Tag: Arqana August Sale

The Gastro Guide to Deauville

The one thing guaranteed to get you through a hard day on the sales grind is the promise of a decent meal at the end of it, and in Deauville you will not be short of options. There have been a lot of changes on the gastronomic scene of late, and if you haven't visited the seaside resort for a couple of years, you are likely to find it hard to choose from the large array of enticing new venues. The Covid pandemic may have played its part, but not as much as the relentless appetite for innovation in a town that prides itself for setting trends, not following them, combined with a change of the guard in several of the most iconic eateries.

Fanfaron: the new Chez Hervé

I am guessing that many TDN readers might still, like me, be cherishing fond memories of some seriously unbridled parties at Chez Hervé. If you belong to this merry category, read on as you will be relieved to learn that this unique location, on Deauville's quaint market square, now plays host to a restaurant that does much more than continuing Chez Hervé's heritage: it is transcending it.

The new ringmaster is named Olivier Bertran de Balanda, brother to bloodstock agent Nicky and son of jumps trainer Jehan. After several years in Shanghai where his French bar was a huge hit with the younger generations, he and his multi-talented wife Fanny have worked their magic and roamed countless brocantes and flea markets to create a picturesque – should I say “instagrammable” – room and a vibrant atmosphere. 'A bistro of character with a strong personality, where a wind of madness and elegance blows,' as the website beautifully sums it up. Foodwise, the generous, flavour-rich plates of some of the most traditional – and least diet-compatible – French dishes, from blanquette de veau to sole meunière, bone marrow, lamb shoulder or tournedos Rossini, will satisfy the most solid appetites while the wine list is replete with family-owned, homegrown nectars from all parts of France at under-the-radar prices.

Le Drakkar and Le Central: new faces at the helm

While Fanfaron is certainly starting on a strong footing, the up-and-coming venue would still find it hard to compete with Le Drakkar when it comes to electing Deauville's most renowned restaurant. The unmistakable brasserie can claim credit for having hosted the Who's Who of racing from every corner of the world for many decades, a feat best evidenced by the fact that one of its many equine namesakes was a Grade 1 winner in South Africa. How many victories at the highest level, seven-figure yearling sales and stallion deals were celebrated underneath its historic wooden ceiling and on its cosy leather-covered benches is anyone's guess. A hint resides in the infamous quote by a former manager that 95% of the restaurant's stock of Château Cheval-Blanc, at no less than €800 a bottle, was drunk during the sole month of August.

Le Drakkar, along with its Trouville counterpart Le Central and fellow popular restaurants Marinette, L'Annexe and Les Mouettes, had been owned and run by prominent local figure Hervé Van Colen until his retirement in the summer of 2020 and the subsequent sale of the entire group to Thierry Bourdoncle, a serial entrepreneur in the gastronomy industry, already at the head of multiple iconic venues in Saint-Tropez, Paris, Megève, Cannes etc. As lockdown struck, the grandiose renovation works planned by the new owner were postponed, and it was only in May 2022 that an extended, brand-new and yet familiar Drakkar opened its doors again.

Under the guidance of the new chef Edouard Faure, the menu has been revamped and, some will regret, prices have taken some serious mark-ups as luxury delicacies have become house staples. While old favourites such as the locally grazed côte de boeuf still hold pride of place, guests are now spoilt for choice with some more southern flavours as well as fusion-food influences.

Just a few minutes away in Trouville, Le Central has also undergone a welcome renovation and remains one of the most reliable venues for fresh-off-the-boat sea food and bistro cuisine.

Not content with such sizeable investments, Thierry Bourdoncle has also laid his hands on the former Villa Gabrielle, enviably located just opposite the Normandy hotel. Renamed Les Planches, it serves classical Italian dishes to die for.

Marion and Arthur are the new generation 

Despite Bourdoncle's impressive takeover, the name Van Colen has not quite vanished from the Deauville scene. Hervé's daughter Marion has launched the eponymous brasserie on avenue de la République, where echoes of her father's unique hand for local products of the finest quality and traditional gourmet recipes will appeal to nostalgic souls. Her brother Arthur is also likely to come across many of racing's most prominent figures after taking over the infamous Le Cyrano café, where trainers, jockeys and fellow early birds flock for breakfast and light lunches.

Sospiro is the new taste of Italy

Before I get sued for causing a mental breakdown to numerous distinguished members of the racing community, among with the TDN's very own Sue Finley, let me make something crystal clear: Santa Lucia IS STILL operating, and truffle pizza is still on the menu. Yet my guess is that some just as distinguished TDN readers, including some with Italian blood, will agree that the food and ambiance have faded since the days of the larger-than-life Vincenzo Esposito.

I have good news for those who share this view. Just a few minutes from the Arqana sales complex, a hidden gem by the name of Sospiro serves the most authentic pasta, pizza and other dishes from Southern Italy and Sardinia. Need some bomb-proof evidence? This is where you are most likely to bump into leading Italian-born jockey Cristian Demuro during the Deauville race meeting. Disregard the clearly unassuming street view and wander through the main room to find the most charming terrace where you will instantly feel transported to Naples or Palermo. If you are part of a big party, rejoice, as you are in for an unforgettable treat: “pizza by the metre”. Easier eaten than said.

Will L'Institution become the new institution?

Facing the old-fashioned little garden that sits in front of Hotel Normandy, L'Institution is another new player in the upmarket segment. Sat in the vast Art Deco dining room, on the terrace, or in the intimate patio, indulge in a piece of matured meat grilled under your eyes or dig into a plethoric seafood platter. L'Institution is also famous for its cocktails, skilfully crafted by a 'mixologist'. Save some room for dessert as they are hard to resist, too!

La Cabane Perchée is the new Brok Café

I may break a few hearts by disclosing that Le Brok Café has changed hands, style and atmosphere altogether. However, those looking for the best spot to sip a cocktail in the sunset will fall in love with La Cabane Perchée, the roof-top bar towering above Trouville beach. Operated by former jockey Miguel Blancpain, this picturesque bar with a breathtaking view serves tapas and house cocktails all day long, as well as a magnificent brunch on weekends. With popular DJs frequently on duty behind the platins, dancing goes on until dawn, and a midnight bath always looms round the corner.

With so many new venues to try out, I am left to ponder how many lunches, aperitifs, dinners and parties one can fit into a single trip to Deauville? Or perhaps this is the very reason why the October Yearling and December Breeding Stock sales have gained so much international traction.

The post The Gastro Guide to Deauville appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Record Figures Across The Board as Arqana August Concludes

By Emma Berry, Brian Sheerin and Sue Finley

DEAUVILLE, France–Monday may have felt like Sunday in Deauville as the French observed the holy day of the Assumption of St Mary, but business continued apace at Arqana, with strength in depth to the final session hitherto unseen at the August Sale and new record figures set in all sectors.

Reworked this year so that the former select evening sessions held over the weekend with a supplementary session on Monday were all rolled into an alphabetical singular sale, the new format may have caught the odd person out but the major buyers knew to wait for a closing day which transpired to be the strongest of all three.

“Yesterday and today [Monday] have felt stronger but we need to wait until the end to analyse things properly,” observed Anthony Stroud, the leading buyer at the sale on behalf of Godolphin, who spent €5,550,000 on six yearlings. The sextet included Monday's session-topper and the fourth seven-figure lot of the sale, Ecurie des Monceaux's Dubawi (Ire) colt out of Golden Valentine (Ire) who sold for €2 million.

Indeed, proper analysis is best conducted once the auctioneer's voice has stopped ringing in the ears, but on paper at least the sale performed better with each passing day since Saturday.

Monday's average of €241,516 and median of €160,000 were the highest of the three days, as was the clearance rate of 86%. The 72 yearlings sold on Monday added just shy of €15 million to the sale's aggregate.

Over the three days turnover stood at €51,071,000 for 246 horses sold (84%), which was a new record for the sale, increasing by more than €7 million on the previous high of 2019. The sale's average of €210,025 and median of €140,000 both easily broke previous records in those sectors.

Monceaux Trio for Godolphin

Just four Dubawi (Ire) yearlings were on offer in the entire sale, of which, all bar one went the way of Godolphin. 

However, Anthony Stroud needed to fight hard for Ecurie des Monceaux's colt out of Golden Valentine (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who topped proceedings on day three at €2,000,000 and, by close of play, was only second to the August Sale-topping brother to Sottsass (Fr) [lot 154], who was knocked down to Yoshito Yahagi at €2.1 million on Sunday.

But Monday belonged to lot 292, by Darley's legendary sire, who has already been joined by a host of his high-class sons at stud, including Ghaiyyath (Ire), Too Darn Hot (GB), Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Space Blues (Ire). The members of Team Godolphin were unanimous in their admiration of the colt, with Stroud revealing that everyone who looked at him, including Charlie Appleby, were keen not to leave France without him. 

Stroud said, “He's an exceptional horse-very light on his feet. He's a Dubawi, [which is] brilliant, and we all thought he was the most lovely horse-Charlie, everyone. He was one we really wanted to get.”

It wasn't the first time that Monceaux enjoyed a major payday with a Dubawi out of Golden Valentine, either. Just 12 months ago, Oliver St Lawrence paid €750,000 for his brother, who has yet to hit the track. 

Golden Valentine won four of her seven starts for Freddy Head, including the G3 Prix Minerve at Deauville in 2016, and is from a family that is jam-packed with Group and Listed winners. As well as being a sister to Goldwaki (Ger), herself a Group 3 winner, Golden Valentine is a half-sister to Luck (Kitten's Joy), a Grade 3 winner in America this year, and two more black-type performers. The family goes back to champion and multiple Group 1-winning racemare Goldikova (Fr).

Anthony Stroud had earlier added another two yearlings to Godolphin's list of purchases for the week, also both from the draft of leading vendor Ecurie des Monceaux. 

At €600,000, he signed for lot 259, a Dubawi (Ire) half-brother to dual G2 Prix de Royallieu winner The Juliet Rose (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}).

“Dubawi needs no introduction, we've done so well with him,” he reasoned. “And The Juliet Rose was a very good filly, trained by Nicolas Clement. He comes from Monceaux, which has been a nursery for a number of excellent horses, so for us he passed all our criteria, for the team that is.”

Another to have passed muster was a son of the young Darley stallion Blue Point (Ire) [lot 251], who was bought for €200,000 to make him the most expensive yearling by the freshman sire to date. The colt's half-sister Devant has already added some bold back type high up on the page by winning the G3 Prix Miesque, while further down the page the names of his Group-winning grand-dam Savoureuse Lady (GB) (Caerleon) and the brilliant Mtoto (GB) (Busted (GB}) add further substance.

Stroud was signing for Monday's sales-topper immediately after picking up lot 291, an athletic Lope De Vega (Ire) colt out of a Galileo (Ire) mare [Golden Lilas (Ire)], consigned by Haras du Cadran, for €575,000.

He said, “This is a very nice horse. He came from a very good breeder and has a lot of quality. He was a very good walker. He was very well-balanced and is out of a Galileo mare. We really like him.”

Saint Pair On Par

Fawzi Nass and Oliver St Lawrence have made a splash at the August Sale in the past and they returned to pick up one of the most expensive lots of the final session in Haras de Saint Pair's Kingman (GB) colt from the family of Almanzor (Fr). Offered as lot 249, the son of the Street Cry (Ire) mare Dardiza (Ire) is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Guildsman (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), with his damline emanating from an Aga Khan family which has produced the treble Group 1 winner Darjina (Fr) (Zamindar).

After placing the successful bid of €800,000, St Lawrence said, “Andreas Putsch is a great breeder and we loved the horse from the very first time [we saw him]. He's going to go to William Haggas, who was here over the weekend and loved him. We've waited a bit at this sale for him to come in.”

Of the suggestions from some consignors at this early date in the yearling calendar that the sale should be held a bit later the agent continued, “It's been a very active and competitive sale. I hear there are rumours that the breeders want to cancel the August Sale but I hope that doesn't happen. I hope they keep it here as overseas owners such as Fawzi Nass wouldn't be here if it was later; I think half the Americans wouldn't be here.”

Andreas Putsch's Haras de Saint Pair, which added another group winner to its record on Sunday with the victory of Eternal Pearl (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G3 Prix Minerve, also enjoyed a good few days in the sale ring. 

Three fillies from the same family of the Classic runner-up Glorious Sight (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) were all offered by the stud within four lots of each other, fetching €600,000, €400,000 and €150,000 respectively. 

“I think the new sale format works,” said a delighted Putsch. “We brought such nice horses that we were hoping that they would sell well but whenever you get into this sphere you can never expect it. I'm absolutely thrilled.”

He added, “The racecourse is what it's all about. We breed to race, and even if other people race them, the results on the racecourse are what it's all about.”

Kieran Lalor of Al Shira'aa Racing signed for Saint Pair's full-sister to Group 2 winner Glycon (Fr) by the late Le Havre (Ire) and said of lot 287, “I thought she was one of the nicest fillies in the sale and is out of a very good mare. She's a full-sister to a Group 2 winner and comes from a great breeder. I actually just met him for the first time and he told me I can come to see the farm any time and I'm excited about that. She comes from one of the best families there is and I have been trying to get into it for a long time. Le Havre was a very sad loss to the French breeding industry and is a stallion we used for a long time. He's obviously a very good sire of fillies so we're very excited.”

The family to which he refers is one that boasts the Group 1-winning fillies Hydrangea (Ire), Hermosa (Ire) and Tenebrism, and the two other members offered by Haras de Saint Pair include lot 284, a daughter of Frankel (GB) and Girl Friday (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}), who sold for €400,000 to Michel Zerolo of Oceanic Bloodstock.

“Everyone wants Frankel,” he said. “You can never have enough of a good thing. The pedigree, the filly, I think she's relatively inexpensive given the market. We're very happy to have her. She's for a partnership and will go to Jean-Claude Rouget.”

Gordon-Watson Lands Filly From 'Best Cross'

Charlie Gordon-Watson would have won the prize for the best-dressed man at Arqana had there been such a competition but, what he really came to Deauville for was lot 247, a Frankel (GB) filly out of a mare by Dubawi (Ire), which the bloodstock agent labelled as best cross there is. 

Just as the hammer fell at €650,000, Gordon-Watson, bedecked in a suit and a bright red tie, high-fived his two children in delight after securing the Haras d'Etreham-consigned filly. 

The filly is the first foal out of Listed winner Crystal River (GB), a half-sister to Group 2 winner Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), and to Royal Marine (Ire) (Raven's Pass), who won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Gordon-Watson later revealed that she will be trained by either John Gosden or Andre Fabre. 

The visibly delighted agent said, “Well, the Frankel and Dubawi cross is the best. The statistics, the percentages and the Group 1 wins are phenomenal. She's a fantastic individual and is an exceptionally-good first foal who vetted very well.

“She has a very good back-pedigree, we like Frankel and he had a Group 1 and a Group 3 winner yesterday. They get better every day and he's the best there is. She'll go back to England, and then she'll either be sent to John Gosden or to Andre Fabre, or whoever we decide on later.”

Asked who the filly was for, Gordon-Watson, who often buys for Lady Bamford, replied, “Just an owner-breeder in England.”

Lady Bamford has already enjoyed notable success with Frankel as her famous maroon colours were carried by his son Dreamflight (GB) to victory for Fabre in a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud earlier this season. Multiple listed and Group 3 winner Suphala (Fr) was another high-achiever to carry the famous silks in France.

White Birch and Coolmore Back in the Fray

As the supply of yearlings by Galileo begins to dwindle it was no surprise to see the colt out of Group 3 winner High Celebrity (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) go the way of MV Magnier at €650,000.

Sold on behalf of his breeder Haras de Fresnaux by Eric Puerari's haras des Capucines, lot 297 is a full-brother to the Listed-placed Friendly Face (Fr) and will race for in partnership for the Coolmore team and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm.

“They're not making them any more and thankfully we have some very good two-year-olds by Galileo,” said Magnier. “Aidan [O'Brien] is very positive about Tower Of London (Ire) and Donnacha has Proud And Regal (Ire), and we were very lucky to have been part of Galileo's success.

“This colt was a very nice horse and Mr Dubois is an unbelievably good breeder. He was a good mover and we want to make the most of the opportunities left when it comes to Galileo's young stock.”

Channel's First Foal for Bouchard

It is a rare moment when the first foal of a Classic-winning mare is offered at public auction, and when the youngster in question is a filly by one of the world's best sires she could be sure to pique the interest of breeders looking to boost their broodmare band. 

The first offspring of the 2019 Prix de Diane winner Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is thus bound, eventually, to join the paddocks at Jean-Louis Bouchard's fledgling operation near Reux, after being bought through Gerard Larrieu's Chantilly Bloodstock for €400,000.

“I'm so happy because five years ago I bought a stud close to Deauville, and we are starting with new mares,” Bouchard said. “This filly has everything; she walks very well and I really like her attitude. Her dam is a Classic winner and by Nathaniel, who produced an exceptional mare in Enable. She will make a very good mare and she could be a good racehorse too.”

Early into the ring on Monday evening as lot 234, the chestnut filly was presented on behalf of her breeder Samuel de Barros by La Motteraye Consignment. As well as her own Group 1 credentials, she has the advantage of owning a deep pedigree which includes her G1 Cheveley Park Stakes-winning grand-dam Magical Romance (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}), Classic heroines Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), and Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}). 

MyRacehorse Enters French Yearling Market

When Arthur Hoyeau signed the ticket for lot 105, a Justify filly, for €100,000 on Saturday at the Arqana August sale, it marked a new beginning for the American-based microshare racehorse ownership group MyRacehorse in France.

MyRacehorse–which offers shares in racehorses for $100 or less–has made a splash in America with early successes like its 2020 Breeders' Cup Classic win with Audible, which saw 5,300 investors win America's biggest prize. The company says that they are approaching the number of 100,000 new owners for racing, and this week, the group will be testing the waters in the French yearling market with purchases at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.

The new venture represents a partnership between Henri Bozo's Ecurie des Monceaux, bloodstock agent Arthur Hoyeau, and MyRacehorse. The plan is for the horses to train and race in France, with the initial shares sold to investors in America, the UK, Australia, and Ireland, as MyRacehorse is not yet licensed to offer shares in France.

“I had been approached by MyRacehorse last autumn, just as an initial contact and I said to Arthur it's a great opportunity to find a new audience for racing, which we all need and is very positive, so we decided maybe one day we could do something together,” Bozo recalled. He said the idea also intrigued him because he was interested in buying yearling fillies to race in the hopes that they would one day join the Monceaux yearling band.

“In a perfect world, exactly,” he said. “I have always been a big believer that buying yearling fillies is a great way to improve your broodmare band and you're buying fillies that you have picked as yearlings. You can pick the pedigree, you can pick the physical. What you can't pick is their racing ability, but if that happens, it's the full package and to get that at the broodmare sales is not possible.

“This year, Arthur suggested we buy a few fillies in a partnership and I said we would take a share in that partnership, and I suggested we speak with MyRacehorse because it would be a good way to simply firm up their project in France.”

The plan is for the yearling fillies to remain in France and go into training. No trainer has yet been selected.

“I find it a great idea to allow as many people as possible and as many new people to enjoy the game and to try to do it properly,” said Bozo. “If you want to try to participate in the big races as they have done in America, it's a costly sport and hobby, and to be able to offer it to so many different people in different sizes of shares and financial participation is fantastic. It's really part of what racing is—a hobby and a way for people to think about something else and to have a goal of seeing their horses race, and to get news about them. I think what racing is all about is to provide racing and fun and new things to people. It's an interesting project.”

McStay Continues To Make Hay

Mark McStay has been one of the busier agents at the August Sale, predominantly working on behalf of international owner Bon Ho, who struck for the third time when going to €410,000 for lot 237, a Sea The Stars (Ire) half-brother to Chilean (Iffraaj {GB}).

McStay, who operates under Avenue Bloodstock, also bagged colts by Dubawi (Ire) and Sea The Stars on behalf of Ho during Saturday's session. While he admitted that Ho needed to be convinced to go the extra mile to secure his latest acquisition, a dashing grey by one of the owner's favourite sires, connections were buoyed by the fact that renowned judge Michael Donohoe was the underbidder. 

Mc Stay said, “I thought the colt was very athletic. He had great presence and, while he's not an overly big horse, he has huge movement. I am a big fan of Sea The Stars and he has a fantastic pedigree–the mare has already done it before. 

“I actually remember seeing Chilean when he was in training with Martyn Meade and the two horses have a similar presence about them so there's a resemblance there. I'm delighted to get the horse because he's by a proven sire, with a proven pedigree, he vetted very well and he looks like an athlete.”

McStay added, “He came well recommended by Gwen and Lucie of La Motteraye. Mr Ho bought Deauville Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) at this sale from the same farm as well. If we can get the same results, we'll be very happy. 

“I had a protracted duel with Michael Donohoe, who is an excellent judge, so hopefully we bought right. Valuations are two people's opinions and, when Eugene Daly told me who the underbidder was, it made me feel good because we did have the stretch for this horse and I really had to persuade Mr Ho to go the extra bit.”

Chilean landed a Group 3 when in training with Meade. He is out of Childa (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), a Listed winner in France who has produced three individual winners to date, with Chilean being the best. 

On plans for the colt and reflecting on the sale as a whole, McStay said, “This horse will be sent to Jane Allison in the United Kingdom to be broken in and pre-trained. Mr Ho has horses in the UK and Ireland so he'll decide where he goes when the time comes. 

“It's been a busy few days and I have bought for a number of owners, including Mr Ho, who bought three. I also got one for James Ferguson, some owners who have horses with Hugo Palmer purchased a lovely filly the other night, and I bought the half-sister to Nashwa as well. Arqana has been a lucky place for me and they look after us very well.”

How were the freshman sires received?

It's very early days in the yearling sales season but top of the pops of  the young stallions at Arqana with their first yearlings for sale was Darley's Blue Point (Ire), whose seven yearlings sold over the last three days returned an average of €132,857.

Coolmore's Magna Grecia (Ire) had two sold for an average of €112,500, and his stud-mate Ten Sovereigns (Ire) was represented by three sold for an average of €106,667.

Too Darn Hot (GB) had five sold for an average of €102,000, while the average price for Waldgeist (GB) for five sold was €95,000. Calyx (GB) had two sold for an average of €90,000; Haras d'Etreham's City Light (Fr) had one yearling catalogued which sold for €85,000, and Land Force's sole yearling sold for €30,000. 

Eric Hoyeau, President of Arqana, and Freddy Powell, Executive Director, commented at the close of trade on Monday evening, “With such great results, we are more than satisfied that the yearling sales season is off to a great start. We are extremely grateful to our vendors for entrusting us with yearlings of this quality and for adapting to the new three-day format. The entire catalogue was of exceptional quality and all the yearlings entered are qualified for the Arqana Series, which will be held for the first time next year. The return to normal compared to the last two years has allowed us to organise events that enable us to welcome our clients, who came from Japan, the United States, Europe, the Gulf, Australia, etc., and we thank them for having attended. It was a real pleasure to see everyone in Deauville and we look forward to seeing you at the beginning of September.”

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Litt and Solis Acquire Siyouni Filly For €1.4 million At Arqana

A grey filly by Siyouni (Fr) made €1.4 million from Alex Solis and Jason Litt to become the second seven-figure lot at Arqana on Sunday and third overall. Lot 216, out of the Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr heroine Aviatress (Ire) (Shamardal), was consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux. The dam is a half-sister to GIII Seaway S. heroine Marbre Rose (Ire) (Smart Strike), as well as the stakes winner and dual graded-placed Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Under the third dam are the top-level winners Zoftig (Cozzene), Zo Impressive (Hard Spun) and Zaftig (Gone West).

 

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Siyouni Day at Arqana as Sottsass’s Brother Heads to Japan

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

DEAUVILLE, France–If two of the certainties in life are death and taxes, the third, in the world of bloodstock at least, is that if a yearling out of Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) turns up at the Arqana August Sale then he or she will steal the limelight.

This time it was a colt (lot 154), a full-brother to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) no less, whose arrival in the ring around 6 p.m. ensured standing room only in Arqana's upper tier as industry professionals and holidaymakers alike strained to see which players would go into battle to try to buy him. In the end, it came down to who could hold their nerve the longest between David Redvers, standing alongside Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and looking down into the seats below where Yoshito Yahagi was taking instructions by telephone. The Japanese trainer eventually had the final nod at €2.1 million to push the colt's breeder and vendor Ecurie des Monceaux back into the top spot on the list of consignors.

“It's a really good pedigree and he's a very well-made colt. I loved him. He's Sottsass's brother, and My Sister Nat was second to my horse [Loves Only You] at last year's Breeders' Cup. She's also a very good filly.”

The globe-trotting trainer, who earlier in the day had saddled Bathrat Leon (Jpn) in the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, said, “I will take him to Japan and I hope he will win the Japanese Derby, then I hope to bring him back to France later.”

 

Of course it is not only Sottsass and My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) to have advertised the merits of their mother at the top level. It was the outstanding Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) who really got the ball rolling for the mare with her seven Grade I wins, and 3-year-old filly Pure Dignity (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who topped this sale two years ago in its later September slot, has also impressed on her sole winning outing to date for Roger Varian.

A frenetic post-racing session at Arqana brought another €15,612,000 to the overall tally, which has been boosted by the sale of three seven-figure lots so far. The 67 yearlings sold on Sunday evening represented a clearance rate of 84%, with the average climbing to €233,015 and the median to €140,000. Comparative figures for the reformatted sale will be provided at the end of the final session on Monday.

 

 

The Pride of Monceaux

The session started in sensational fashion for Ecurie des Monceaux with the sale of the Siyouni colt, and through trade was patchy at times, the leading consignor quickly reasserted its dominance at Arqana, and by the end of two days had sold 25 yearlings for €8,810,000.

Monceaux principal Henri Bozo said of Sottsass's brother, “That was a fantastic sale. You always have to be very happy when you sell a horse at a price like that. It was a great pride. It's a great pride to have a mare like that, it was a great pride to have the staff to bring a horse like that to sale. It's really only happiness. It will be very interesting to follow a horse in Japan and with a trainer like Mr. Yahagi. So it will be a new step and very interesting. To be honest, I had no idea who was going to buy him.

“There were three or four groups of serious players interested in him, and I didn't know who was going to buy him, but I was confident he was going to sell well. The horse was showing himself well. He's a good horse–he's a very good horse–and he came into the ring with so much pride and self-confidence. It was very nice.”

Late in the session, the names of both Monceaux and Siyouni were back in lights as the first foal of the listed-winning Shamardal mare Aviatress (Ire) (lot 216) became the third millionaire of the sale when sold for €1.4 million to Alex Solis and Jason Litt on behalf of the filly's co-breeders Larry, Nanci and Jaime Roth of LNJ Foxwoods, a parents-daughter team who have owned horses since 2012.

Solis said, “The Roths actually owned the mare with Henri. We are partners and we've known about her the whole time. She's been a star since she was a foal and we were very excited to watch her grow and to come here. She's a spectacular filly. The Roths race a lot of fillies but this one had to come to auction as she was owned in partnership and we didn't want to let her go.”

Monceaux also sold a Dubawi (Ire) filly out of the listed-winning Galileo mare Birch Grove (Ire) for €575,000. It was perhaps no surprise to see the auctioneer bring the hammer down for lot 226 towards the buyer in the corridor to the right of the rostrum, the favoured of Anthony Stroud, who signed for the filly on behalf of Godolphin.

 

Blueblooded Kingman for Japan

Yoshito Yahagi wasn't finished when signing for the session-topper and later provided Elise Drouet of Domaine de l'Etang with a great return by going to €560,000 for a colt by Kingman (GB) from the family of Arc winner Waldgeist (GB). Offered this time as lot 183, the son of the Group 2 runner-up Waldjagd (GB) (Observatory) had been put through the ring as a foal and made €280,000 when co-breeder Drouet bought out her partner, Ecurie de Cachene.

The colt has plenty of pedigree behind him to support such lofty prices. His half-siblings include Group 2 winner Waldbiene (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) and listed winner Urwald (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), while his granddam Wurftaube (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}) is responsible for the G1 Deutsches Derby winner Waldpark (Ger) as well as the dam of G1 St Leger winner Masked Marvel (Ger) and granddam of Waldgeist.

 

Haras de la Louviere Fillies Star

Lady O'Reilly's Haras de la Louviere is a staple of the Arqana August Sale and within three lots on Sunday evening the stud recorded two excellent results for fillies bred in two separate partnerships.

Lot 199, a filly by Siyouni (Fr) who was sold for €600,000 to Nicolas Clement, was bred with Charles-Henri de Moussac. She is a daughter of the dual Grade III winner Aigue Marine (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), whose dam Aiglonne (Silver Hawk) was bought by the partners more than two decades ago and is the dam of Group 1 winner Mekhtaal (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

After signing for the filly in the company of her new owner, Clement, who also trains her half-sister, the listed winner Fenelon (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), explained, “I met Dr. Tallaj last year at Saratoga and he has horses with my brother, Christophe. We bought Galifa here in December and started a company called RT Racing, the same as he has in America. We've had three winners and we want more so [we] bought this filly.”

Dr. Ramon Tallaj added, “This filly will be running in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in a couple of years' time. Nicolas will make that happen. The atmosphere here is very good. This is my first time and I will continue coming back.”

 

Just moments later the second foal of the listed-placed Ambivalence (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (lot 202), a daughter of Wootton Bassett (GB), brought €750,000 when knocked down to Richard Knight.

The agent was unable to disclose the filly's new owner but said of the filly whose fourth dam is the influential Allegretta (Ger), “She will stay here in France. She was bought for a client of mine who picked her out and we thought she was an absolute queen. For me she was the best filly in the sale. I love the stallion Wootton Bassett and the mare is stakes-placed. She's also a second foal, which I love as well.”

Reflecting on the sale of the two fillies, Lady O'Reilly said, “We were lucky. They are two well-bred and very athletic fillies, and I think in this sale the physique has to correspond with pedigree. So we just got lucky: good stallions and good mares from very good families.”

She continued, “The Siyouni is in partnership with Charles-Henri de Moussac. We bought her granddam Aiglonne 24 years ago and we raced her and we still have a filly.

“The other one we also bought the granddam with Edouard de Rothschild and she's from Urban Sea's family. We have her and we have three other fillies that we are putting in training.”

Lady O'Reilly noted that Aigue Marine has a filly foal by the late Le Havre (Ire) and is in foal to Wootton Bassett, while Ambivalence is now in foal to Sea The Stars (Ire).

 

Juddmonte Snap Up Two Colts

On a day when Inspiral (GB), one of the best daughters of Frankel (GB), swooped to G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois glory, backed up by the Group 3 victory of Eternal Pearl (GB) in the Prix Minerve, Juddmonte pounced to secure lot 148, a handsome chestnut colt by the stud's decorated stallion and from the breeder of Eternal Pearl for €450,000.

Simon Mockridge of Juddmonte revealed that the Haras de Saint Pair-drafted colt out of Spain Burg (Fr) (Sageburg {Ire}) will be trained in Ireland. He added that a decision on whether he will be sent to Ger Lyons or Dermot Weld, the only handlers employed by the world-famous operation in that country, hasn't yet been made.

He said, “Spain Burg (Fr) was a very good 2-year-old, had plenty of speed, and Frankel is having a fantastic season. He's had seven Group 1 winners this season and we saw Inspiral winning today, which was great.”

Mockridge added, “He's a phenomenal stallion and, of course, we want to support him. He'll go back to Barry Mahon who'll manage him in Ireland. He'll get broken and then we will decide with the family where the horse goes.”

Spain Burg won four times as a juvenile in 2016, including the G2 Rockfel S. at Newmarket, where she got the better of Juddmonte's Fair Eva (GB) (Frankel {GB}). She also fetched a whopping €1.5 million at the end of that 2-year-old campaign at the Arqana Arc Sale.

However, after failing to win in two starts at three for Nicolas Clement, Spain Burg was snapped up by White Birch Farm the following winter at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale for 650,000gns.

Six lots later , Juddmonte signed up a second colt (lot 155) of the evening, by Night Of Thunder (Ire) and consigned by Haras d'Etreham. Bought for €220,000, the bay colt is the second foal of the Jim Bolger-bred and -trained dual Group 3 winner Steip Amach (Ire) (Vocalised). The mare's half-sister Fidaaha (Ire} (New Approach {Ire}) is the dam of Malavath (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), winner of last season's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte as well as being placed in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

 

Brisk but Brilliant Business for Ballylinch

There can be few businesses that bag €860,000 within the space of 10 minutes, but Ballylinch Stud is not any old business. One of the most beautiful studs in Ireland, Ballylinch brought a strong draft to Deauville, including two fillies by their own Lope De Vega (Ire), and an Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly (lot 187) who elevated the County Kilkenny operation beyond the €1-million mark for the opening two days in quick-fire fashion.

Lot 190, the Lope De Vega filly out of Xaarienne (GB) (Xaar {GB}), the dam of three different black-type performers, did best and went the way of China Horse Club for €320,000.

The other Lope De Vega filly (lot 189) out of the homebred Witches Brew (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) was sold to Rabbah Bloodstock for €260,000, while the Invincible Spirit out of Wild Irish Rose (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was knocked down to Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock for €280,000.

Ballylinch Stud manager John O'Connor said, “They are three really nice fillies. With the way things fell, they went through the ring within the space of a few minutes of each other so it was very concentrated. We knew we had really nice fillies and we knew that a lot of people liked them.

“The Invincible Spirit filly was bought by Tom Goff, who is an excellent judge, and I understand she was bought for George Strawbridge but I'm not sure where she's going. Wherever she goes, I'm sure she'll do well.”

And she is bred to do well. Wild Irish Rose won twice for Aidan O'Brien, including the Listed Stanerra S. at Leopardstown, and is a half-sister to black-type performer Cradle Mountain (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and from a good Ballymacoll Stud family that can be traced back to Islington (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).

O'Connor added, “The Lope De Vega out of Witches Brew is a full-sister to Antonia De Vega (Ire). She's a lovely-moving filly and has a lot of residual value as a future broodmare but she should make a lovely racing filly as well.

“The last one [lot 190] was bought by Matt Houldsworth for China Horse Club and she was an exceptional filly. All three were very busy and they did what we expected.”

Witches Brew, who carried the Ballylinch Stud colours to victory and achieved black-type when in training with Eddie Lynam, is a half-sister to pattern horses Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead (Ire) and Dream Today (Ire) (Dream Ahead) and is from the family of French Oaks winner Caerlina (Ire) (Caerleon).

As well as winning twice, Xaarienne bagged black-type in France and has already confirmed herself as a proven producer of talent thanks to Group 3 winner See The Rose (Ire) (Kendargent {Fr}), who recently sold for 500,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale.

The dream 10 minutes or so enjoyed by Ballylinch on Sunday followed on from a productive start with a filly by Too Darn Hot (GB), a colt by Waldgeist (GB) and a filly by Sea The Stars (Ire) fetching €475,000 collectively the previous day. The stud has one lot left to sell on Monday, a colt by Lope De Vega (lot 241).

 

Half-brother to Treve Goes To Al Shaqab

Al Shaqab Racing enjoyed some of its best days on a racecourse with Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), the dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine, and the story continues with the powerful owners securing the legendary racemare's half-brother by Intello (Ger) for €260,000.

Consigned by Haras du Quesnay, lot 171 was bought by Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International, who has had an extremely busy two days after signing for 14 individual lots.

De Watrigant said, “We bought him for Al Shaqab. Obviously to win the Arc with Treve gave the Al Shaqab team great joy. He was a beautiful colt.”

The final session of the Arqana August Sale gets underway on Monday at 5:30 p.m.

The post Siyouni Day at Arqana as Sottsass’s Brother Heads to Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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