Arqana Autumn Sale | Horse Racing Free Tips

Stores Take The Stage At Arqana

Two-year-old stores were in the spotlight during Tuesday’s session of the Arqana Autumn Sale in Deauville, where 91 horses (62.8%) changed hands for a total of €2,345,500 as of the close of the session. The average was €25,775, and the median €16,000. Tuesday’s session this year included stores that would have typically been sold at Arqana’s Summer Sale.

Vincent Le Roy went to the day’s highest price of €175,000 for Authoside (Fr) (Authorized {Ire}) (lot 589), a colt offered by Haras des Pierres Follets on behalf of Guy Vimont. He is a half-brother to Grade 1-winning chaser Sceau Royal (Fr) (Doctor Dino).

Colts by Martaline (Fr) fetched the second and third highest prices of the day: Icare d’Estruval (Fr) (lot 562), a half-brother to two stakes winners, was hammered down to Sarl Guillaume Macaire for €160,000, while Andy and Gemma Brown picked up an unnamed colt from Haras du Ma (lot 551) for €140,000. The latter is a half-brother to the multiple Grade 2 winner Irish Saint (Fr) (Saint des Saints {Fr}).

A trio of six-figure buybacks meant that there was just one other that made €100,000. That was the AQPS Isaac des Obeaux (Fr) (Kapgarde {Fr}) (lot 616) who was bought by Highflyer Bloodstock. His dam is a half-sister to the G1 King George VI Chase winner Clan Des Obeaux (Fr) (Kapgarde {Fr}).

Arqana President Eric Hoyeau said at the close of trade on Tuesday, “The market was very difficult today, as we can see from the results. They have without doubt been impacted by the absence of several important buyers. Nevertheless, we will have to wait for the National Hunt yearlings to go through the ring to make a complete assessment of the market for young jumpers.”

The stores section of the catalogue continues on Wednesday, in addition to National Hunt yearlings.

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Highflyer Bloodstock Strikes for Arqana Autumn Toppers

The second day of the Arqana Autumn Sale kicked off with horses-in-training on Monday. Although the catalogue was not as deep as 2019’s record-breaking sale, 77% of the 160 horses offered found new homes. The gross was €3,050,000 for the 124 sold and two horses were co-toppers at €200,000, with Highflyer Bloodstock snapping up both offerings. In 2019, the highest price was €420,000. The average dropped to €24,597

(-29%) and the median fell to €11,000 (-21%). In addition, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic also presented some challenges, but the sale was conducted in the new open air ring, just like this past Friday’s Arqana Autumn Flat Yearling Sale.

Tessa Greatrex and David Powell of Highflyer Bloodstock first picked up lot 423, Tax for Max (Ger) (Maxios {GB}), for €200,000. They bought the 3-year-old colt on behalf of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, who are sending the colt to Willie Mullins. Previously trained by Henk Grewe and offered by Gestut Ohlerweiherhof, the dark bay is rated 109. Tax for Max finished fourth in the G2 Sparkasse KolnBonn Union-Rennen.

Just 11 lots later, the winning gelding Houx Gris (Fr) (Gris de Gris {Ire}) (lot 434) caught their eye again to equal the price of Tax for Max. Sold by Jean-Marie Callier, the hurdler was trained by Sylvain Dehez. Successful in his latest start at Auteuil, he will race in the colurs of Jared Sullivan.

“We’ve bought him for Jared Sullivan,” commented David Powell. “He’ll go to England where he’ll be trained by Paul Nicholls.”

Overall, seven lots brought six figures, with Horse Racing Advisory’s Hubert Barbe and Charlie Swan purchasing three of them, led by Hercule du Seuil (Fr) (Saddler Maker {Ire}) (lot 464) at €185,000. Runner-up in his lone start over hurdles at Strasbourg on Oct. 21, the Michael Seror-consigned 3-year-old colt is from the same family as Grade 2 winner Etoile du Seuil (Fr) (Network {Ger}). The duo also snapped up the dual Flat-winning gelding Goven (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}) (lot 456) from Alain Couetil for €175,000 and lot 471, Head Law (Fr) (Network {Ger}) at €150,000. The latter won over 2300 metres on Nov. 6 and is a half-brother to Grade 2 scorer GA Law (Fr) (Sinndar {Ire}). The HRA quintet was completed by Gaetan Taupin’s Hawai Game (Fr) (Diamond Boy {Fr}) (lot 461) for €90,000 and lot 465, the €60,000 Gold Conti (Fr) (Network {Ger}) from the draft of Arnaud Chaille-Chaille.

“The market is difficult but we bought them at the right price,” said Charlie Swan. “They are all going to start over hurdles and we hope that some of them will go down the chasing route afterwards, we just have to be lucky. The French system is really very well done, the horses are broken in early and progress race by race afterwards from a young age.”

The final two seven-figure lots will both head Down Under, with listed winner Arapaho (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) bringing €140,000 from Jim Clarke of Clarke Bloodstock and Avenue Bloodstock for the Australian trainer Bjorn Baker. Hailing from the draft of trainer Andre Fabre, lot 418 is out of stakes winner Alzubra (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Consigned by Wertheimer et Frere, Flambeur (Mizzen Mast) (lot 427), who won the Listed La Coupe de Marseille, is bound for the yard of Matthew Smith after hammering for €100,000.

At the end of Monday’s sale, Arqana President and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “Demand for the horses-in-training was not as strong today as it was last year. We cannot ignore the impact of COVID-19 on the business of many owners, nor the absence of certain buyers due to the movement restrictions caused by the pandemic. We will now focus on the young jumps

prospects and the National Hunt breeding day.”

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Arqana Autumn Begins With Yearlings

Arqana’s four-day Autumn Sale begins on Saturday with a single session of flat-bred yearlings, with 220 set to be offered after scratches. Following a dark day on Sunday, the sale will pick up on Monday and continue through Wednesday with horses in training, stores and National Hunt-bred yearlings. The single-session National Hunt Breeding Stock Sale will take place immediately following the Autumn Sale on Nov. 19, comprising the jumping stock that was set for the December Breeding Stock Sale.

With France in the midst of its second national lockdown due to the coronavirus, it is remarkable that the sale is happening at all, but Arqana officials have worked with government in recent weeks to agree on protocols including restricting the sale to those attending in a professional capacity and staging the sale in its outdoor main yard walking ring rather than in the indoor pavilion.

Highlights of the yearling catalogue on paper include lot 4, a Dabirsim (Fr) half-sister to Group 3-winning juvenile Evasive’s First (Fr) (Evasive {Fr}); lot 25, a Myboycharlie (Ire) filly from the great family of Miesque and Karakontie (Jpn); lot 33, a colt from the first crop of Recorder (GB) who is a half-brother to stakes winner Mister Hughie (Elusive City); lot 42, a Dream Ahead filly out of stakes winner Chasing Stars (GB) (Observatory) from the family of the excellent producer Modena; a pair of colts out of half-sisters to Classic winner Brametot (GB) (151, by Shalaa {Ire} and lot 156, by Ultra {Ire}); lot 176, an Iffraaj (GB) filly out of multiple stakes winner Persona Grata (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}); and lot 212, an Anodin (Ire) filly out of a half-sister to stakes winners Silver Pond (Fr) (Act One {GB}) and Silver Point (Fr) (Commands {Aus}).

The Aga Khan and Wertheimer et Frere are among the breeders that bring quality drafts to Deauville, and representatives of those include the 97-rated 3-year-old Irshad (Fr) (Raven’s Pass) (lot 393); 3-year-old Vardani (Fr) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), the winner of two of his three starts (lot 394); 4-year-old Flambeur (Mizzen Mast), a stakes winner last year who took his most recent start (lot 427); and 3-year-old Healer (Fr) (Medicean {GB}), a winner on debut and runner-up in a Clairefontaine Class 2 race (lot 428).

Many leading trainers also field drafts, like Andre Fabre with the 102-rated ParisLongchamp stakes winner Arapaho (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 418) and the listed-winning the Group 3-placed Measure Of Time (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), rated 103 (lot 419).

There are many quality National Hunt offerings and wildcards also on offer. The full catalogue is available here.

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Two More Wild Cards for Arqana Autumn Sale

Debut winner Hashtag Pretender (Fr) (Great Pretender {Ire}) (lot 462) has been added to the Arqana Autumn Sale. The 3-year-old jumper is joined by G2 Prix Chaudenay third Iskanderhon (Exchange Rate) as lot 420. The latter finished second in the Listed Prix du Grand Camp on Nov. 9. The Arqana Autumn Sale is slated for Nov. 16-18, with the National Hunt Breeding Stock Sale tacked on at the end, Nov. 19.

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