After an action-packed day at ParisLongchamp, Arqana's Arc Sale beckoned at Saint-Cloud Saturday evening, and the unique nature of the sale, which annually offers buyers the chance to purchase horses with entries on Arc Day proper, proved an irresistible draw.
One of two horses to make seven figures on the night and top the sale was G1 Preis der Diana heroine Muskoka (Ger) (Sea The Moon {GB}), who was knocked down for €1.3 million to leading buyer BBA Ireland. The price was the highest at the Arc Sale since 2016 when G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Toulifaut (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and G2 Rockfel S. victress Spain Burg (Fr) (Sageburg {Ire}) made €1.9 million and €1.5 million, respectively.
Sold as lot 38 as part of leading vendor OH Consignment's draft, the Classic-winning filly was bred by Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten of Liberty Racing. She is engaged in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Opera on Sunday.
BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe said, “I've bought her for one of my clients that has horses-in-training and breeds horses worldwide. She'll run in the Prix de l'Opera tomorrow and we'll then decide on a plan for her future. You don't have the opportunity to buy a Group 1 winner every day, so we're very happy. Her trainer has done an excellent job with her and she has a great pedigree for breeding.”
An €80,000 graduate of the BBAG September Yearling Sale, Muskoka also has wins in the G3 Brummerhofer Stuten-Meile and Listed Henkel Stutenpreis to her credit besides her G1 Preis der Diana victory in 2023. Trained by Henk Grewe, she formerly raced in the colours of Stall Golden Goal. Her dam is a half-sister to dual French Classic winner Brametot (Ire), who stands at Gestut Ebbesloh. Under the third dam is influential German sire and top runner Monsun (Ger).
BBA Ireland purchased four head for a total of €2,050,000 and an average of €512,500. Blue Point (Ire)'s two-time winner Mondrial (GB) (lot 53) was a €370,000 buy from Jean-Claude Rouget, while the G3 Prix de la Grotte third Palerma (Fr) (Alex The Winner) (lot 3) cost €230,000 from the consignment of Nanon Scandella-Lacaille. Rounding out the quartet was the listed-winning Kizuna (Jpn) colt Yoozuna (Ire) (lot 23) at €150,000 from the Wertheimer et Frere draft.
Initially a seven-figure buy back by her vendor, G3 Prix d'Aumale heroine Freville (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}) (lot 25) was later reported sold at €1 million as a private sale from Haras du Cadran in partnership with Ecurie Melanie for 50% of her ownership. The Christopher Head trainee holds an entry in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac.
Bred by Franklin Finance and raced by Gerard Augustin-Normand, the dual winner is a granddaughter of the Listed Prix Miss Satamixa winner Fresles (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}), herself a half-sister to G3 Prix Andre Baboin hero Celtic Rock (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). Freville is also distant kin to Group 1 winners Luna Wells (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and notable sire Linamix (Fr) (Mendez {Fr}).
Starspangledbanner (Aus), who sired Friday's G2 Rockfel S. winner Carla's Way (Ire), was also responsible for the third highest lot on Saturday with lot 44, Laulne (Fr), successful in the G3 Prix Six Perfections and placed twice more at that tier this season. Consigned by Yann Barberot, the bay, like Freville, was another Franklin Finance-bred, who earned group distinction in Augustin-Normand's silks. Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency purchased the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte entry-holder for €750,000.
One of the bloodstock stories of the year has been the noteworthy success of the Emir of Qatar's Wathnan Racing, and a pair of lightly raced Dubawi (Ire) colts both offered by Wertheimer et Frere will now carry the Wathnan colours.
Kovanof (GB) (lot 17), a dual winner in France, hammered for €420,000. Third in the Listed Prix Pelleas this year, the 3-year-old is out of G3 Prix Cleopatre victress Terrakova (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Terrakova, in turn, is out of GI Breeders' Cup Mile superstar Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), and thus a half-sister to stakes winner and G1 Prix Rothschild third Goldistyle (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Earlier in the sale, Silawi (Ire) (lot 9) attracted a winning bid of €380,000. A winner in seven starts–one fewer than Kovanof–the 3-year-old placed second in the G3 Prix du Lys in June. A half-brother to the dual group placed Fasol (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), he is a son of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine winner Silasol (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}).
Wertheimer et Frere was the second leading vendor with eight lots sold for a gross of €1,552,000 and an average of €194,000.
Part of the OH Consignment like Freville, Winning Spirit (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) (lot 22) caught the eye of Nicolas Clement and EDC Agency at €430,000. A full-brother to group winner Whispering Angel (Ger) and the stakes winner Wangari (Ger), the dual listed winner was third in the G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen as a juvenile and he was second in the G2 Derby Italiano this year.
Other lots of note were the Jerome Reynier-consigned stakes winner Zarakem (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) (lot 39) who made €500,000 on the bid of NBB Racing and Haras d'Etreham; Peter Schiergen trainee and multiple group winner Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) (lot 32) was sold for €400,000 to Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock; and Friday's Listed Prix Montenica scorer Shalromy (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}) (lot 19), who is a two-time stakes winner and group placed, caught the eye of Narvick International Agency also for €400,000.
Of the 32 horses that sold from 42 offered (76.2%), 26 made six figures or more for a gross of €9,811,000. The average and median also outpaced last year's figures at €306,594 (+5%) and €245,000 (+14%), respectively. In 2022, 27 horses grossed €7,880,000 for an average of €291,852 and a median of €215,000.
Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said after the sale, “We are very pleased with the results from the sale this evening. The figures from this type of auction are closely linked to the lots offered, and for this we would like to thank all our vendors for their trust and the quality of the horses sold through us. In response to this exceptional catalogue, buyers made numerous purchases for Europe and the United States for fillies, as well as purchases for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Australia for colts. We wish the best of luck to all those who have runners tomorrow.”
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MUSKOKA (lot 3⃣8⃣) offered by OH Consignment and trained by Henk Grewe, was sold to 