By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin
DEAUVILLE, France–A memorable anniversary year for Moyglare Stud was rounded off with some select purchases at Arqana's Breeding Stock Sale, including top lot, Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) (lot 199), at €3.2 million on a day when the the single session aggregate was more than the entire sale last year.
The Co Meath-based farm owned by Eva-Maria Bucher-Haefner and established by her father Walter Haefner celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022, and in quite some style on the track, courtesy of the Irish Classic winner Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and the champion stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was bred and raced in partnership with Coolmore.
The 3-year-old Malavath, twice runner-up at Group 1 level and the winner of a Group 2 and Group 3 in France, will race on, bearing the famous black, white and red silks in America, where she will be trained by Christophe Clement after leaving Francis Graffard's stable.
“Now all she has to do is to win a Group 1,” said Moyglare's bloodstock advisor Fiona Craig. “She's lovely, and physically she'll make a nice mare for Moyglare down the road; we can breed her to just about anything. I think America is the place for her. She likes the tracks there. I think she'll struggle to get a full mile here whereas I think a mile over there should be within her limits. That's the plan anyway, and we all know that plans don't always work out.”
She continued, “We have lots of lovely mares but they stay a bit and now we just need a bit of speed, and that's what she has. Eva saw her earlier and she liked her. You can't really pick any holes in her.
“It's been a great year. We've had a lot of luck, we know it won't keep going like that but we've been through the lulls and now we've had some luck.”
Swiss-born Barbara Keller, who owned Malavath with David Redvers and Everest Racing, said of her compatriot Bucher-Haefner's purchase, “It's from Switzerland to Switzerland. We're very old friends and she couldn't be going to a better place.”
Moyglare later bought lot 204, Dr. Christoph Berglar's Group 2 winner Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}), for €850,000 from the draft of Ronald Rauscher.
Gemini Stud's G1 Prix Vermeille winner Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 188) was another from the Graffard stable to reap a decent return and she will be on her way to England after being signed for by Claiborne's Bernie Sams on behalf of an undisclosed client of the farm for €2,050,000.
“She's for a man who has a couple of mares in England and she may come back to Kentucky eventually,” said Sams. “He wanted to try to buy a filly here with a race record and a good pedigree and she fits that bill.”
Bred by Chris Wright's British-based Stratford Place Stud, the 4-year-old Sweet Lady is a daughter of the dual listed winner High Heel Sneakers (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and won six of her 15 starts, including the G2 Prix Corrida and G3 Prix de Flore.
Rocketing Figures
Malavath was one of a septet of seven-figure lots on a day which easily outstripped the stellar returns of 2021, with those leading lights selling respectively to interests from America, Japan, Australia, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. In just one day, the turnover was up 9% on the entire aggregate for four days of last year's sale, and by 42% on last year's opening session. The tally weighed in at €45,882,000 by the time the last of 238 lots had exited the ring in a session which lasted for more than 12 hours. A clearance rate of 79% was achieved, with the average of €244,045 up by 16%, and the median up to €115,000 from €87,000.
Burgarita Headlines Big Baroda Payday
He may have pocketed €2.7 million in sales within the space of 20 minutes but Baroda Stud's David Cox could be forgiven for feeling there was more to be extracted from Burgarita (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) (lot 177), who was knocked down prematurely to Anthony Stroud for €1.7million just as a last-gasp bid was placed.
A huge groan went out among those in attendance at the packed sales complex but Cox countered that the failed bidder had long enough to get involved as the price hovered through an arduous bidding process on €1.7 million, and the leading consignor wasn't in the mood for arguing with French law.
The sale of the G1 Prix de Diane-placed Burgarita represented the most expensive lot sold by Cox's Baroda Stud and it was quickly followed by Nick Bradley's teak-tough Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), a 4,000gns yearling purchase, selling for €1 million to Ted Voute on behalf of Prince Faisal's Nawara Stud.
Cox explained, “In fairness, the underbidders had plenty of time to put in their bid and, once the hammer goes down, it's French law that the deal is done. When I saw the Godolphin team looking at her I thought she was an ideal filly to go to Dubawi (Ire). There's still racing in her, if that's what they want to do, but she's a gorgeous filly and one to look forward to in the breeding shed.”
Shortly after the sale, Stroud embraced Cox and joked, “Well, we got there eventually.” He later revealed to the press, “It's a family I know very well because of the Wildensteins and Dayton. We thought she'd be an ideal candidate for Dubawi.”
Baroda Stud brought a select draft of 11 to Arqana while the majority of the team stayed at home in Ireland to prepare for the December National Hunt Sale at Goffs. Cox paid tribute to his dedicated team of staff after the sale of Oscula as well as paying special thanks to BBA Ireland's Mick Donohoe for entrusting him to sell Burgarita on behalf of his client.
Cox said, “Fair play to Mick Donohoe, who sold the filly on behalf of his client [Ama.Zingteam], so I am delighted for them. She's a quality Sea The Stars filly with a great temperament. I think it's the highest-priced horse we've ever sold and to have another millionaire walk through the ring a couple of lots later in Oscula was great. She is a tough filly and hopefully she is lucky for them.
“The team are at home and are getting ready to roll on Monday. We have a great team. Between the lads on the farm who steer the ship at home and never come to the sales to Padraic Gahan in the office and Noel McDonnell here at the sales. We have great people working for us and without them we couldn't do it.”
He added, “If anything, Burgarita and Oscula highlight the advantages to selling in the sales ring rather than on the private market. Owners are being inundated with private offers throughout a season but I think today proved that there's no better way to sell a classy filly than in the ring. When two, three or four buyers take each other on, there's no ceiling to what a horse can make and that was evident today. Also, the hype of a sale is great and we have some very happy owners and buyers alike so hopefully it's a win-win for everyone.”
Oscula has more than paid for her paltry yearling price tag during her two seasons in training with George Boughey with three Group 3 wins as well as a listed contest under her belt. The 3-year-old filly has also earned black type on another 10 occasions, including when third in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac.
“Prince Faisal selected her,” said Voute. “He watches all the videos and the pictures and we're just the team on the ground and went around to make sure everything is okay and organise vettings. He's chosen her to support Mishriff in his first season at stud here at Sumbe. She was a bit like Mishriff, they were both tough as nails and hopefully they will produce something good together. I'm suspecting Prince Faisal will send Mishriff a half a dozen mares. Half the broodmare band will probably go to him but plans will be finalised when the sales are over.”
Hello You…And Your Mum
Shadai Farm made its presence felt when snapping up G2 Rockfel S. winner Hello You (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (lot 195) for €1,550,000 on a day when the speedy 3-year-old's dam Lucrece (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) (lot 164) went through the ring for €710,000 to BBA Ireland.
Hello You was trained by David Loughnane and owned by Amo Racing. She was bought by Robson Aguiar for €350,000 at the Arqana Deauville Select Yearling Sale in 2020 and has done her connections proud.
Takuya Fujita, who signed for the filly on behalf of Shadai Farm, revealed that Hello You's speed is what attracted him most.
He explained, “My first impressions of Hello You when I saw her on the sales ground were that she had a really good walk. I thought she was my pick of the day and her conformation was perfect. She achieved good performances as a race filly but, more than that, she is just a very good mare.”
Asked if Hello You would stay in training or be retired to the breeding shed, he replied, “Well, we haven't decided that yet and we need to talk to my boss first. This is my first time attending this sale. I thought the beginning of the sale was slow and quiet, not what I expected. Now the market has got stronger and stronger and the goalposts will only go so far.”
He added, “The European pedigrees have made a big imprint on our breeding and racing in Japan. I try to find mares with good speed rather than stamina which is why I picked up this filly.”
Hello You and Lucrece were consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux and the latter, who featured among BBA Ireland's massive haul, was sold in foal to Frankel.
Shadai also paid €400,000 for the Ronald Rauscher-consigned Group 3 winner Noble Heidi (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) (lot 167) and €160,000 for Henri-Alex Pantall's Wooturn (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (lot 87).
Flay's Treble Of Smart Fillies
Bobby Flay has enjoyed notable success with his European broodmare purchases and he signed up three more decent prospects on Saturday for a collective €2,450,000.
Lot 208, Final Gesture (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), bought for €925,000 from Godolphin, is a filly with almost all the bases covered. A dual winner with some minor black type herself, her mother, the Newsells Park Stud-bred Secret Gesture (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), was a Group 2 winner and placed in two Classics and is a sister to two Group 1 winners. Further back in the family there's the Arc winner Sagamix (Fr) as well as one of the most precocious and classy sprinters of recent years, Perfect Power (Ire).
“This is the kind of pedigree that I'm really interested in. She's by Dubawi, she's got some black type, she's out of a Galileo mare, and these are very, very hard to attain. This is a horse I hope I'll have for a very long time and I hope that my daughter will be breeding from this family in years to come.”
He added that Final Gesture will head to England to join his mares already boarding there and that she will visit a “top three to five stallion”.
Flay went to the same amount for Glinting (Ire), a 4-year-old daughter of Galileo (Ire) offered in foal to Wootton Bassett (GB) by La Motteraye Consignment. A non-winner herself, the filly (lot 219) is from a family steeped in black type and including her Group 3-winning brothers Bondi Beach (Ire) and Constantinople (Ire) as well as this season's leading juveniles Proud And Regal (Ire) and Silver Knott (GB).
The breeder and chef had earlier signed for lot 191, Ottilien (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), for €600,000, who was consigned by her trainer David Menuisier for Quantum Leap Racing, who also bred the sister of Group 1 winner Morandi (Fr). Ottilien's three wins include the Listed Prix Turenne and she was third in the G1 Prix de Royallieu in October.
Times Up For Hubie de Burgh
Renowned bloodstock agent Hubie de Burgh predicted that the 110-rated Times Square (Fr) could recoup her €1.25 million price tag if taking to racing in Australia after signing for the daughter of Zarak (Fr).
Times Square won twice for Christophe Ferland and was only narrowly beaten at the highest level on two occasions, including when going down by a neck in third behind Mangoustine (Fr) in the G1 French 1000 Guineas.
De Burgh said, “She has been purchased to go to Australia and will go and race down there. I can't tell you who is going to train her yet because the buyer is 35,000 feet in the air at the minute.”
He added, “We thought the opposition was going to be strong and, quite honestly, we thought we wouldn't be able to get her. She's a Group 1-placed 3-year-old by Zarak out of a Siyouni (Fr) mare, so they are two of the great proven stallions in Europe at the minute, and the family goes back well. The half-sister is group-placed and won her maiden very impressively so there are a lot of little things happening in the pedigree. With all the prize-money on offer in Australia, if she can go down there and be a good miler, she could bring back her costs very quickly.”
BBA Ireland Leads Buyers' Table
Michael Donohoe, bidding online from an office within the Arqana complex, was again one of the busiest agents in action, with a number of high-profile lots knocked down both in his name and that of BBA Ireland. The agent has been prominent throughout the sales season, often acting on behalf of his client Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong Investments, who last week bought Alcohol Free (Ire) for 5.4 millions gns to race on in Australia and was present at Arqana.
Donohoe confirmed that he was buying for a range of clients. He said, “A number of fillies are staying in training and going to Australia, one mare that I bought is going to America and one filly is going to the Middle East.”
Various BBA Ireland agents contributed to a haul of 35 purchases for the agency through the opening session for a total of €8,571,000. The list was headed by lot 184, Let's Misbehave (Ire), a Montjeu (Ire) half-sister to High Chaparral (Ire) sold in foal to Siyouni from Haras du Cadran for €920,000.
Treve's Sister to Juddmonte
Juddmonte needs only to make selective purchases and a weanling half-sister to a dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner is just about as desirable as they come. So it was that the Le Havre (Ire) sister to Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) passed from one great breeding operation to another for the sum of €675,000, providing some consolation as Haras du Quesnay prepares to close its doors, that those bloodlines will live on at one of the best farms in the world.
“It's sad to see the end of the Quesnay and she's a very special filly so we're delighted to have her,” said Juddmonte's Simon Mockridge of lot 166. “Obviously you've got a dual Arc winner under the first dam so this is an amazing opportunity. I know this was the last foal but for a May foal she is very well made and very strong.”
The first four lots from the Quesnay draft sold for a combined €1,525,000. Jill Lamb, buying on behalf of Newsells Park Stud, snapped up the first of the dispersal, going to €350,000 for the unraced mare Perle d'Auge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).
Sold as lot 31, the 5-year-old is a great granddaughter of Haras de Saint Pair's influential mare Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio {GB}) and was bought by Quesnay just two years ago for €22,000. It is a family, however, which enjoys regular updates, including a recent Group 1 win for Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who is a half-sister to Perle d'Auge's listed-winning dam Pearly Steph (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Another of the young mare's half-sisters is Godolphin's Eternal Pearl (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the winner this year of Group 3 contests in France and England.
Perle d'Auge, who has an Intello (Ger) filly catalogued as lot 329 in Sunday's sale, was offered in foal to Persian King (Ire).
Lamb later signed for the second-most expensive foal of the session, a Kingman (GB) (lot 176) daughter of the Group 2 winner Castellar (Fr) (American Post {GB}), a half-brother to the Group 1 winner and sire Recoletos (Fr), at €400,000. She was also bought for Newsells Park, from Haras de San Isidro.
Aussies Get Stuck in
As Arqana's Australian representative, Damon Gabeddy has been responsible for bringing a large group of visitors from the Southern Hemisphere to Deauville, but he also runs his own bloodstock agency and as Belmont Bloodstock signed for three horses during Saturday's elite session. These included lot 142, the winner Roselyne (Fr), bought from the Fairway Consignment for €400,000. Now three and in foal to Siyouni (Fr) on southern hemisphere time, Roselyne, who is by Shamardal's son Dariyan (Fr), is bred on a similar pattern to Lope De Vega (Ire), who is a half-brother to her dam Bal De La Rose (Fr) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}). Furthermore, Roselyne is a half-sister to German Group 1 winner Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}).
“She's been bought for Nino Tufilli who is based in Western Australia but the mare will go back to New South Wales to Middlebrook Valley Stud. She has a beautiful pedigree, we love Siyouni and they work well down there. Nino has just watched Amelia's Jewel (Aus), who is by Siyouni, win the Group 1 in Australia, and he was rather keen to acquire her.
“We've probably got about 14 Aussies here at the sale and there has been terrific interest. They have been busy and have bought about 15 or 16 horses so far.”
Elliott Gets Business Done Early
Before the action sprung into life, Alex Elliott signed for an interesting filly in Miss Saigon (Ire) (lot 154), an unraced Galileo (Ire) daughter of G1 1000 Guineas winner Miss France (Ire) Dansili {GB}) in foal to Palace Pier (GB) for €400,000.
He said, “She has been bought for a new client and will be boarded at Whatton Manor Stud. She's by Galileo and out of a Guineas winner. She's a lovely filly and, as soon as she walked out of her box, I said that I was going to try and buy her. This is the first Flat mare that we have bought for this client.”
Trillium's Sister to Flintstone Stud
American Kestrel (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) (lot 116), the 3-year-old half-sister to G2 Flying Childers and G3 Molecomb S. winner Trillium (Ire) (No Nay Never), was the selection of agent Matthew Houldsworth on behalf of English breeder David Weston. Houldsworth signed for the stakes-placed winning juvenile at €385,000. Weston is the owner of Flintstone Stud, close to Manton in Marlborough.
The filly is the daughter of the Group 3-placed Rockliffe Stud mare Marsh Hawk (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) whose first three runners have all earned black type, including Mohawk King (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).
“Marsh Hawk has been well mated and obviously Trillium is a very exciting filly,” said Houldsworth. “The idea is to cover her commercially. She will likely go to Ireland to Fergal Hogan and we'll look for a suitable stallion.”
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