left the ring. The first foal of his dam and another from the consignment of Ecurie des Monceaux who were responsible for more than €10 million worth of sales this week, he sold to Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida for €1,500,000.

Ecurie des Monceaux's Galileo colt out of Prudente realised €1.5 million \ Zuzanna Lupa

Both lots beat the best price obtained in the Arqana ring last year, though they are some way behind the €2.6 million spent in 2015 on the Dubawi colt Parabellum, a minor winner subsequently and now in training in Ireland with Denis Hogan.

Nakauchida said after his purchase: “Obviously he comes from a very good family and he’s a very athletic colt. We lost Deep Impact and King Kamehamaha recently in Japan and we’re looking for the next future sires. We want to buy in Europe because of the different bloodlines and we wanted a Galileo. I want to prove that they can run in Japan. I have great owners and have been very lucky. Good horses make my job much easier!”

Dubawi had just two yearlings for sale, the second was a colt out of Giofra, the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes winner and also a daughter of Dansili. He too was snapped up by Godolphin for €600,000, costing a lot less than his now three-year-old full-brother Al Battar who commanded €1,550,000 to top the Arqana Yearling Sale in 2017. These two purchases represented 45% of the almost €5 million Godolphin spent his week on eight yearlings.