BRED by Sandra Russell and sold as a yearling at the Goffs Orby Sale for €52,000, Excellent Truth went on to post four victories, including the Group 3 Prix de Psyche at three and a listed race at Deauville in July. On the four-year-old’s last outing she was beaten a length into second by Mqse De Sevigne in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild.

Trained by Mauricio Delcher Sanchez, she rewarded her owner Montgomery Motto when she sold on Saturday for €1,600,000. A half-sister to an Italian classic-placed filly, her Teofilo dam Moment Of Truth is a half-sister to the Group 1 two-year-old winner Zafisio.

Excellent Truth was sold to Stanford Bloodstock, a trading name for Francis-Henri Graffard, and he was with Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International, and the filly’s new owner John Stewart who buys as Resolute Bloodstock. The latter said: “She was at the top of my list. She’s a superb filly with a great pedigree.

“I’m looking for fillies to run in the United States on the turf. The track at Keeneland is unique, as it is usually soft or sometimes heavy ground, which doesn’t always suit American horses. For the horses that have already run on heavy ground it’s different – they adapt well and are very good. I haven’t won a race there yet, so that’s my main aim next year.”

Also heading to race at Keeneland is the three-year-old stakes-winning Blue Point filly Tazara. Stewart was again in company with Francis-Henri Graffard and Ghislain Bozo when he signed for the Listed Prix de Bonneval winner at €750,000. Consigned by Haras des Capucines, she is a granddaughter of the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner Damson, and that daughter of Entrepreneur produced the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes winner and sire Requinto.

Damson is third dam of Dubai Honour, a dual Group 1 winner in Australia and successful this year in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

JOHN Stewart and M.V. Magnier were not the only purchasers targeting the US for race fillies. David Redvers spent €1,300,000 on Spanish Eyes for Sheikh Fahad, and this three-year-old daughter of Zarak will head there to try and win a blacktype race.

Runner-up in the Group 1 Preis der Diana-German, the Andreas Wohler-trained Spanish Eyes was added to the catalogue as a wildcard. Consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux on behalf of Gestüt Karlshof, the filly is out of the Italian Group 1 winner Sortilege. The latter is also dam of the Group 3 winner Sirjan, a full-brother to Spanish Eyes, and grandam of the Group 2 winner and this year’s Group 1 Preis von Europa second, Straight.

Redvers explained: “She’s off to the US for Qatar Racing and a partner, but no decision has been made about a trainer just yet. She’s an extremely impressive physical and racehorse, and she looks like she will really suit the American style of racing. Sheikh Fahad was very keen on her.” The filly’s pedigree features some of the best of the Wertheimer breeding operation, responsible for this year’s Group 1-winng three-year-old Sosie.

The third dam of Spanish Eyes is the outstanding producer Sacarina, and she is the dam of three Group 1 German classic winners, the stallions Schiaparelli and Samum, as well as their full-sister Salve Regina, all sired by Monsun. Sea The Moon is also on the page.

Newsells Park

The three-year-old Sea The Stars filly Grand Stars boosted her sale prospects when, after the catalogue went to press, she gave trainer Gerald Mosse his first stakes winner in that role, capturing the Listed Prix Solitude at Saint-Cloud.

Part of the draft from Haras des Capucines, the filly sold for €800,000 to Bertrand Le Metayer on behalf of Newsells Park Stud. The farm’s owner is undecided about whether her future plans include racing.

Graham Smith-Bernal said: “She’s fresh off an impressive listed win by four lengths and likely hasn’t peaked yet. Sea the Stars is a proven sire of broodmares and the mating with Camelot [the filly’s damsire] adds further depth. She offers everything a commercial stud like ours looks for; pedigree, conformation and performance. We haven’t yet decided if she will remain in training.”

Bred in partnership by Ballylinch Stud and Ecurie des Charmes, Grand Stars sold as a yearling at Arqana for €260,000 and has now won three times. She is the second produce of her dam who is a half-sister to three mares who have produced stakes winners. The Group 3 winner and Group 1 Oaks third High Heeled is one, and she is also the grandam of this year’s Grade 1 Belmont Oaks winner Cinderella’s Dream.

Another sibling is the Irish listed winner Bella Estrella, and that High Chaparral full-sister to High Heeled bred last year’s Group 2 Champagne Stakes winner Iberian. Last, but by no means least, the twice-raced Faraday bred the Group 1 1000 Guineas and Grade 1 E P Taylor Stakes winner Just The Judge.

One high-priced filly whose racing days are over is Almanzor’s three-year-old daughter Almara. What a bargain purchase she has been, costing just €10,000 as a yearling, earning some €125,000 while racing, and selling to Katsumi Yoshida and Narvick International for €840,000.

Yoshida had to head off stiff competition for the Group 3 winner, with Emmanuel de Seroux doing the bidding on his behalf for the filly who was consigned by Haras de l’Aumoniere.

The agent said: “She’s a group-winning filly with excellent conformation, everything my client looks for. She won’t race again and will be shipped to Japan, where a decision on a stallion will be made. Her pedigree and versatility make her an easy match for any sire. The competition for such profiles is fierce and we’ve missed out on other lots, but we are delighted to have got her.”

Almara’s second win came this year in the Group 3 Prix de Psyche, and she was also very consistent, being runner-up the Group 2 Prix Saint-Alary and Group 3 Prix Vanteaux. Her Group 3 winning half-sister Ilanga and Almara are two stakes-winning daughters of the German stakes-placed Tiger Hill mare Molly Mara. She, in turn, is a full-sister to a pair of Group 3 winners, one of which, Molly Max, was runner-up in the Group 2 German 2000 Guineas.

OFFERED in foal to Wootton Bassett by Normandie Breeding, Strawberry Lace was knocked down for €900,000 in favour of Willingham, the Yulong Investments vehicle which has been a prolific purchaser throughout the autumn season.

A daughter of Sea The Stars, Strawberry Lace has already worked well with the Coolmore stallion, producing last year’s outstanding juvenile Unquestionable from his last crop conceived while he was in France. That colt was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and ran fourth in the season’s Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas.

Strawberry Lace was purchased as a four-year-old, carrying her first foal, for 52,000gns by Camille and Guillaume Vitse of Normandie Breeding. They sold Unquestionable for €340,000 as a yearling. Their delight was evident as Guillaume Vitse said: “This is an historic day for us. We bought [Strawberry Lace from Oghill House Stud] with borrowed money; 52,000 was an immense sum for us. We love our horses and letting her go wasn’t easy, but this sale allows us to make plans for the future, including our stallion ventures.”

Strawberry Lace is out of listed-winning Holy Roman Emperor mare Crying Lightening, and she had her third winner recently. This is the family of Group and Grade 1 winners Cityscape, Logician and Whitebeam, in addition to other group scorers such as Bated Breath, Ajaya and Equilateral.

In foal to Paddington

Bloodstock agent Morten Buskop signed at €750,000 for an unraced three-year-old by Justify, in foal for the first time to Paddington. Good Hearted was consigned by Haras des Capucines. He said: “Her pedigree is magnificent and she is in foal to a remarkable young stallion. This type of mare could become a foundation mare for my client, an owner breeder who wishes to remain anonymous for now.

“In any case, she will stay in France for the moment. Getting into this type of family is difficult. I am fortunate to have clients who have a high idea of breeding. She cost more than we thought, but we are delighted to have got her.”

Good Hearted is a half-sister to the Kingmambo colt Thewayyouare, and his four wins at two included the Group 1 Criterium International. More importantly however, their better-known sibling is Peeping Fawn, a daughter of Danehill who had three wins at Group 1 level, in the Irish Oaks, Pretty Polly Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks. She placed in two other classis, the Oaks at Epsom and the Irish 1000 Guineas.

Peeping Fawn is making an impact at stud too, her stakes winners include the Listed Chesham Stakes winner September whose race record suggests she deserved more than a single stakes win. She was runner-up in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile and placed in both the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf and the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

THE Arqana December Sale ended with excellent results, and new highs for the clearance rate and average. A total of 82% of the 782 lots offered over the four days changed hands for a record average of €85,769 (compared to €76,844 in 2022), and an historic average recorded for Part 1 of €264,145. The turnover reached over €50 million for the second time, ending at €56,435,000, just behind the 2022 record.

Following the sale, Arqana’s president Olivier Delloye and CEO Freddy Powell said: “This has become an unmissable event for the biggest buyers across the world, whom we have had the pleasure of welcoming over the last few days. In the space of just a few years, Arqana has succeeded in creating a first-class platform for fillies in and out of training as well as mares.

“We saw very good prices on Saturday for fillies that will run on, notably to continue their careers in Australia and the United States. The broodmares also sold very well. Following on from the October Yearling Sale and the British and Irish markets, demand was very strong for foals. In total, 19 made more than €100,000, double last year’s number, with an average that was up 40% and a median that doubled at €29,000.”