FEATURING the continuation of the breeding part of the catalogue, the second day of the 2022 Arqana February Mixed Sale recorded results in line with the first day of the sale.

Overall figures for the two days showed that demand was solid throughout, and all the indicators returned increases. Of the 374 horses that went through the ring, 80% were sold for an average price of €13,847, up 20% compared to 2021. The turnover jumped by 36% to €4,171,800.

From the draft of 10 mares and fillies offered by Haras de Bouquetot on Tuesday, four of them made six-figure sums. They were led by Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes and Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes heroine Osaila who ran third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Barren last year, but already the dam of a winner by American Pharoah with her first foal, the own-sister to Group 3 winner Obama Rule, and half-sister to Group 3 winner Dawn Wall, was knocked down for €200,000.

Arthur Hoyeau had the final say for the mare who is a granddaughter of the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Detroit, and she went on to breed a winner of the same race in Carnegie. “She’s a lovely mare, with one of the best profiles in the sale,” said the agent. “She had a great race career and her pedigree is exceptional. She is already the dam of a winner and will visit St Mark’s Basilica this season.”

Crystal Reef

Towards the end of the day Sébastien Desmontils of Chauvigny Global Equine went to €130,000 for the King’s Best mare Crystal Reef.

The 17-year-old is dam of the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay winner Doha Dream, and of Matfog who was successful in the Grade 2 Grand Steeple-Chase de Compiègne. A half-sister to three successful runners and stallions in Martaline, Reefscape and Coastal Path, Crystal Reef was offered in foal to Doctor Dino.

“She’s a mare that I know well, and is from a great family,” said Desmontils. “She has a good production record and is in foal to Doctor Dino. I’ve bought her because I fell in love with her. We’ll create a partnership and try to send her back to Doctor Dino or Saint Des Saints.”

Offered in foal to Starspangledbanner, the eight-year-old Mahabba was knocked down for €120,000 to Paul Harley on behalf of a client who is expanding their breeding operation in France and Ireland.

An own-sister to Group 3 winner Pablo Escobarr and the 2021 listed winner Roberto Escobarr, the daughter of Galileo is out of the multiple Group 3 winner Bewitched. Mahabba will stay in France at Anna Sundstrom’s (Coulonces) breeding operation in Normandy.

Redvers buys

David Redvers had great success last year at this sale, purchasing the dam last weekend’s Grade 3 winner Ouraika for €85,000 from Haras de Bouquetot. He had to go higher this time to have the final say for Helcia, a winning daughter of Olympic Glory out of dual Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint scorer Mizdirection who cost Al Shaqab $2.7 million to acquire. Offered in foal to Mehmas, Helcia was knocked down for €115,000.

Minutes earlier and offered by The Channel Consignment, the two-year-old winner Zomara, a half-sister to last season’s Listed Derby du Languedoc winner Merveillo, was sold for €140,000. Bidding on behalf of Gay and David O’Callaghan’s Yeomanstown Stud, Alain Decrion had the final say for the daughter of Dubawi who is in foal to Haras d’Etreham’s young sire Persian King.

“She’ll go to Yeomanstown Stud in Ireland,” said the agent. “They have a range of stallions there, so there is a lot of choice for her.” Zomara’s dam, the winning Montjeu mare Merville, is a half-sister to a pair of Group 1 winners in Ectot and Most Improved.

Newsells purchase

Julian Dollar revealed that new stallion recruit A’Ali already has more than 100 mares due to visit him in his first season, and another to join them is Pivotal’s winning daughter Swiss Affair. She was barren to Kodiac last year and so will be among the first mares to be covered by the multiple Group 2 winner by Society Rock. She cost €85,000.

A full-sister to Group 3 winner and stakes-producer Swiss Diva, and a half-sister to Group 3 winner Swiss Spirit and listed winner and successful producer Swiss Dream, Swiss Affair is one of 12 winners, all the foals, out of the stakes-winning two-year-old Swiss Lake.

THE first sale of the year at Deauville, their February Mixed Sale, got underway on Monday, and concluded with similar figures to that of the 2021 edition.

The horses-in-training market, which opened the session, showed itself to be particularly dynamic. A total of 82% of the lots offered on the day were sold for an average of €14,884.

Consigned by Pierre-Jean Fertillet, Be A Nice Girl was the object of a lot of interest around the ring and made the top price of the first day of selling. From the family of dual Grade 1 winner Allaho – their dams are full-sisters - the daughter of Bathyrhon was knocked down for €120,000 to Marco Bozzi.

Pulled-up on her only start last autumn, Be A Nice Girl is well regarded by her trainer and he will continue to oversee her racing career.

Marynder

A few lots later, the Joël Boisnard-trained Marynder was knocked down for €90,000. Alessandro Marconi signed the docket for the three-year-old son of Pedro The Great from the family of the champion three-year-old filly and dual Grade 1 winner Questing, and her daughter Adventuring, a listed winner and group-placed last year in the USA.

Marynder won over a mile at Chantilly last November. “His dam is by Hard Spun, a stallion that I like a lot and I think is a very good broodmare sire,” said Marconi. “We don’t know yet if he’ll run in France, but the owners’ premiums are interesting. His final objective is the Middle East.”

Offered from Haras du Lieu des Champs, Green Dragoness was another to sell for €90,000. Hubert Barbe of Horse Racing Advisory signed the docket for the winning hurdler and chaser. The daughter of Enrique is now off to stud and she is a half-sister to the champion and dual Grade 1 hurdle winner Blue Dragon, and the AQPS Grade 1 winning hurdler Fabulous Dragoness.

On the breeding stock side, two mares from Haras de Bouquetot headed the trade on the day, both selling for €80,000. Marc-Antoine Berghgracht signed for the first to reach that mark. She was the unraced Balkis, a daughter of Galileo out of the dual Grade 1 winner Harmonious who cost Al Shaqab $2.8 million a decade ago. Balkis is in foal to Bated Breath and her first foal last year is a son of Exceed And Excel.

Denis Brosnan

Sold for the same amount, this time to her breeder, Denis Brosnan’s Epona Bloodstock, was Ghand. Brosnan sold her as a yearling for 500,000gns seven years ago. A full-sister to the stakes winner Cameron Highland and to the dam of Group 3 winner Earlswood, Ghand’s half-brother Solid Stone won the Group 3 Legacy Cup last year.

Ghand is expecting a foal from the first crop of Romanised, the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois and Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner.