Arqana December | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pricey Arqana Buy Speak of the Devil Leads Home Brant and Brown 1-2 at Churchill

Peter Brant's €$1.95-million investment at last year's Arqana December sale to acquire Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) looks like it might be paying off as the even-money favorite in Saturday's GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. showed off an uncommon turn-of-foot to blow away fellow Brant/Chad Brown representative and 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian. The victory came almost exactly 24 hours after Brant and Brown celebrated another victory with a fast-finishing female in still-unbeaten GIII Modesty S. heroine Bleecker Street (Quality Road). Brown saddled the exacta in that event as well, and Brown and Brant also took last year's Distaff Turf Mile.

Having previously carried the colors of Rashit Shaykhutdinov, Speak of the Devil's career highlights in her native country included a nose second in the 2020 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches for Fabrice Chappet and a head third in last August's G1 Prix Rothschild after being transferred to Frederic Rossi. She returned to winning ways with victories in Saint-Cloud's Oct. 31 Prix Isola Bella and Nov. 16 Prix Tantieme before heading off to auction.

Entering with plenty of buzz off a sharp-looking worktab mostly at Payson Park, the bay sat at the back early as In Italian cleared off easily and doled out splits of :24.86 and :49.70 while kept off the fence. With second trailer Wakanaka also traveling well off the inside, pilot Flavien Prat on the eventual winner opted for an early move entering the home bend. Slicing inside of Wakanaka and then out into the clear, Speak of the Devil and Prat were all the way up to challenge In Italian in a practical blink of an eye. In Italian punched back along the fence as Speak of the Devil continued on far out in the course, but the latter ultimately had an extra gear or two and scampered home much the best.

“I thought I was in some good holes, but for some reason she was not progressing down the backside,” said Prat. “So I decided to drop down to the inside, and as soon as I called on her she cut really well. The track feels very good after all the rain.”

“So lucky to have this filly,” Brown said. “She was turned her over to us last fall. Every week she kept getting better and indicated everything you want to see. You hate to run these fillies against each other, but really there's not a lot of options out there at a mile right now, so we let them settle it on the racetrack and today Speak of the Devil was better.”

Speak of the Devil was not the first 2021 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale seven-figure alumni to succeed on the racecourse in recent days–€2.5-million buy Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) took the May 1 G3 Prix Allex France Longines at ParisLongchamp in the colors of Haras de Hus.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
LONGINES CHURCHILL DISTAFF TURF MILE S.-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 5-7, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:37.47, fm.
1–SPEAK OF THE DEVIL (FR), 118, m, 5, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
                1st Dam: Moranda (Fr), by Indian Rocket (GB)
                2nd Dam: Spain, by Bering (GB)
                3rd Dam: Sevilliana (GB), by General Holme
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (€45,000 Wlg '17 ARQDE; €62,000
Ylg '18 AROYRG; €1,950,000 4yo '21 ARQDEC). O-Peter M.
Brant; B-Herve Viallon (FR); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat.
$306,900. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Mare-Fr at 7-9.5f, MSW
& MG1SP-Fr 15-6-3-2, $604,576. *1/2 to Morando (FR)
(Kendargent (FR)), MGSW-Eng, GSP-Fr, $374,805. Werk Nick
Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–In Italian (GB), 118, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Florentina (Aus), by
Redoute's Choice (Aus). 'TDN Rising Star' (475,000gns Ylg '19
TATOCT). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Fairway Thoroughbreds (GB);
T-Chad C. Brown. $99,000.
3–Wakanaka (Ire), 118, f, 4, Power (GB)–Storyline (Ire), by
Kodiac (GB). (£3,500 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Team Valor
International & Gary Barber; B-Mrs Jean Brennan (IRE);
T-William I. Mott. $49,500.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3, 3. Odds: 1.10, 2.20, 4.50.
Also Ran: Lady Speightspeare, Flower Point, Abscond. Scratched: Mona Stella, She Can't Sing. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Speak of the Devil is the 17th group/graded winner for her sire, and eighth out of a mare by Indian Rocket. Her dam is a half to MGSW winner Myasun (Fr) (Panis) and a full to SW Matwan (Fr), who is the dam of a group winner, a stakes winner, a group-placed runner and a stakes-placed runner. Moranda has a 2-year-old filly by Anodin (Ire) and a yearling colt by Best Solution (Ire).

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Figures Strong At Arqana On Sunday

DEAUVILLE, France–Culls from some of Europe's-and indeed, the world's-greatest breeders have played a sizable role in driving the market at this year's breeding stock sales. Over the past few weeks buyers have come out in force for the stock deemed excess to Juddmonte, Godolphin and Shadwell, but they had to wait until Arqana's December Breeding Stock Sale for the offerings from Wertheimer et Frere, with that nursery selling exclusively in Deauville each December. It was a mare from that consignment that supplied the joint-highest price during Monday's second session of the sale, with Michel Zerolo of Oceanic Bloodstock going to €180,000 for Sisila (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 406) in foal to first-crop covering sire Shaman (Ire), who was raced by Wertheimer et Frere to victories in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt and G3 Prix La Force before retiring to Yeomanstown Stud.

The 6-year-old Sisila was unraced due to injury, but she boasts plenty of residual value being the first foal out of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Prix Saint Alary winner Silasol (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}). Her second dam is Stormina, a multiple listed winner in France and the U.S., while she descends from the G3 Prix Cleopatre victress Brooklyn's Dance (Fr) (Shirley Heights {GB}), the dam of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe scorer Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}) and group winners Prospect Wells (Fr) (Sadler's Wells) and Prospect Park (GB) (Sadler's Wells), and listed winners and producers Never Green (Ire) (Halling) and Gold Dodger (Slew O'Gold). Sisila has three foals on the ground, her first being the winning 2-year-old Sitello (Fr) (Intello {Ger}).

The top price was matched late in the session by a colt foal by New Bay (GB) (lot 495) from Haras du Hoguenet who was purchased by Nick Bell of Haras de Meautry on behalf of Baron Edouard de Rothschild. The half-brother to G2 Oppenheim-Union-Rennen winner Boscaccio (Fr) (Mount Nelson {GB}) from the extended family of the dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victress Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) will eventually join trainer Andre Fabre.

Saturday's opening session of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale had returned monumental gains against the previous two editions of the sale, and though the level of trade dropped significantly on Sunday, the numbers continued to trend well ahead of 2020, when the sale was staged amid various lockdowns, border closures and strict pandemic restrictions. At the close of trade, 205 lots sold during the session for €6,655,500, well ahead of the €3,901,500 accrued from 135 sold 12 months ago. The averaged climbed 12.3% to €32,466, while the median was up 8.7% to €25,000. The clearance rate was 78.5%. During the corresponding session in 2019, 204 horses were sold for €7,020,500, at an average of €34,584 and a median of €26,000.

Al Shahania Stock In Demand

Al Shahania Stud has been conducting a partial dispersal of its stock across this season's sales, and a Showcasing colt foal from that nursery (lot 300) proved the star turn of the early portion of the sale when hammered down to Mick Flanagan for €135,000 just before lunchtime.

Flanagan confirmed the colt is a pinhook prospect.

“He's a good, strong colt, a good-moving colt by a stallion who is a Group 1 producer of both colts and fillies,” he said. “We'll take him back to Ireland and hopefully he winters well, springs well and summers well, and we'll bring him back as a yearling.”

Flanagan noted he was returning to a sire who has served him well; Flanagan purchased a filly by the sire for 220,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2017 and pinhooked her for €850,000 at Goffs Orby. Raced by China Horse Club, the filly named Lady Light (GB) broke her maiden and was listed-placed for trainer Michael Bell.

“She won first time out by four lengths and placed in a listed race and unfortunately got injured,” Flanagan said. “So she's a broodmare now but the stallion has been good to me and I continue to follow them in wherever I see them.”

Flanagan's latest Showcasing colt likewise has a strong pedigree to fall back on. His dam, the listed-placed Lightupthenight (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), was purchased by Al Shahania for €450,000 at the 2015 Arqana August Yearling Sale and is a half-sister to the G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Intellogent (Fr) (Intello {Ger}). The German Group 1 and Classic winners Nightflower, Nymphea and Nutan appear the second dam. Lightupthenight was herself sold to Gerard Larrieu for €190,000 in foal to Almanzor at Arqana on Saturday.

The Al Shahania dispersal was, in fact, responsible for the two top-priced lots earlier in the day through Haras des Cruchettes. About 20 minutes before its Showcasing colt appeared in the ring, Cruchettes sold the 8-year-old Desert Haze (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) (lot 247) to Blandford Bloodstock for €80,000. Desert Haze was a 420,000gns yearling purchase by Al Shahania and was listed-placed in Ireland and England for trainer Ralph Beckett. She was sold on Sunday in foal to Kendargent (Fr) and carrying her fourth foal. Her lone foal of racing age is the 2-year-old Lope De Vega (Ire) filly Caligine (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who is placed. Desert Haze is a half-sister to Occupandiste (Ire) (Kaldoun {Fr}) and Only Green (Ire) (Green Desert); the former is the dam of four stakes winners and the second dam of Intello, while the latter has produced the multiple group winner and young Yeomanstown stallion Shaman (Ire) (Shamardal).

The €135,000 pricetag of the Showcasing colt was matched a couple of hours later by an Adlerflug (Ger) filly (lot 335) from the very same family, who was bought by Gestut Brummerhof through Ghislain Bozo. The filly offered by Haras de la Cour Blanche is the first foal out of the winning Nabatea (Ger) (Camelot {GB}), who is herself a daughter of the G3 Fahrhofer Stutenpreis second Neele (Ger) (Peintre Celebre), better known as the dam of the aforementioned G1 Preis von Berlin winner Nymphea and G1 Deutches Derby scorer Nutan as well as the Group 3-winning Navaro Girl (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and listed-winning Nazbanou (Ger) (High Chapparal {Ire}). The filly will be among the last foals by her sire Adlerflug, who did in the midst of the 2021 breeding season at the height of his stud career.

Though bred in France, the filly will return to Germany, the country of birth of both her parents.

“She is a beautiful filly and she has been bought for Gestut Brummerhof,” said Bozo. “They are Classic breeders and they loved this filly from the beginning. She has the Camelot factor as well, which helped. It's a long-term plan to have a filly like her, so we'll keep her and race her in Germany and breed from her.”

German genes were to the fore once again just a few lots later when a colt from the first crop of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 340) made €100,000, once again to the bid of Bozo, this time on behalf of Ballylinch Stud, which stands Waldgeist. Waldgeist's family has been prominent in the headlines during this sales season, with his three-quarter sister Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) topping Tattersalls December at 2.2-million, and his 3-year-old full-sister Wildfeder (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) bringing €2.05-million at Arqana on Saturday evening.

“This was an exceptional foal, very solid, and I was very impressed by all the Waldgeist foals that I have seen through the sales,” Bozo said. “This one is going to go to Ballylinch Stud, and he'll be for them to race or resell.”

Though by a sire of German descent, lot 340-who was consigned by Elevage de Tourgeville-was bred in Ireland and his female family has been prominent in Britain and the Middle East; his dam New Revenue (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is a half-sister to the G3 Summer S. and G3 Dick Poole S. winner New Providence (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) and the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint second Ekhtiyaar (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}).

Update Propels Romanosa

The Fairway Partners purchased the Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) filly Romanosa (GB) for 18,000gns as a foal at Tattersalls December. Charles Briere's group attempted to flip her at Arqana's v2 yearling sale the following summer, but took her home after bidding stalled at €25,000. Sent to trainer Mathieu Brasme by owner Sebastien Defontaine-farm manager of Haras de Montaigu–Romanosa placed three times before breaking her maiden in her fourth start at Dieppe in July. The granddaughter of the G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Thakafaat (GB) (Unfuwain) was therefore entered for the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale (lot 468) as a one-time winner who was the first foal out of an unraced mare, but she changed the game when, just two weeks ago, she picked up a black-type placing in Fontainebleau's Listed Prix Ceres. The 3-year-old filly who is also a relation to the Group 1-winning siblings Power (GB), Curvy (GB), Footstepsinthesand (GB) and Pedro The Great therefore provided a late-session highlight when snatched up by Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency for €140,000 on behalf of Madaket Stables. She will join trainer Christophe Clement in the U.S.

“I've bought her for Madaket Stables and some new partners,” de Watrigant said. “She's a lovely filly that is improving with every race. She was third in a listed last month, which leads us to think she has further improvement in her. We're very happy with our purchase.”

Romanosa was one of a trio of mares to hit the six-figure mark late in the session. She was joined by the 4-year-old Grey Mystere (GB) (Lethal Force {Ire}) (lot 518), who was second in the Listed Grand Criterium de Bourdeaux and was sold in foal for the first time to Too Darn Hot (GB) for €120,000 to Blandford Bloodstock. Her dam, Creamcake (Mr. Greeley), is a half-sister to G1 Prix Saint Alary winner Coquerelle (GB (Zamindar).

Just a few lots later, Dayita (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 522) from the Aga Khan Studs consignment fetched €105,000 from Emmaroo Bloodstock. The 12-year-old mare is out of the Aga Khan's great producer Daltawa (Ire) (Miswaki), and is therefore a half-sister to Daylami (Ire), Dalakhani (Ire) and the dam of Dalkala (Ire). Each of Dayita's four foals to reach the races are winners, and she was sold in foal to Almanzor.

Philip Lybeck of Haras de Bourgeauville surely felt a sense of pride at Arqana on Saturday evening when Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), the filly he bred and sold for €18,000 as a yearling, sold for €2.5-million as the second-top lot of the sale. Lybeck was in action as a purchaser on Sunday when securing the 7-year-old mare Obedient (GB) (Motivator {GB}) (lot 337) from Haras de la Haie Neuve for €95,000. Obedient is a half-sister to two stakes-placed winners whose third dam is Juddmonte's great blue hen Bahamian-from whom the likes of New Bay (GB), Oasis Dream (GB) and Kingman (GB) all stem. Obedient, who produced a colt foal by Intello this year, was sold in foal to Hello Youmzain (Ire), the Group 1-winning son of Kodiac (GB) who stood his first season at Haras d'Etreham this year.

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Castillon’s Glory The Result Of Years Of Hard Work

DEAUVILLE, France–When Arqana issued the news, on Oct. 11, that Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire})—the Group 1 winner raced by a partnership of Albert Frassetto, John d'Amato, and Mike Pietrangelo—would be offered at their upcoming December Breeding Stock sale, there was something curious about the story.

Reading the alert from the TDN, Benoit Jeffroy and the team at Haras de Castillon immediately picked up on it: the story did not list a consignor.

“Amelie [Lemercier] sent me a text, and she said, 'Did you see? She's going to Arqana,'” recalled Jeffroy, sitting in the restaurant above the Arqana sales ring the day after the mare sold for €2.5-million, the second-highest price of the sale. “We read the story, and we had the same thought at the same time.”

Jeffroy continued, “I picked up my phone and called Marco Bozzi [who had originally bought her as a yearling]. We know Marco, because we have been consigning yearlings now for the last four or five years. So I rang him up and I said 'who is consigning the filly?' and he said, 'nobody. The trainer [Gianluca Bietolini], maybe?' I said, 'Well, listen, maybe we can help you guys. There's a little bit of work to do to promote the filly.' He said he would speak to the owners, and they came back and said 'okay, yeah, that's fine.' So we worked together and the result was a €2.5-million filly.”

If that sounds like it was much too easy, it actually was the result of a lifetime of very hard work on Jeffroy's part. The native of Finistere in the Brittany region of Western France grew up on a cattle farm. His father was a cattle breeder and livestock agent, but they also always had a few Thoroughbred mares to breed.

“They bred on a smaller level, but they have been quite successful on that level, and they had a Group 1 winner with Never On Sunday (Fr) (Sunday Break {Jpn}),” he said. “I grew up on the farm around cattle and horses and then one day, it clicked for me when I was 11 or 12, and I really got into pedigrees. I really loved it. Trying to do pedigrees for my parents and my grandfather, I said, 'this is interesting.'”

Jeffroy attended an agricultural school and specialized in their equine program. But he was eager to get out into the world, learn English, and go to work.

When he was 18, he took a job at Cambridge Stud in New Zealand, not speaking a single word of English. He quickly picked up the language, and applied to the Darley (now Godolphin) Flying Start course and was shocked when he was chosen without ever having attended university. He found that a flying start was exactly what the two-year international management course gave him.

“It was my university,” he said. “If you've done the Flying Start, and you've traveled a bit, you can't imagine the number of people you know. And if you have all of that, it's unbelievable. It's a big help at the beginning.”

His first job out of the programme was for Darley, where he spent five years setting up a program to work on nominations from the French marketplace, among other things. But in 2009, his father asked him if he and his brother would take over the farm in Brittany.

“My brother was already a farmer, and so we said, 'okay, we can do that, but we're going to do it our way.' There were nine mares there at the time. We sold six of them.”

In the ensuing twelve years, they have grown the farm in Brittany, SCEA des Prairies, to 300 hectares, where they board around 90 mares for themselves and for clients.

Jeffroy caught the attention of Qatar's Sheikh Joaan, who recruited him to set up Haras de Bouquetot in Normandy for the Qatar Racing operation. Jeffroy continued to run the farm in Brittany with his brother Thomas, as well as Bouquetot, and realized that it would be beneficial to have his own farm in Normandy.

“So I bought Castillon, and I thought, 'it's going to be a small operation,'” he said. “And you know how it goes; you know people, and they ask if you can take their mare. And we can grow, so we grew. We went from 30 hectares to 160 in six years. We are in Livarot, which is about a 40-minute drive from here, and it's a great location. We have access to every kind of facility we need.”

Jeffroy continues to keep all of those balls in the air—dividing his time among the three farms. “We are employed by Sheikh Joaan at Bouquetot, and he gives us the chance to do our own things, so Castillon is my farm,” he said. “Amelie shares her time between the two entities, and that's why she was recruited in 2020. And it's not a question of numbers, it's a question of who is working with you and having a good team, and whether it's Bouquetot or Castillon or Brittany, we have a great team of people on the ground and at the office who do the day-to-day work. I go around to every farm, and I do weekly or monthly strategy meetings, what we want to do for the season. I look at every foal and every yearling every week, but I let the managers do their job. I can't be everywhere, and we have a good team.”

The farm in Brittany continues to turn out top runners, including the exciting 2-year-old filly Zelda (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}), who they race in partnership with the Franco-American basketball star Tony Parker. Jeffroy learned that Parker was looking to buy a few nice fillies, and his manager, Clement Tropres, was from Jeffroy's hometown of Finistere. After an initial four-hour lunch meeting, Tropres asked him if he had any young fillies who would fit the bill.

“I said, 'yes, there's a yearling filly I really liked. I kept her.' She's a sister to [their homebred] Chez Pierre (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), who was unbeaten at that time. She couldn't go to the sales because she had two abscesses behind, so we kept her, but I asked Jean-Claude Rouget if she was worth what I thought. Jean-Claude said, 'She's really good,' so we did a deal and Tony came in. And we've been lucky.”

Maybe never as lucky as they were on Saturday at Arqana. “It was very exciting,” said Jeffroy. “It's our first really big mare that we had to consign and I think we were already thinking it would be a good idea to try to promote better drafts in December in Arqana.”

Castillon is part of a wave of new younger consignors popping up in France, and they watched with interest as Sumbe topped the sale this week with their first-ever consignment.

“We thought there was an opportunity in France to do better,” he said.” We see what is happening in America, and in France, there is this potential. What Sumbe has done is great. We're pretty much thinking the same things at the same time, and it worked out pretty well. We're just starting at Castillon. It's pretty new. We're trying to do better as consignors of stock at the December sale.”

For Castillon, who had already started to make a name for itself in a more local marketplace, having consigned a V2 Yearling sales topper, it was a chance to break into the international spotlight in a big way.

“I think a lot of people now will probably recognize Castillon,” said Jeffroy. “'Oh, yeah, those are the guys who sold Grand Glory.' It's a big help, and it's a good promotion for us. And I'm so happy it went so well for the connections, who are great, great people. We knew Marco, but the owners had no idea who we were. We are a new, young consignor. But they trusted us, and I think we did a great job, so I hope they are happy. Happy team, happy clients.”

And what's the ultimate goal? The likeable 36-year-old struggles with the answer. “To win the Arc? With a homebred from Brittany? I don't know. I'm not a guy who aims for things. I just go with the flow. I just keep working. I have always worked, since I was a kid. And at the end of the day, you have to thank everybody who works so hard for you every day, because Castillon is not only me. There are a lot of people behind it.

“I just take it year by year, we try to improve, have happy clients, that's the most important thing, probably. There's no great aim, really. Should I want a bigger farm? I don't know. I just go like it goes, and see.”

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Group 1 Fillies Star At Arqana December

DEAUVILLE, France-the sales caravan has rolled into its final stop of the season, the European bloodstock community having made its annual descent upon Deauville, France over the past two days for the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale. With an expected deluge of rain remaining at bay through the first part of Friday, the usual suspects from across Europe and further afield were out of full force inspecting the cross section of fillies, broodmares and foals that will take their turns in the ring beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

“People seem very happy with the horses we have here,” said Arqana's Executive Director Freddy Powell. “It's always a good sign when agents that have been here for the last couple of days tell you that their clients, that were not supposed to come, are coming because of the shortlists that they're sending. So it's all positive.”

Arqana December has gone from strength to strength over the past decade, with last year's edition staged in the midst of the pre-vaccine pandemic one of a few exceptions to its straight upward trajectory. Last year's sale still nonetheless returned satisfactory results in the circumstances, and with the quality of the catalogue assembled it is guaranteed there will be more than few fierce bidding battles over the weekend.

“The market has been very strong at Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland, and in Newmarket and Goffs as well,” said Powell. “Hopefully we'll be able to be on the same lines. There is a great demand for horses, at the top level in particular. Maybe the economy of the past two years has caused people to put some nice stock on the market, and nice stock is rare, so if you can get it in your sale it's quite good.”

In G1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) and G1 Prix de l'Opera scorer Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), Arqana offers the only current-year Group 1-winning fillies to grace a European breeding stock sale in 2021. Indeed, Arqana has firmly established its reputation as a reliable marketplace for black-type fillies from across the continent, and in addition to Grand Glory and Rougir buyers will have the chance to take home the likes of G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Speak Of The Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}); last year's G2 Airlie Stud S. winner and G1 Phoenix S. third Aloha Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}); Listed Prix Panacee winner Rumbles Of Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), a descendant of champion American filly White Star Line; Criterium Arqana victress Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), who was also third in the G1 Criterium International; this year's G3 Princess Elizabeth S. winner Parent's Prayer (Ire) (Kingman {GB}); and 2020 listed winner and Group 3-placed Emoji (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}).

“We have some great race fillies here and it's very satisfying to see the likes of Rougir and Grand Glory, who were traveling not long ago; Grand Glory only came back two days ago from Japan and she looks great,” Powell said. “There are a few different marketplaces in the world where those fillies would have also done well, but I think vendors do understand that there are places that make sense to sell these fillies.”

Arqana has likewise built up momentum at its December Sale in successfully selling German fillies, and as such there is another strong presence in this year's catalogue from that nation.

A handful of bidders last week missed out on Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) when Graham Smith-Bernal bought out partner Gestut Ammerland for a sale-topping 2.2-million gns at Tattersalls, and Dietrich von Boetticher's Ammerland brings Waldlied's 3-year-old three-quarter sister Wildfeder (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 188) to Deauville. They are out of the excellent producer Waldlerche (GB) (Monsun {Ger}), whose crown jewel is the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe scorer Waldgeist (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Another from the family on offer is Domaine de l'Etang's 14-year-old mare Waldjagd (GB) (Observatory) (lot 175), who was second in the G2 Diana-Trial, has produced two stakes winners and is in foal to first-season sire Hello Youmzain (Ire).

Ronald Rauscher topped last year's December Sale with the 4-year-old filly Durance (Ger) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who was bought by Bryant Prentice's Pursuit of Success for €750,000, and Rauscher this year brings 4-year-old filly Deia (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) (lot 202), a stakes-winning full-sister to Group 1 winner Dschingis Secret (Ger); and Amabelle (Ger) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) (lot 193), the dam of G2 Diana-Trial winner Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) carrying a full sibling. Marwell Park offers the listed-winning Tickle Me Green (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) (lot 204) on behalf of Gestut Gorlsdorf in foal for the first time to Oasis Dream (GB), while Haras d'Ombreville offers the well-related listed winning and group performer Schwesterherz (Fr) (Areion {Ger}) (lot 179) on behalf of trainer Henk Grewe. Other standouts with German connections include group winners Jin Jin (Ire) (Canford Cliffs{Ire}) (lot 142) and No Limit Credit (Ger) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) (lot 158) from trainer Andreas Suborics; last year's G2 German 1000 Guineas winner Lancade (GB) (lot 167); Group 3-winning 3-year-old filly Reine D'Amour (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) (lot 198); and the Group 3-placed Tangut (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) (lot 155), a half-sister to the dam of Arc winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) whose third dam is the great producer Allegretta.

“We're quite present in Germany; [Arqana's Head Of Bloodstock] Ludovic Cornuel spends a lot of time there and we've done very well with horses in training in particular for German clients,” said Powell.

The sale also features a selection of black-type broodmares including Mishhar (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) (lot 11), the dam of G2 Royal Lodge S. winner New Mandate (Ire) (New Bay) who is from the immediate family of dual Classic winner Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and in foal to first-crop covering sire Ghaiyyath (Ire); the well-related group winner Samba Brazil (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 82) in foal to Le Havre (Ire); the stakes-winning and producing Persona Grata (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) (lot 170) in foal to Night Of Thunder; and the Group 2-winning Satomi (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 177) in foal to Lope De Vega (Ire). There is a high-class selection of mares in foal to first-crop covering sire Sottsass (Fr), the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner who himself cost €340,000 as an Arqana August yearling. They include Sarvana (Fr) (Dubai Destination) (lot 80), the dam of the Group 2-winning and multiple Group 1-placed Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}); G3 Premio Dormello winner Noblesse Oblige (Ity) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) (lot 81); and Landikusic (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 116), a winning full-sister to Zoffany (Ire).

As the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale has gone from strength to strength, a constant presence has been the consignments from Wertheimer et Frere and the Aga Khan Studs, from which breeders perennially source future stakes producers. Wertheimer et Frere's 2021 draft of 20 includes the winning 3-year-old filly Ever Pink (Ire) (Anodin) (lot 133), whose second dam is the excellent producer Brooklyn's Dance; Sparklia (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (lot 138), a winning half-sister to four stakes winners including G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein and G2 Prix de Sandringham scorer Impassable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}); Panthere (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) (lot 194), a winning half-sister to G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Queen's Jewel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}); and Frontgate (War Front) (lot 207), a stakes-placed 3-year-old from the family of Group 1 winners Green Tune (Fr) (Green Desert) and Pas De Reponse (Danzig).

The Aga Khan's 40-horse draft includes Visoriyna (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 127), a stakes-placed half-sister to multiple Group 1-winning stayer Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) in foal to Persian King (GB); the unraced Ebiyanza (More Than Ready) (lot 149), a half-sister to multiple group winner Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) and listed winner Edisa (Kitten's Joy); and Daladia (Medaglia d'Oro) (lot 216), who is from the immediate family G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Dalkala.

The Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale likewise has an excellent record for selling future Group 1 winners as foals, with Cartier 2-year-old champion Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), 2021 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches victress Coeursamba (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), 2021 G2 King Edward VII S. winner Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and Rougir, who cost just €14,000 in 2018, among the current stars. Among this year's standout foals on paper are a full-brother to Coeursamba (lot 145) and a half-brother to Alenquer, by The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (lot 136); a Wootton Bassett half-brother to dual Group 3 scorer Lesstalk In Paris (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) (lot 111); a Sea The Stars (Ire) filly out of the listed-winning Volshka (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) (lot 129); Lope De Vega (Ire) half-brothers to group winners Zonza (Fr) (Alex The Winner) (lot 161) and Bourree (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) (lot 215); a Kingman (GB) colt out of the aforementioned Waldjagd; a Frankel (GB) half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Recoletos (Fr) (Whipper) and multiple group winner Castellar (Fr) (American Post {GB}) (lot 206), and another Frankel colt out of Castellar herself (lot 226).

The Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale's select session begins on Saturday at 10 a.m. The action also kicks off at 10 a.m. on Sunday, and at 11 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday.

The post Group 1 Fillies Star At Arqana December appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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