This year 207 two-year-olds are on offer, including the progeny of leading European stallions such as Dubawi (Ire), Frankel (GB), Sea The Stars (Ire) and Siyouni (Fr), as well as top US-based sires such as Gun Runner and Justify. More than 80 stallions are represented altogether.

The breezes will take place on the grass at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse on Thursday, May 9, followed by a day of inspections on Friday, May 10. The sale takes place on Saturday, May 11, beginning at 11am.

All horses offered at the Breeze-up Sale are eligible for the Arqana Series which boasts guaranteed minimum prize-money of €1.2 million. Four races will be run at Deauville on the Thursday evening before the August Sale starts, including three two-year-old races and one three-year-old race. Another contest for juveniles will be run on the Saturday of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend.

The post Arqana Release Catalogue for Breeze-up Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Featuring the season's only seven-figure breezer and with a much larger catalogue than usual, it was no surprise to see turnover increase, though a near-50% upturn was perhaps even better than anticipated, with the 140 sold bringing in a total of €21,110,500 to ring the new record bell. Other indicators were also up: the average by 15% at €150,789, and the median to €105,000.

No stranger to picking up the top lot at this sale, Oliver St Lawrence was the agent behind the first millionaire two-year-old of the European season when going to €1.2 million for Grove Stud's Siyouni (Fr) colt (lot 145) out of the dual Listed winner Isabel De Urbina (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

“I had to pay twice the price for this one,” joked St Lawrence in reference to the €550,000 it took to buy last year's top lot, the subsequent G2 Mill Reef S. winner Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). The Siyouni colt will also join Roger Varian's stable.

“He turned out alright so hopefully this one will be just as good. I wouldn't have thought we'll see him racing until August or September, a proper race towards the end of the season.”

He also issued an update on KHK Racing's Sakheer, who finished seventh in the 2,000 Guineas. He said, “He didn't love the ground but he has come out of the race well. There was some discussion about withdrawing him on the morning of the race when all that rain came. He'll drop back in trip now for the Commonwealth Cup, that seems the obvious thing to do, and we'll just take it one race at a time.”

KHK Racing also owns 2021 Arqana Breeze-up graduate Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the winner of last year's St Leger, who is entered in Friday's G2 Yorkshire Cup.

The seven-figure mark has been broken at the #BreezeUp Sale as lot 1️⃣4️⃣5️⃣, a son of @AgaKhanStuds Siyouni?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Siyouni, sells for €1,200,000 to @OStLawrence from @grovestud. pic.twitter.com/wyQweJBEvU

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) May 13, 2023

The main talking points:

• The transatlantic travels of Arqana's executive director Freddy Powell have not been in vain for there was a strong American theme to proceedings on Saturday. Two of the top four lots are both heading to the United States. Coolmore bought the Uncle Mo colt (lot 51) for €600,000 from Tom Whitehead's Powerstown Stud and he will be trained by Todd Pletcher, while Arnaud Delacour will take charge of a Blue Point (Ire) filly bought for €500,000 by Nicolas Bertran de Balanda for Roy and Gretchen Jackson's Lael Stable.

• West Point Thoroughbreds, one of the owners of Flightline, also appeared on the buyers' sheet alongside a Street Sense colt (lot 17) from Knockanglass Stables, while Flightline's trainer John Sadler was active at the sale, buying three horses through Fernando Laffon-Parias and Francoise Dupuis.

• It was a stellar day for Brendan Holland, who sold seven horses through his Grove Stud, including three of the top eight, for a total of €2.4 million and average of €342,857 to lead the vendors' table.

• Two colts by Dubawi (Ire) featured in the catalogue, and they both sold to Godolphin through Anthony Stroud for €800,000 and €400,000, from Oak Tree Farm and Yeomanstown Stud respectively. Mags O'Toole had bought the colt (lot 180) from the family of Group 1 winner Chicquita (Ire) and Magic Wand (Ire) for €150,000 at the Arqana October Sale, while Yeomanstown gave 180,000gns for the half-brother (lot 116) to Group 2 winner Turath (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) at Tattersalls December Yearling Sale.

• Richard Brown struck early with three purchases within the first 11 horses through the ring, led by the €420,000 bid for lot 13, Mocklershill's full-brother to G2 German 1000 Guineas winner Txope (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). The colt had been a €170,000 buy-back in the same ring last August. Blandford Bloodstock ended the day as the second-leading buyer at the sale with nine bought for €1,525,000.

• Lot 12, a Saxon Warrior (Jpn) colt out of the unraced Posh Claret (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) bought for 34,000gns as a yearling, was not sold when knocked down at €480,000 in the ring. A private sale of €400,000 was later agreed between vendor Johnny Collins of Brown Island Stables and Anthony Stroud, and the colt will go into training with John and Thady Gosden.

• Anthony Stroud later bought the Blue Point half-brother (lot 87) to Darley sire Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) for €325,000. Bred by Coolmore, the colt was in utero when his dam Beach Frolic (GB) (Nayef) sold for 2.2 million gns to MV Magnier at Tattersalls in 2020. Another half-brother, the year-older Castle Way (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}), provided a recent update when winning the Listed Newmarket S. at the Guineas meeting.

• The run on Blue Point continued, with four members of his first crop sold for an average of €281,250 to make him the leading freshman. Of his contemporaries, Calyx (GB) was also represented by four sold for an average of €178,000.

Offered by Oak Tree Farm, lot 1️⃣8️⃣0️⃣, a @DarleyStallions #Dubawi colt, brought the hammer down at €800,000 in favor of @godolphin at the #BreezeUp Sale. pic.twitter.com/LdtzOPpMLz

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) May 13, 2023

The Bleep Bleep Connection

We had to utilise the bleep-o-meter when transcribing the interview with Johnny Hassett of the Bloodstock Connection after he sold his Sioux Nation filly (lot 45) to Oliver St Lawrence. There weren't quite 450,000 expletives on the tape, but that was the number of euros it took to secure the half-sister to Listed winner Manhattan Jungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {Ire}) who had been picked up for €90,000 at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale. From that same sale, Hassett had also bought a Magna Grecia (Ire) colt (lot 94) for €145,000 in partnership with Nico Archdale and resold that son of the unraced Callisto Star (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) on Saturday for €210,000 to Saudi Arabia's Najd Stud.

“What's not to like? I've had a tricky season,” Hassett said. “I haven't counted it yet but my gut reaction was that I hadn't made or lost too much money up to here, which probably means I had lost some because I'm always positive. But I'd say I'm out now and I've four more horses to sell here.

“This sale is strong so far and I think a lot of the high-dollar horses are stacked later. I think I have a couple of shots at the €150,000-plus lots and that was the first one and it worked.”

Asked if the pressure was off now, he replied, “Oh ****, yeah. You do a bit better when you're not hungry. It makes it easier when the pressure is off; you perform better.”

Hassett added, “A lot of credit must go to Emma Chilcot and the selection team, who got this right.”

The Bloodstock Connection ended up with six sold for an average of €193,667 and aggregate of €1,162,000, and there was a definite improvement in Hassett's language as the day wore on.

€450,000 from @OStLawrence secures lot 4️⃣5️⃣, a daughter of @coolmorestud #SiouxNation consigned by @TheBloodstockC at the #BreezeUp Sale. pic.twitter.com/4kz6zSzOGb

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) May 13, 2023

Ryan Signs Up Lone Waldgeist

Very few French consignors feature at the breeze-up sales but Philip Prévost Baratte made his presence felt when selling the sole entrant in the catalogue from the first-crop of Ballylinch Stud resident Waldgeist (GB) for €360,000.

Richard Ryan, who was been busy throughout the season, signed for lot 47 on behalf of Teme Valley, with Anthony Stroud and Alastair Donald also in the hunt. 

Ryan indicated that the son of Sous Le Soleil (Tizway), who is out of the G1 Preis der Diana winner Que Belle (Ger) (Seattle Dancer), would be trained in Ireland by Paddy Twomey.

“He's quite set and neat, balanced, there's an awful lot of Galileo about him,” said the agent, who signed for four on the day for Teme Valley and Opulence Thoroughbreds respectively. “He'll get a run or two for sure before this season is out, but he was bought with a view to try to run in the Classics next year.”

Ryan continued, “He has a German pedigree on top of an Arc winner. Waldgeist wanted a mile at two himself, so you're not trying to break any records, you just want them to present properly, have a good mouth, nice stride, and finish out the breeze ready for the next stage of his career, which is where he's at.”

He added of Prévost Baratte, “He's a skilled vendor. At this stage, everything has been done right for the horse.”

Offered by @Prevostbaratte2 at the #BreezeUp Sale, lot 4️⃣7️⃣, a colt from the 1st crop of @BallylinchStud #Waldgeist, is knocked down for €360,000 to @richryanracing. pic.twitter.com/lGqTZqPCpb

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) May 13, 2023

No Jogging but a Trio of Breezers for Sadler

In the company of Fernando Laffon-Parias and Francoise Dupuis, Californian trainer John Sadler made the most of his maiden voyage to Arqana by recruiting a trio of European breezers to take home with him.  

“It's my first trip to Deauville and to Arqana. It's lovely driving here from Paris through the French countryside and everyone has been so nice,” Sadler told TDN.

“The Powell brothers [Freddy and Richard] have been good hosts. [Their brother] Lenny Powell, who trains with us at Santa Anita, sent me a text and said 'You might want to think about going for a jog along the boardwalk'. This was last night when it was raining and cold!”

He continued, “There are a lot of horses here with American pedigrees, which is good, through we didn't end up buying one. There's so much turf racing now worldwide, and there are plenty of options for a turf runner in the United States, especially in California, because we have year-round turf racing and the perfect climate for it.”

Joining the Sadler barn will be a colt by Highclere Stud's freshman sire Land Force (Ire), who has been represented by his first two winners in the last two days. Lot 100 from Lackendarra Stables was knocked down at €250,000, and was later joined by Knockanglass Stables' Siyouni filly (lot 122), sold for €150,000, and a filly from the first crop of Haras d'Etreham's City Light (Fr), himself a son of Siyouni, who was bought from Philip Prévost Baratte for €160,000 as lot 177.

The hammer comes down at €600,000 for lot 5️⃣1️⃣ as @MccalmontJamie buys the colt by @coolmorestud #UncleMo offered by @PowerstownStud at the #BreezeUp Sale. pic.twitter.com/DN3WDeFtt7

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) May 13, 2023

A Blether with Blarney

Brendan Holland, best known to all as Blarney, was understandably a happy man as he reflected on a day's work that represents months and months of planning and hard graft, starting at last season's yearling sales. 

The sale's leading vendor said, “Today has gone above and beyond Plan A, for once, as everyone who does it will appreciate, things went according to plan. 

“I've been lucky in France since this sale was in Saint-Cloud, and I tend to buy, in general, a later-maturing horse. I'm just attracted to that kind of horse, and that type of horse is more suited to this sale than any other sale. It's not just that I like coming here, it just suits my type of horse, and I also have a few left for Goresbridge for a similar reason. I have to split my horses.”

Observing the breeze-up market overall in 2023, he added, “Regardless of many economic woes, if this year wasn't a good year for the breeze-ups then there was never going to be a good year. We had three Classic winners last year and four other Group 1 winners. The quality of the horses is improving every year. We, as a bunch, are spending more on yearlings. That's not always reflected on the track if you spend more, but in this sector that is being reflected. The more we spend on yearlings, we're offering a better product, and maybe we're producing the product better as we are learning. 

“The industry is very connected worldwide and everyone is aware of what's going on in the different jurisdictions. It's no surprise that the breeze-ups are attracting new clients from different parts of the world. I sold one to America and two to Australia today, and that's reflective of the market. The breeze-up market really is worldwide.”

From the 1st crop of @DarleyStallions #BluePoint, lot 4️⃣4️⃣, a filly offered by @grovestud goes to @nbbracing for €500,000 at the #BreezeUp Sale. pic.twitter.com/Oym8LrLJDF

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) May 13, 2023

Hoyeau And Powell Pleased At Curtain Fall

Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “We are very pleased with the results, thanks to the hard work and professionalism of our vendors who have once again placed their trust in us and brought horses of such a high standard that have been extremely well prepared. The quality of the catalogue brought many buyers to Deauville, whom we would also like to thank for coming. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the work of our teams as well as that of France Galop and the staff at Deauville Racecourse, who largely contributed to the success of this sale by allowing us to hold the breezes on a beautiful prepared track again this year.”

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Offered by Oak Tree Farm, lot 1️⃣8️⃣0️⃣, a @DarleyStallions #Dubawi colt, brought the hammer down at €800,000 in favor of @godolphin at the #BreezeUp Sale. pic.twitter.com/LdtzOPpMLz

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) May 13, 2023

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The seven-figure mark has been broken at the #BreezeUp Sale as lot 1️⃣4️⃣5️⃣, a son of @AgaKhanStuds Siyouni?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Siyouni, sells for €1,200,000 to @OStLawrence from @grovestud. pic.twitter.com/wyQweJBEvU

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) May 13, 2023

The post Siyouni Colt Brings 1.2 Million Euros at Arqana Breeze-Up appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The only thing they can't agree on is which horse is likely to top the sale. We'll know that by Saturday evening, and it is every sales reporter's prayer that it will not be the last lot into the ring, with apologies to Eddie O'Leary, who has that honour this time with his Calyx (GB) wild card.

Nerves can jangle among the consignors, and who can blame them? After all, the investment in yearlings from the breeze-up set has increased significantly in recent years, and for that to continue, a decent return on investment must be found somewhere along the way. But with some gains elsewhere this season, notably at a strong Goffs UK sale in Doncaster, a more relaxed vibe has settled on Deauville and the mood is generally positive. 

Some new faces are in attendance. John Sadler, the man behind the sensational Flightline, is at Arqana for the first time, and his fellow Californian trainer Simon Callaghan has made a temporary return closer to his former homeland of Britain. Also assembled are Terry Henderson of Australian-based OTI Racing, various members of the Saudi racing fraternity, as well as Satish and Bhupat Seemar and Fawzi Nass, the latter trio now all regular attendees at the European breeze-up sales.
Drawing a large contingent of people around his boxes was Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud. That may have had something to do with the generous hospitality offering of oysters, paté, cheese and a rather cheeky little Muscadet, though Whitehead will be hoping that it is more to do with his draft of horses, which includes an imposing Uncle Mo colt (lot 51) who was barely in his stable all day.

Each new person who appeared at the Glending Stables draft asked the same question first: “Can I see your Kodiac, please?” Roderick Kavanagh clocked up some miles jogging to and fro the breeze track on Thursday, but then his extra long legs mean that he takes one step to a regular person's three, so his exertions hadn't worn him out. Indeed, by Friday, he was still bearing the broad grin of a consignor who has had a jolly good season so far.

“We've just landed on a good vein of horses and we've been very lucky,” said Kavanagh. “They've all trained well, got here well, and it's just been a good run. When things are bouncing in your favour, it's amazing. 

“It all has to come together, the people have to get here and it's not done until it's done, but there's definitely a very positive vibe.”

The in-demand Kodiac filly (lot 164) was a €90,000 Goffs foal purchase and she has plenty to recommend her on the page along with clocking one of the fastest times of the breeze. Her dam Leyburn (GB) (Shamardal) is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Centennial (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) with an extended family that includes Classic heroine Sleepytime (Ire) and Saudi Cup winner Panthalassa (Jpn).

Kavanagh continued, “The ground was beautiful for the breeze. You've no excuses out there. The star of the show for us is probably the Kodiac filly. She certainly looks the part and is bred on a very successful cross. But we've got a lovely Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly with an interesting pedigree, inbred to Eljazzi (GB) [dam of Rafha (GB)], and then a French-bred Galiway (GB) filly who should appeal to the domestic market. We've also got two lovely colts by Wootton Bassett (GB) and New Bay (GB) and it takes a lot to get a bunch like this together. That stallion power gives you a great chance.”

There's a strong Irish background to the main breeze-up gang and only three French-based consignors appear in the catalogue, with nine horses between them. Among the trio is Jennifer Pardanaud, who, with husband Ronan, has been selling through her Ecurie La Frenée for the past five years.

“I ride them all myself, both at home and in the breeze,” says Pardanaud, who is offering fillies by Zarak (Fr) and Dark Angel (Ire) and a colt by Sioux Nation. 

“I like to let them gallop easily within themselves and not push them too hard. I'm really happy with how the breezes went yesterday.”

Her Sioux Nation colt (lot 54) traces right back to the influential broodmare and German Classic winner Anna Paola (Ger), but closer up on the page, his grand-dam is the Listed winner and Group 2-placed Sugar Baby Love (Ger) (Second Empire {Ire}).

During a short coffee break at the Zinc bar, agents Ted Durcan and Colm Sharkey were hard pressed to pick just one favourite horse at the sale. “There's a whole fleet of them,” said Durcan.

Another agent, BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe agreed with this assessment and praised the Arqana team for the organisation of the most crucial part of the sale.

“The breeze was so well run,” he said. “It took two hours and 15 minutes for 180 horses. You can really get a good view of them, close up and on the screens, and the ground looked good. It's very user-friendly.”

Donohoe added, “It's been quite a good season so far. The Craven was probably a bit disappointing for some, but the Guineas sale was excellent and Doncaster was excellent. This sale has had some good horses in recent years and it's been lucky for me, so when you're lucky you want to come back.”

Yeomanstown Stud's consignment may be missing from the catalogue's index but its draft of five in B yard was drawing plenty of attention nonetheless. On paper, the quintet appears to offer something to suit most tastes: from a colt by the champion sire Dubawi (Ire), a filly by his son Night Of Thunder (Ire), colts by American speedster Speightstown and the Derby winner Masar (Ire), and of course one by Yeomanstown's dependable flagship stallion Dark Angel.

“There's good traffic around and when people come down they are all picking different horses, which is good, to see them landing on different horses,” said Yeomanstown's David O'Callaghan. “Hopefully they all have a good chance and a few will sell well. There are lot of well-bred horses here.”

Elaborating on how he decides which of his team of breezers will head to which sale, he added, “They kind of pick themselves up to a point. You assess them on pedigree and physique and, to a lesser degree, on price bracket. The Craven horses need to be early, sharp horses because the Rowley Mile is hard to breeze for a bigger horse; they need to be very together. And Donny, again, people are focussing on an early two-year-old. But from there on they broaden their spectrum a little bit so you can send a slightly less precocious horse to the later sales.”

The headline horses from the Arqana breeze-up in recent years have included British and American Classic winners in Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and War Of Will (War Front), both of whom were consigned by Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm, as well as the smart juveniles from last year's event, Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}). It is a range which pulls in major names from the training ranks even in the midst of important Classic trials at Chester and Lingfield, and at Arqana by Friday were Charlie Appleby, Roger Varian, Simon Crisford, Thady Gosden, Donnacha O'Brien, and Tom Clover among others, while the home guard included Andre Fabre, Francis Graffard, Jean-Claude Rouget, Christophe Ferland and Pia Brandt.

Such apparent interest on the ground during Friday's viewing session was balm for Arqana's Freddy Powell, who has been flying around the world to spread the word. 

“The breeze was very smooth, so that's the first jump that's been jumped,” he noted. “France Galop has a great team here in Deauville and they really embrace the whole thing because it's a great advertisement for their racecourse. 

“There are a lot of people here, some new faces. It's interesting; I was in Ocala a few weeks ago and a lot of Americans are thinking about this sale, and not trying to buy American horses especially but trying to get some horses for the turf, too.”

By the time withdrawals have been taken into account, around 170 horses will be offered on Saturday, making this the biggest breeze-up held at Arqana. 

“We do have to limit the numbers as there's only a certain amount of time people can stand next to the track watching the breezes,” he explained. “At the same time, we had to increase the number because we don't want to turn away the really nice horses that we are offered but we also need to keep a group of horses that are accessible to everyone. Our July sale has some breezers, but that's much later, so for French clients, we need horses who, on paper, who are not looking like €200,000 horses. So we have increased the numbers, but this is probably really the most we can take. There's only is much the track can take, and also the people too.”

The sales commences at Arqana at 11am, by which stage the vast pallet of oysters may all have been consumed at Powerstown Stud, perhaps to be replaced later in the day by Champagne.

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Among them is a granddaughter of group winner Sea Of Heartbreak (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) by Sea The Stars (Ire) (lot 186); lot 187, a colt by Mehmas (Ire) from the family of Classic winner Resless Kara (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}); Too Darn Hot (GB)'s lot 191, a colt out of a sister to Group 1 winner Cityscape (GB) (Selkirk); and a colt out of Grade I winner Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) by Calyx (GB) (lot 194).

Several American-based stallions have progeny set to sell as well, including a Tapit half-brother to Group 1-placed Big City Bob (Shanghai Bobby) (lot 188); the first foal out of GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint heroine Belvoir Bay (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) by Medaglia d'Oro (lot 189); and a colt by Not This Time (lot 195) from the family of Grade I winners Al Mamoon (Believe It), La Gueriere (Lord At War {Arg}), and Icon Project (Empire Maker).

The breezes will take place on the grass at Deauville -La Touques Racecourse on Thursday, May 11, with the sale beginning on Saturday, May 13, beginning at 11 a.m.

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This year 185 2-year-olds are on offer, including 38 out of Group winning/producing mares, plus a number of full or half-siblings to Group 1 winners. Additionally, more than 80 stallions are represented. The breezes will take place on the grass at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse on Thursday, May 11, followed by a day of inspections on Friday, May 12, with the sale taking place on Saturday 13 May beginning at 11:00 a.m.

All horses offered at the Breeze Up Sale are eligible for the Arqana Series with a guaranteed minimum prize money of €1.2 million. The five races will take place on the Thursday before the August Sale starts and is for both 2- and 3-year-olds.

For more information or to view the catalogue, visit the Arqana website.

The post Arqana Breeze Up Sale Catalogue Available Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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2.25 Saint-Cloud, Debuntates, €27,000, 3yo, c/g, 12fT
TABARIN (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) debuts for the Niarchos Family and Francis-Henri Graffard and is a son of the G3 Prix Vanteaux winner and G1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up and G1 Prix Vermeille third Mare Nostrum (GB) (Caerleon). A half-brother to the operation's GI Canadian International and G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Erupt (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the March-foaled bay encounters a dozen rivals.

6.00 Newcastle, Novice, £7,300, 3yo/up, 10f 42y (AWT)
ELDAR ELDAROV (Dubawi {Ire}) makes his eagerly-awaited second start, having achieved TDN Rising Star status with his impressive debut win at Nottingham in October. KHK Racing's £480,000 Arqana Breeze Up sensation from the family of Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and many other Kirsten Rausing celebrities holds entries in the G2 King Edward VII S. and Irish Derby and Roger Varian will know more about how ambitious those targets are after this comeback.

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DEAUVILLE, France–It wasn't until the wild-card selection after the end of the main catalogue that the day's top lot walked the ring at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, and that honour went to Willie Browne's Mocklershill team and their colt by the late Zoffany (Ire), who sold for €550,000.

Oliver St Lawrence had kept his powder dry for much of the day, but having warmed up with a €520,000 bid for a Siyouni (Fr) colt from Longways Stables, he went strong again for the session leader, with both colts having been purchased for a friend of Bahraini trainer Fawzi Nass. They will be trained in Britain by Roger Varian and Charlie Hills, respectively.

Of the top lot (148), St Lawrence said, “Roger Varian saw this horse this afternoon and really liked him. They just seemed to be getting harder to buy all day. He's a big, strong horse with a big shoulder on him and he went very well and did the ninth-fastest time.”

Bought at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 80,000gns, the half-brother to G2 Kilboy Estates S. winner Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass) was unsold at $65,000 when put through the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Having led allcomers in Deauville, the colt was naturally the star of the Mocklershill draft, which ended the day as leading vendor with eight horses sold for €1,690,000.

They included a brother to Group 1-winning juvenile Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never), lot 55, who was bred by Camas Park, Lynch Bages and Summerhill, and bought by Ross Doyle for €300,000.

“He is a very good-looking and imposing horse, like his sire, and this is the type of horse he throws,” said Doyle. “The sire is also having a very good season. He's just a very nice horse who was bought for an existing client.”

The sale's figures contracted slightly from last year's record-breaking turnover and median, but the latter figure, at €100,000, was only the second time in the auction's history that a six-figure median had been recorded. The average of €131,777 was down by 4%, and the aggregate dropped by 10% to €13,573,000, with five fewer horses sold this year compared to last. The clearance rate of 84% was recorded from 103 horses sold from 123 put through the ring.

We have a new top lot @InfoArqana as lot 55, a brother to Ten Sovereigns, is knocked down to Ross Doyle who goes to €350,000 for the colt drafted by @Mocklershill1. pic.twitter.com/Y6uBOGXgbB

— TDN (@theTDN) May 13, 2022

Another 'Lucky' Siyouni For Longways

Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connell already had good reason to love Siyouni (Fr) and their “lucky sire” delivered again when their colt by the French champion left the ring with a price tag of €520,000. Oliver St Lawrence saw off a range of potential purchasers, which included Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and Alastair Donald, and confirmed that the colt out of a full-sister to crack sprinter Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), had been bought for a Bahraini owner.

“He was a horse that caught our eye. I wasn't expecting to have to pay that sort of money for him but it has been a tough day to buy the horse one wants to buy,” St Lawrence said. “He came up there very nicely and hopefully he justifies our confidence. He'll go to Charlie Hills.”

Vendors Murphy and O'Connell of Longways Stables have previously topped the Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale with a Siyouni 2-year-old and they also sold Le Brivido (Fr) here in Deauville for €105,000 six years ago. Beaten a short-head in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, he went on to win the Jersey S. at Royal Ascot.

“I love Siyouni,” said O'Connell, who was navigating the sales ground on crutches while awaiting hip surgery. “He's even a lucky sire for us and we've always had two or three by him every year from the word go.”

Despite turning this 200,000gns yearling into an expensive breezer (lot 124), the couple remarked that the breeze-up season has not been all plain sailing for vendors.

“It hasn't been a great year,” said Murphy. “We came here slightly up but we had a fair bit of money tied up in these horses so it is a relief to have sold him well.”

O'Connell added, “Everyone had expected there to have been a bit more of a buzz today. We had plenty of people looking in the last few days but the sale has been a little quieter than we thought it would be.”

More fireworks @InfoArqana as lot 124, a Siyouni colt out of a half-sister to Mecca's Angel and Markaz, is sold by Longways Stables for €520,000 to Oliver St Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/z2sv71wkDn

— TDN (@theTDN) May 13, 2022

Grove Has Good One Ready

Brendan Holland has rightly earned a reputation for being one of the best at his craft and, in producing a More Than Ready colt (lot 70) from a $90,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland in September to a €450,000 breeze-up star, he enhanced his already excellent record at this particular sale.

Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland secured the colt and revealed that he viewed him as more of a dirt performer in the making.

Donohoe said, “He's a beautiful-looking horse, very intelligent, and he did a fantastic breeze. He looks to have a fantastic temperament.”

He added, “We liked everything about him to be honest. Plans are undecided, but he could race on turf or on the dirt. He's probably more of a dirt-type horse so he will probably end up in the Middle East.”

Holland has topped this sale four times in the past and sold The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {GB}) and Ocean Atlantique (American Pharaoh) under his successful Grove Stud banner.

He said, “This horse has done really well from when he was a yearling. He's an exceptionally good-looking horse who breezed well. So far, so good. This sale has been lucky for me and we've had plenty of success on the track with horses we've brought here.”

More Than Ready stands at WinStar Farm in Kentucky and has had 12 horses break $1 million in career earnings. Holland's offering by the stallion is out of the unraced Sweet Lollipop (Candy Ride {Arg}), a half-sister to Danny Boy (Harlan's Holiday) and Meal Penalty (Tale of the Cat), who were genuine black-type performers in America.

Over halfway through proceedings @InfoArqana and it is Grove Stud's More Than Ready colt, lot 70, who leads the way after being sold for €450,000.

Michael Donohoe (BBA Ireland) bought and revealed the colt could end up in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/JHbd7nNklR

— TDN (@theTDN) May 13, 2022

Breeders' Cup-Winning Owner Buys Cracksman Filly

One of the main talking points in the build-up to this sale was the amount of international clients knocking about and Dean Reeves, who campaigned and now stands former GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno), made his presence felt by securing a Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) filly (lot 132) for €420,000.

Agent Stephen Hillen signed for the filly who will join Christophe Clement and, flanked by the leading owner, the pair could scarcely hide their delight afterwards.

Hillen said, “I saw her on the farm in Yorkshire about a month ago and really liked her. I think Cracksman could be a top sire. There have been a few by him breeze really well already and she's probably going to go a mile and a quarter. We think she's pretty exciting and she may not start until the autumn. Thrilled to get her. Well done to Dean.”

And with that, Reeves took the mic, where he outlined some ambitious plans for his new recruit. He said, “It's very exciting. We really wanted to get a nice filly to send back to the States and she fit a lot of the criteria. We think she will be very successful. The breeding is there for her to make a future broodmare so it's very exciting.”

Reeves added, “We'll take our time with her and Christophe is as good a trainer as you can find. He does a great job for us and Steven has done a wonderful job in selecting the horses. We've been very successful and that bodes well. My wife is here and we've met some wonderful people this week. Hopefully this filly will make us look pretty smart. We'll be back.”

The filly from the first crop of Darley's young son of Frankel (GB) was consigned by Church Farm and Horse Park Stud, who enjoyed a successful day as the second-leading vendor with 10 juveniles sold for an average of €150,800.

Also among their bestsellers was one of the early highlights when Anthony Stroud bid €300,000 for the second lot through the ring, a Sea The Stars (Ire) filly from the family of Group 1 winners Jakkalberry (Ire) (Storming Home {GB}) and Crackerjack King (Ire) (Shamardal). The agent revealed that she will be trained in Newmarket by John and Thady Gosden.

Power Play

Tom Whitehead's Powerstown Stud posted a pair of decent returns within half an hour of each other when two colts each sold for €280,000 to Dubaian and Saudi Arabian owners, respectively.

Colm Sharkey, acting on behalf of a client from Dubai, signed for lot 74, a well-bred Shamardal colt out of the G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis winner Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) who was bought as a yearling for 92,000gns from the Shadwell draft at the Tattersalls December Sale.

“He's for a client in Dubai and he was the only horse we wanted from a very short list. He vetted well and breezed well, and cost a bit more than we thought but my client was keen to have him,” said Sharkey of the colt whose dam is a half-sister to the G1 Irish St Leger and G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Granddam Chelsea Rose (Ire) (Desert King {Ire}) won the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and has produced five black-type performers.

When lot 82 passed through the ring shortly afterwards, it was his American bloodlines that were the deciding factor for agent Marco Bozzi, who went to €280,000 on behalf of his undisclosed Saudi client. Whitehead had paid $60,000 for the son of Good Magic when buying him from breeder Hermitage Farm at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Three years earlier the breeders had bought his dam, the stakes winner Vieja Luna (Street Hero) in that same ring for $160,000.

“He's a horse that we went to see last week in Ireland. He's for a new Saudi client and this is the horse we wanted absolutely,” said Bozzi. “He passed the vet, he passed everything, and the pedigree is right. They love [Good Magic's sire] Curlin in Saudi.”

Bozzi also bought lot 23 for €125,000 from Powerstown Stud, which was third overall on the leading vendors' table but led by average, with five sold for €223,000.

Double Delight for Derryconnor Stud

Katie McGivern had good reason to be quietly confident when she spoke to the TDN on the eve of the sale but, as every horseperson knows, it's never wise to be too confident before the horse has crossed the line in front, or exited the sale ring after selling well. For McGivern's Derryconnor Stud, the latter happened twice in three lots when the only two horses she had brought to Deauville rose sharply in value after posting professional and fast breezes on Thursday.

Marco Bozzi was in play again at €230,000 for the filly from the first crop of Sioux Nation, the Coolmore sire who has galloped off to a great start at stud with five winners from 15 runners. It would be no surprise to see this sleek, near-black filly out of Sparks (Ire) (Elusive City) join the list of winners before too long. Robustly made with an easy walk, lot 64 is the second foal of her dam, who is a half-sister to G1 Prix d'Astarte winner Marbye (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), who has in turn produced the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) winner Marcellina (Jpn).

Having paid 36,000gns for the Sioux Nation filly at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, McGivern pushed the boat out to €68,000 to secure the filly by Siyouni (Fr) at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale. Her boldness was rewarded with a winning bid of €160,000 from Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency for lot 66, out of the winning Sea The Stars (Ire) mare Stars So Bright (Ire).

“Until you go through the ring and people fall in love with them you can never be sure. I'm still shaking at the moment but I'm sure when I reflect on it I still won't believe it,” said McGivern.

“I've always said that the good ones can cope with all the pressure and they don't let you down, and these two didn't. All the team at home have worked so hard and they'll be delighted.”

De Watrigant also signed for lot 114, a Tally-Ho Stud-consigned daughter of Exceed And Excel (Aus), at €360,000.

He said, “We really fell for her. Physically she stands out and she went well in her breeze, showing a lot of quality. She's by a very good sire and I've bought her for MV Magnier, so she will be joining Coolmore.”

Barberini's Expert Eye For A Well-Bred Filly

A huge amount of patience is required to find the right horse at the sales but, in Federico Barberini's case, he had been waiting for Mocklershill's lot 49 ever since he saw the Expert Eye (GB) filly at the Tattersalls December Sale.

He explained, “I thought she was a gorgeous individual and I actually remember her from the Tattersalls December Sale. She really caught my eye last year so I remembered her. She has done really well since.”

Another consigned on the day by Mocklershill, the filly, who cost 85,000gns at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale and came back through the ring on Friday for €240,000, is out of an unraced Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}), from a strong black-type family which includes treble Grade I winner Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

Barberini added, “She comes from a very nice family and came highly recommended. The sire is going well with his first 2-year-olds and they are nice horses who look to have the scope to be more than one-hit wonders.

“She's for Apple Tree Stud, good clients based in Gloucestershire, and the plan is that she will be a very nice racehorse and then a broodmare for the farm. A trainer is yet to be decided.”

Amo Racing Continues Investment

Amo Racing swooped for Aguiar Bloodstock's Good Magic filly (lot 18) out of the Grade II-winning mare Luna Vega (Malibu Moon) at €280,000, with Kerri Radcliffe signing on behalf of the prominent owners.

Between Britain and Ireland, Amo Racing has enjoyed 16 winners already this season, including Queen Olly (Ire) (No Nay Never), who became a 'TDN Rising Star' after scoring impressively at York on Thursday.

Radcliffe hopes the Good Magic filly can prove another good acquisition and said, “She has been bought on behalf of Amo Racing who are having a great time at the minute.”

As well as being a Grade II winner, Luna Vega was Grade I-placed in America, and is the granddam of Shesawildjoker (Practical Joke), who won at stakes level as a 2-year-old in America last year.

Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “We're delighted to be back at Deauville. The sale took place in very good conditions, notably thanks to the work and professionalism of our vendors to bring their horses in the best shape. We must also salute the quality of the track at Deauville and the sun that was with us. The market was solid, without extravagance, with a very international dimension. Our buyers came from the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Scandinavia, some of whom made the trip to Deauville for the first time.”

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