HUGE interest from breeders in Ireland, Britain and France was generated by the dispersal of the breeding interests of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, held on the final day of the sale. Originally 28 lots were scheduled to go through the ring, but seven missed their appointment with the auctioneers, one due to injury and six because the owners felt, in hindsight, that they still possessed enough racing potential to warrant holding on to them a little longer.

Nonetheless there was plenty of interest in the 21 lots who were sold without reserve, and they grossed €1,287,500 and averaged €61,310, with three of them breaking the €100,000 barrier. They contributed more than a third of the day’s takings.

Two mares realised €220,000 to top the day’s trade, and Irishman Peter Molony of Rathmore Stud played a part in both. Grade 2 Warwick Hurdle and Grade 3 Topham Chase winner Ma Filleule won eight times and was placed twice at Grade 1 level. Molony silenced the ring momentarily by offering an opening bid of €100,000, but it was Richard Aston of Goldford Stud who won the day and secured the daughter of Turgeon who slipped foal to Martaline this year.

“The first thing was to buy her”, said Aston. “We’ve admired her for five years probably and never thought we would have the opportunity to own her. It’s a definitive project, we want to try and breed something of her looks and ability. It’s not a commercial proposition. She’s going to breed racehorses we hope, and they will race”.

COMPENSATION

Compensation for Molony came two lots later with Gitane Du Berlais. Winner of the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase as well as Grade 3 events in France and Ireland, this half-sister to Velka Pardubicka hero Tzigane Du Berlais is closely related to top-class racemare Let’s Dance who recently realised €200,000. Gitane Du Berlais was offered carrying to Martaline and Molony’s final bid of €220,000 proved to be enough.

“Those type of mares don’t come on the market normally”, said Molony, “so you have to take the opportunity when it comes along. We’ve been here for three days and I wanted to buy either her or Ma Filleule. We ended up being underbidder on Ma Filleule, so I am delighted to get one of them. She has been bought by a client in the UK to breed to race”.

Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock paid €120,000 for Utopie Des Bordes for an unnamed client. Winner of the Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois, she is a sibling to three blacktype winners over jumps and was offered in foal to Balko. She was the most expensive of a number of acquisitions by the agency, which also included the Grade 3 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle scorer Une Artiste carrying to Martaline for €85,000.

Listed winner Loxlade in foal to Saint Des Saints also sold for €85,000 to Hervé Bunel’s Agence BHB on behalf of Ecurie Papot, as did Grade 3 runner-up Daring Rose, in foal to Saint Des Saints, who went the way of Ryan Mahon.

Thierry Cyprès invested €90,000 in Felicie, the five-year-old daughter of Saint Des Saints out of the dual Grand Steeple Chase heroine Princesse D’Anjou. She won over fences at Auteuil and sold in foal to Martaline.