THE Arqana October Yearling Sale, the second major sale of the year for yearlings held by the company, began on Tuesday with Part 1 of the five-day catalogue. With a similar format to 2021, a total of 207 colts and fillies went through the ring during the session.

The results from the first day cannot be directly compared with those of the previous edition, which hosted a Part 1 made up of 305 yearlings offered over two days. At the end of the day’s selling, 82% of the yearlings offered were sold for an average price of €91,653, generating a turnover of €15,581,000.

A son of Group 1 sire Zarak from the Fairway Consignment was subject to plenty of interest around the ring, but when the hammer finally fell at €420,000 it was in favour of Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock. A half-brother to Scandinavian Group 3 winner Admiral De Vega and this year’s French listed scorer Zeeyara, the colt is from the family of Group and Grade 1 winners Lahudood, Baaeed and the recently retired Hukum.

“We were looking for a horse that could run in classics in Scandinavia like the Norwegian Derby,” said Ross Doyle after signing the docket. “I’ve bought him for Stall Perlen and Magne Jordanger and he’ll be trained by Wido Neuroth. He ticks all the boxes and he’s a superb colt with a great temperament. He was very well prepped by Charles [Brière] and his team. He’s from a great family and his dam has already produced blacktype horses. We’re really happy.”

Coolmore’s Siyouni

Siyouni’s son Paddington adorns the front cover of this week’s sale catalogue, and so it was no surprise that, bidding on behalf of Coolmore, Laurent Benoit from Broadhurst Agency went to €420,000 for a son of the Aga Khan Studs’ stallion out of the graded stakes-placed Galileo mare Decorating. Consigned by Haras d’Etreham, the colt is out of a half-sister to Grade 1 winners Coil and Possibly Perfect.

“He’s a lovely colt,” said Benoit. “He’s out of a mare by Galileo, and he’s a son of Siyouni like Paddington who was bought at this sale. He’ll be trained by Aidan O’Brien and we hope he’ll be as good!”

Leading buyers

Bloodstock agents Anthony Stroud and Matt Coleman signed for 14 yearlings on Tuesday, spending a total of €2.18 million. Their shopping list was led by a son of Siyouni out of the listed-winning Shamardal mare Shamtee.

Offered from Haras du Mont dit Mont, the colt is from the family of the Group and Grade 1 winners Territories, Helen Street, Street Cry, Victor Ludorum and Shamardal, and he was knocked down for €350,000. “He ticks all the boxes,” said Stroud. “He walks very well, is a son of Siyouni and his dam is by Shamardal. We’re very happy. He’ll be trained by André Fabre.”

A little later, they made their presence felt once again, this time going to €260,000 for a Sea The Moon half-sister to this year’s Group 1 Grosser Preis von Belin winner Simca Mille. That son of Tamayuz is also a multiple group winner in France and this season he was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Ganay. Consigned by Haras de la Perelle, the filly hails from the family of the triple Group 1 winner Sarafina.

Stroud Coleman Bloodstock also signed the docket at €260,000 for the first foal by Lope De Vega out of the group-placed Dalakhani mare Merimbula. Offered as part of The Channel Consignment, the colt is from the immediate family of Grade 1 Turf Mile Stakes winner Perfect Soul.

Another on the Stroud Coleman list was the €220,000 purchase of Haras de Colleville’s daughter of Camelot, the first offspring of the listed-winning Galiway mare Wanaway. Later in the day they signed for a Persian King half-brother to the stakes-winning juvenile, Dizzy Bizu, and they are out of a listed winner by Kodiac.

For Sumbe

Very active throughout the session, the Sumbe team had the final say at €260,000 for a daughter of Sea The Stars out of the stakes-placed winning mare Debutante from Écurie des Monceaux. The half-sister to three winners is out of a Gold Away half-sister to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Danedream, and Group 3 winners Venice Beach and Broadway.

Earlier in the day, the same team struck at €240,000 for a half-sister to the 2023 stakes-winning three-year-old filly Shalromy, and she was also runner-up in the Group 3 Prix Texanita. Offered from the La Motteraye Consignment, the daughter of Bated Breath is out of a Lope De Vega winning half-sister to the Australian Group 3 winner Desert Icon, and she hails from the excellent family of Peinture Bleue, Peintre Celebre and Peinture Rare.

Very active

French buyers were particularly active, with Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency finishing the day as the second-leading buyer with 16 yearlings purchased.

They included a son of Zarak from Haras de Castillon who was bought for €170,000 on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing. The half-brother to five winners is out of the group-placed German winner Anjella.

Champion trainer-elect, Deauville-based Jean-Claude Rouget struck for eight yearlings, led by a daughter of Pinatubo out of Group 3 heroine Pacifique for €210,000. One of the very first lots in the sale, the filly is a half-sister to Paix, who like her dam won the Group 3 Prix de Lutece, and to the Group 2-placed Sir Bob Parker.

Lady O’Reilly

The recent death of Chryss O’Reilly was remembered by many at the sale, and a large draft from her Haras de la Louviere was headed by the sale for €260,000 of a Wootton Bassett own-brother to the stakes winner Dream Works. The colt is also a half-brother to the Group 3 winner King Malpic, and was purchased by SAS Ecurie De Launay.

Signing the docket, Jerome Glandais said: “It’s actually quite an emotional moment, buying a filly whose mating Lady O’Reilly did. We’re glad we got her, though I thought we’d have to pay a little more for her.”

A couple of lots to sell for €200,000 each were Ecurie des Monceaux’s Lope De Vega half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Odeliz, purchased in a private transaction by Horse France, and the same consignor’s Hello Youmzain half-sister to the multiple Group 1-placed Lope Y Fernandez, and she was sold to One Agency.

Part 2 produces highly satisfactory returns

OFFERING 289 yearlings, Part 2 of the Arqana October Yearling Sale catalogue recorded results close to those achieved during the 2021 edition, one that was organised along the same format. In total, almost 90% of the colts and fillies that went through the ring changed hands for an average price of €30,447, generating sales of €7,852,000. This brought the cumulative turnover for the first three days of the sale to €23,825,000.

The second day of the October Yearling Sale on Wednesday, which saw the first yearlings of Part 2 go under the hammer, was marked by a consistent demand. Already very active on the first day, Nicolas de Watrigant from Mandore International Agency bought the top lot of the day for €160,000. The daughter of first-crop sire Without Parole was offered from Haras de la Louvière and is a granddaughter of Group 1 Preis der Diana-German Oaks heroine Penelopa.

“She’s a superb filly,” said de Watrigant. “I really liked her and she’s a great looker. Without Parole was a very good racehorse; he won the St. James’s Palace Stakes and he is by Frankel. She’s been bought for Madaket Stables and will go to the United States. Some very good horses have come out of this sale, and I hope she will do just as well!”

Two lots earlier, de Watrigant had also signed the docket at €120,000 for a daughter of Zarak from Haras de l’Hotellerie. From the immediate family of Group 1 Prix Vermeille winner Sweet Lady, the filly was purchased for Jean-Claude Séroul.

Ballylinch Stud

Amanda Skiffington came up against Carlos and Yann Lerner for a daughter of New Bay from Haras de Castillon. However, she had the final say at €120,000 for the filly who is out of an Invincible Spirit half-sister to Group 1 winner Sudan. She said: “I like everything about this filly. She’s well-made and has a good temperament. I’ve bought her for Ballylinch, who also wish to support their stallions.”

Towards the end of the day, a daughter of Blue Point, offered from La Motteraye Consignment, was knocked down for €110,000 in favour of the trainer Satoshi Kobayashi. “She’s a very well-bred filly; a little small but well made,” said the Chantilly trainer. “She’s by a stallion that is in demand, and from a good family.”

Consigned by Haras des Capucines, a half-brother to listed winner Red Line was knocked down for €110,000. Bloodstock agent Alessandro Marconi had the final say. He said: “He’s a lovely colt. Chachnak is a young sire, which is what we were looking for, and he has a very good pedigree.”

As on the second day of trading, demand from buyers remained steady on the third day of the sale.

A son of Toronado out of the group-placed Diyakalanie from Haras de l’Hotellerie was knocked down for €130,000 to trainer Joël Boisnard. The colt is a half-brother to Moon Wolf who was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran after the catalogue was published.

“In my career as a trainer, her dam has been the best mare I’ve trained so far,” said Boisnard. “I train one of her sons, and I think this one is made to run at Auteuil. I’ve bought him for Xavier Papot.”