WE’RE nearly there.

The European flat breeding stock sales calendar will draw to a close at Deauville when Arqana stages its four-day December Sale, starting next Saturday (December 9th).

The 2023 edition will offer 1,000 lots, consisting of mares, fillies and foals.

The sale will notably hold the dispersal of the exceptional Gestüt Ammerland, who are selling eight mares, four fillies out of training, and two foals.

Ammerland homebreds have, so far, won a total of 17 Group 1 races internationally and would be best known in Ireland as the owner-breeders of Irish Derby winner Hurricane Run and the dual classic winner Lope De Vega.

Other famous horses to have carried the Ammerland colours include Borgia, Boreal, Golden Lilac and, of course, the Prix de l’Arc winner Waldgeist.

The farm has won the German Derby several times, all of France’s classic races and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe twice, as well as the Irish Derby, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Coronation Cup and the Hong Kong Vase.

This year’s Ammerland three-year-olds include the leading German-trained colt Mr Hollywood, runner-up in the Group 1 German Derby and Grosser Preis von Baden, as well as the British group race performer Chesspiece.

“After 35 years Dietrich and I have decided it is time to close Gestut Ammerland’s thoroughbred stud,” Annabel von Boetticher said. “We will of course remain at Ammerland and it is always possible that at some point in the future, when our children are older, we may decide to start again.

“We would like to thank everybody who has played a part in the wonderful adventure of Ammerland and we hope that other breeders will be able to enjoy success at the highest level with our families.”

The dispersal includes Wildfeder, the full-sister to Waldgeist in foal to Siyouni, as well as Lady Frankel, the Group 1-placed Frankel half-sister to Lope De Vega whose two most recent yearlings have been bought by Godolphin for €1.6 million and €850,000.

Another of the Ammerland lots to note is the listed winner and group-placed Sea The Sky. This very well-bred sister to Sea The Moon hails from the close family of Group 1 winners Schiaparelli, Samum, Salve Regina, Sortilege and Seismos.

Saturday’s session features 254 mares, fillies, and foals.

The likely star is Place Du Carrousel, winner of the Group 1 Prix de l’Opéra last season for owners Al Shaqab Racing and winner of the Group 2 Prix Foy this year.

With a current rating of 112, the daughter of Lope De Vega will be of huge interest to the big global breeding operations, as her dam Traffic Jam is from the family of Lillie Langtry, Minding and Tuesday.

Covering sires represented in the catalogue include Blue Point, Camelot, Churchill, Cracksman, Dark Angel, Dubawi, Galiway, Havana Grey, Justify, Kingman, Lope De Vega, Mehmas, New Bay, Night Of Thunder, No Nay Never, Sea The Moon, Siyouni, Starspangledbanner, Too Darn Hot, Wootton Bassett and Zarak, as well as the young stallions Alson, Baaeed, Bayside Boy, Blackbeard, Ebro River, Lavello, Marianafoot, Perfect Power, Sealiway, State Of Rest, Texas, Thunder Moon and Torquator Tasso.

Sibila Spain, a Group 2 winner by Frankel, is offered in foal to Dubawi, while Prix de Diane winner Channel (by Nathaniel) is offered in foal to Wootton Bassett.

Pearls Galore, winner of the Group 1 Matron Stakes for trainer Paddy Twomey in 2022, has been added as a wildcard.

In foal to Frankel, the six-year-old daughter of Invincible Spirit will be offered for sale by her owner, Haras de Saint Pair, as Lot 210 on Saturday.

Winner of five stakes races during her career, Pearls Galore recorded her greatest success in the Matron Stakes, defeating Saffron Beach and Tenebrism. She also won the Brownstown Stakes, the Fairy Bridge Stakes, the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes and took second in the Prix de la Forêt and the 2021 Matron Stakes.

Out of group winner Pearl Banks (by Pivotal), Pearls Galore is a half-sister to group winner Lucky Lycra and stakes scorer Pearly Steph, who has produced dual group winner Eternal Pearl. Her granddam is Prix Vermeille winner Pearly Shells.

Other wildcards include Italian listed race winner Maliparmi, multiple winner Golden Attitude (in foal to Mehmas), recent Italian Group 2 winner La Gite (by Sioux Nation), and dual winner Sunburst (by Siyouni).

Foal catalogue

There are over 260 foals in the sale, and they include a colt by Frankel out of German Oaks winner Palmas. Other sires represented in the foal section are Blue Point, Cracksman, Earthlight (3), Galiway (13), Ghaiyyath, Havana Grey (3), Kingman (2), Lope De Vega, Mehmas (2), New Bay, Sea The Moon (3), Sea The Stars, Showcasing, St Mark’s Basilica (2), Too Darn Hot and Zarak (8).

Catalogue highlights

Lot 128: Good Donna, dam of Ghislaine and Grocer Jack, in foal to Starspangledbanner.

Lot 149: Drawn To Run, dam of Grade 1 winner Dalika, in foal to Siyouni (southern hemisphere time).

Lot 150: Maliparmi, three-year-old Italian listed winner by Ribchester

Lot 151: Pure Sounds, a daughter of Justify out of 1000 Guineas winner Virginia Waters, in foal to Wootton Bassett.

Lot 154: Adlon Rose, a half-sister to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Ace Impact, in foal to Cracksman.

Lot 158: Joie De Soir, listed winner and group-placed, from the family of Group 1 winners Alpine Rose and Fragrant Mix, in foal to No Nay Never.

Lot 160: Golden Attitude, three-time winner by Redoute’s Choice, in foal to Mehmas. Related to this year’s Group 1 winner Ancient Wisdom, from family of Goldikova.

Lot 167: Miralova, a daughter of Lope De Vega and granddaughter of Goldikova, in foal to Siyouni.

Lot 168: Alzubra, a daughter of Dansili, dam of Group 1 winner Arapaho and group race winner Athabascan, in foal to New Bay.

Lot 172: Lady Frankel, group race winner, half-sister by Frankel to Lope De Vega, in foal to New Bay.

Lot 179: Galibawa, a daughter of Dubawi out of Group 1 winner Galikova, from the family of Goldikova, in foal to St Mark’s Basilica.

Lot 180: La Gite, Italian Group 2 winner this year, three-year-old by Sioux Nation, from family of Sea The Stars and Galileo.

Lot 182: Frankel colt foal out of German Oaks winner Palmas.

Lot 184: Place Du Carrousel, Group 1 winner by Lope De Vega.

Lot 202: Penine Hills, a listed-winning and group-placed daughter of Kodiac, in foal to Justify.

Lot 204: Sibila Spain, Group 2 winner by Frankel, in foal to Dubawi.

Lot 209: Wildfeder, a daughter of Galileo and a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Waldgeist, in foal to Siyouni.

Lot 210: Pearls Galore, Group 1 winner by Invincible Spirit, in foal to Frankel.

Lot 211: Sea Shepherd, a half-sister by Sea The Stars to Preis der Diana winner Serienholde, in foal to Zarak.

Lot 215: Prix de Diane winner Channel (by Nathaniel), in foal to Wootton Bassett.

Lot 144: La Mehana, a dual listed winner and placed in the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu.

Lot 159: Moon Ray, Group 3 winner.

Lot 163: Sea The Lady, listed winner in 2022 and placed in Group 1 German Oaks this year.

Lot 165: Minaun, won the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes.

Lot 175: Comhra, placed in the Irish 1000 Guineas.

Lot 185: French Bob, daughter of Group 1 scorer Beauty Parlor and half-sister to Grade 1 winer Blowout.

Lot 189: La Parisienne, placed in the Prix de Diane and Prix Vermeille.

Lot 192: Lady Hollywood, Group 3 winner.

Lot 193: High Handed, a half-sister by Siyouni to dual Group 1 winner Lillie Langtry.

Lot 195: Mammas Girl, Group 3 winner this year.

Lot 197: Mise En Scene, a daughter of Siyouni, winner of the Group 3 Prestige Stakes.

Lot 213: Faith In Humanity, winner of two Grade 3 races.

Lot 219: Keeper Of Time, a daughter of Mehmas, winner of Group 3 at Leopardstown.

Lot 221: Hidden Dimples, listed-winning daughter of Frankel.

Sale info

Sale: Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale at Deauville.

Dates/times: Saturday, December 9th to Tuesday, December 12th. Starts 10am on Saturday/Sunday, 11am on Monday/Tuesday.

Lots: 1,001

Tel: 00 33 231 818100

Web: arqana.com