Leading bloodstock agent Aiden and his son Olly, who is based at Warren Chase Stables in England, also splashed out €200,000 on a Saint Des Saints (Fr) gelding that was consigned by Moanmore Stables. 

The pair's total spend on day one was just shy of €500,000 across three geldings and, speaking about the top lot, which Aiden opened up at €100,000, the agent said, “He has not turned a hair for two days. I have seen him time and time again. He is magnificent and he is for Olly to train and is for an existing client. He is just a gorgeous horse and we are delighted to get him.”

Explaining the six-figure opening bid, Murphy added, “He was always going to make more and we were in a bit of a hurry!”

The gelding was sold by the County Cork-based Coolmara Stables, of which, Cathal Mariga commented, “We were hoping for that sort of figure. We bought him as a foal privately from Ennel Bloodstock in Westmeath and before Jonbon came out.

“We always had Douvan in his pedigree and to get another Grade 1 winner, it was a nice update to get. He has been a great horse to work with at home, he did everything right, did not put a foot wrong. He has been very busy, he has had around 60 shows over the two days, with a lot of return visitors.”

Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls also made their presence felt in the afternoon when going to €205,000 to secure a Walk In The Park (Ire) gelding from Peter Nolan's draft. 

A total of 147 lots sold on day one to the tune of €7,652,500, which averages out at €52,058. The median stood at €40,000 at close of play on Wednesday.

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He may not have had a penny to his name when he embarked on a career in bloodstock a little over 20 years ago, but Saliou now stands nine stallions at Haras de la Haie Neuve, and is convinced that there is little that can't be achieved without good old-fashioned graft. 

Group 1-winning juvenile Ebro River (Ire) is the newest stallion to the Haras de la Haie Neuve roster, and represents an exciting new partnership with Al Shaqab, which goes some way in illustrating the trajectory of the stud. 

“If you sit in front of the television all day, you will do nothing with your life. You need to get out there and try to make something of yourself in order to have something good. That is what we have tried to do,” – Tangi Saliou.

Saliou said, “I think Ebro River will cover a lot of mares. I am very happy to have him here because he was a very fast racehorse and we need some horses like that standing in France-some of our mares are not very fast. It's a new partnership for us with Al Shaqab and I am very happy to work with them. Let's hope Ebro River can be the next Mehmas (Ire) in France! I am a positive thinker.”

He added, “My first job in racing was as a rider before working for 10 years at the French National Stud. When the French National Stud finished up, I went to work for Haras de Montaigu where I worked as the technical director for six years. We had a lot of success with Martaline (Fr), No Risk At All (Fr) and we also bred Wings Of Eagles (Fr) as well. 

“About five years ago, I decided to buy a new 50-acre farm two hours west of Normandie. I began with four stallions and now we have nine. As well as that, our farm was responsible for 8% of the entire thoroughbred mares covered in France last year. I have 60 mares here myself and, after buying a new farm last year, we have upgraded and have 45 yearlings and 10 full-time workers. It's busy!”

Seahenge is another Haras De La Haie Neuve resident that fans of British and Irish racing will be familiar with. The son of Scat Daddy carried Michael Tabor's silks en route to victory in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster for Aidan O'Brien in 2017 and joined fellow ex-Ballydoyle inmate Taj Mahal (Ire) on the roster. 

Saliou said, “We have worked with Coolmore to get Seahenge and Taj Mahal. We also worked with the Wertheimer family to stand Anodin (Ire) here. So, along with Al Shaqab, who we are also very happy to be working with, we have been busy trying to get many partnerships together to stand these stallions. 

“Seahenge was the champion first-season sire in France and a lot of the trainers are looking forward to his 3-year-olds this season. Seahenge is a big horse and we think his progeny will do even better at three.”

Ebro River winning the G1 Pheonix S. at the Curragh in 2021

So how has Saliou built up the quality at Haras de la Haie Neuve year after year? For starters, the stud places as much emphasis on jumping stock as it does on the Flat, the broodmare band does a lot of the heavy lifting and, perhaps more importantly of all, Salious's wife has a penchant for investing in stock over diamonds.

“We strive to be better, always. When I was 18, I had no money, not even a euro to my name. All I had was my driver's licence and my hurt. My courage was my best friend and I always worked hard. That was the only solution. 

“As well as this, my wife Dorothy is very good. There are some women who like to buy clothes and diamonds but my wife prefers to buy mares. She is very good at that. I always had two or three mares myself. When I was working at the French National Stud, I had two Group 1-producing mares, but I was not even aware of this at the time. It was a very good surprise.”

He added, “One of the mares, Nutz (Fr), bred the Grade 1-winning hurdler in Britain, Elixir De Nutz (Fr) (Al Namix {Fr}). We have been very lucky with horses but, to have the luck, you need to roll the dice. If you sit in front of the television all day, you will do nothing with your life. You need to get out there and try to make something of yourself in order to have something good. That is what we have tried to do. 

“We have some good mares at the moment, 12 of which are ours, and they are split between jumps and Flat mares. We have the dam of Sceau Royal (Fr) and she is in foal to his sire Doctor Dino (Fr). We also have a full-sister to Doctor Dino in foal to Kapgarde (Fr) and bought in partnerships some very good Flat mares as well.”

Saliou's love affair with Doctor Dino does not end there. A number of Christmases ago, when going through the profile of the top-class jumps sire who stood for €20,000 last year, the stallion man stumbled across a sibling who he simply had to add to the roster at Haras De La Haie Neuve.

He explained, “We bought Bande (Ire) in Japan and it was very good business. We had nothing to do over the Christmas holidays and looked up to see if Doctor Dino had a brother anywhere around the world. We saw that Bande was in Japan, called someone there, and got the deal done.”

For how much?

“I don't remember,” he laughed, before adding, “but it was very good business! We got him syndicated and he has covered over 100 mares every year which is very good in France. He covered 165 in 2021 which was the most any jumps stallion covered that year. We have a lot of good-looking foals and yearlings by him and we are very happy with him. He's a very strong stallion and he looks like his father, Authorized (Ire), so hopefully he can be the next Doctor Dino. 

“He only covered 10 mares in Japan before we bought him. Of those 10 mares, he had only eight foals, and only three or four runners. From that tiny crop, he had two winners and one second, which is very good.”

To be able to get over 100 mares into an unproven stallion year after year, regardless of who he is related to, is a fair achievement. So what is the secret?

“We always cover a lot of mares. When you are young and full of energy, you must work hard. I am 46 now but I like to work hard. I always do my best for my clients and, if you think that way, you will do well. I have had the same clients for over 10 years and lots of the same clients who call me up for advice. I work with a lot of trainers, too, and try to be as correct and honest with everyone. If you can be correct and honest, you can work in this industry for a long time, because you need to build long-term relationships.”

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“We buy horses with the aim of either re-selling them or to make stallions,” explained Basquin. “He will most likely be gelded. He's a beautiful son of Doctor Dino. He's perfect physically with a walk that is out of the ordinary. His dam is by Poliglote and has already produced winners. He has everything that you want to see at a sale.”

Earlier in the session, Basquin also signed the docket for Lot 606, a son of Saint Des Saints (Fr) from Haras du Lieu des Champs.

Also attaining six figures yesterday was Lot 663, who realized a €150,000 final bid from Spincourt Bloodstock. Out of Cue to Cue (GB) (King's Theatre {Ire}), the March foal is a half to recent winner St Donats (Fr) (Saint des Saints). She was offered by Haras de Maulepaire.

At the conclusion of Wednesday, a total of 144 yearlings sold for an aggregate of €3,736,500, up from €3,705,500 one year ago. Average for the session was €25,948, down 6% from 2021, and a median of €15,000, down from €20,000 last year.

The sale continues Thursday with the National Hunt breeding stock session, which begins at 11a.m. (local time).

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This is an unconditional sale, payable upon receipt of the invoice, and the nomination must be used during the 2022 or 2023 breeding season, by a Thoroughbred or a AQPS mare under 15 years of age.

Derby Assurance & HDI Global Specialty have also joined the operation, offering an unborn product guarantee from 42 days of gestation (subject to a certificate of gestation) and up to eight days after birth for a value of €10,000.

The agency fees are offered by Auctav.

Doctor Dino is considered one of the best NH stallions. He produced champion Docteur de Ballon, dual winner of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1), but also the Gr1 winners La Bague Au Roi, Master Dino, Sceau Royal, Sharjah. His 2022 nomination price is €20,000 excluding VAT, live foal.

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Consigned by Haras des Sablonnets, lot 518 is out of the listed-placed jumper Lofte Place (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}), who has already provided the goods as a NH broodmare as the dam of three-time listed winner Thrilling (Fr) (Network {Ger}), who ran second in the G1 Prix Maurice Gillois and G1 Ferdinand Dufaure over fences. Anthony Bromley and David Minton's Highflyer Bloodstock secured the March-born colt, one of 13 yearlings purchased by the duo-mostly for Welsh owner Dai Walters (Walters Plant Hire)–on Tuesday for a gross of €697,000 and an average of €53,615.

“For me he was the best yearling in the sale,” said Minton. “He's by a great stallion in Doctor Dino and his half-sister Thrilling is a very good filly.”

Also snapped up by Highflyer in the top eight lots was lot 565, who went for €85,000 from the draft of The Channel Consignment. Another colt by Doctor Dino, he is out of the four-time winner Shannon Verse (Fr) (Kapgarde {Fr}) from the family of Grade 1 winner Shannon Rock (Fr) (Turgeon).

Rounding out the Highflyer trio amidst the priciest yearlings was lot 496, a son of No Risk At All (Fr) and the winning jumper Hojacaracois (Fr) (Laveron {GB}). Haras de l'Hotellerie offered the €77,000 acquisition, who is from the family of listed-winning jumpers Horabora Has (Fr) (Turgeon) and Hotmale Has (Fr) (Saint des Saints {Fr}).

Second on the buyers' sheets was lot 633, a son of Muhtathir (GB) and the Saint des Saints mare Carmen du Berlais (Fr). Picked up by Horse Racing Advisory for €90,000, the Ecurie la Frenee draftee's pedigree features Grade 3-winning chaser Caid du Berlais (Fr) (Westerner {GB}), who ran second in the G1 Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle.

Authorized (Ire)'s lot 643 caught the eyes of Ryan Mahon and JD Moore at €85,000. A member of the Haras de l'Aumonerie consignment, the gelding is out of the two-time juvenile winner Courseulles (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), while GIII Long Island H.  victress Arles (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) is the dam's full-sister.

“We really liked the horse,” said Ryan Mahon. “He had a very good attitude in the ring. I've bought him for an Irish client.”

By the same sire as lot 643, lot 632, from Haras des Pierres Follets, was purchased by JH Bloodstock/BLM Bloodstock for €77,000. The gelding's dam is a Poliglote half-sister to the Grade 3-placed hurdler Chef d'Oeuvre (Fr) (Martaline {GB}).

BLM Bloodstock had signed the ticket for lot 517 at €80,000 earlier in the sale. The son of Saint des Saints was produced by the Grade 1-placed Liberte d'Aimer (Fr) (Lord du Sud {Fr}) and consigned by Haras du Buff.

“Following the death of Jim Gordon, one of our clients bought the dam of this yearling, Liberté d'Aimer,” said Bertrand Le Metayer. “She has produced a lot of fillies, so we're delighted to have a boy! We've bought him for a partnership with the family of Jim Gordon.”

Listed bumper heroine Tante Sissi (Fr) (Lesotho)'s No Risk At All (Fr) AQPS colt (lot 585) went to Yorton/Tridynion for €82,000. Offered by Ecurie Cap Orne, the colt's dam is a full-sister to the top-class AQPS Grade 1 hurdler Epatante (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}).

“We loved this horse,” said Yorton's David Futter. “He has a great pedigree and his sire needs no introduction. We'll bring him back home and will decide his future in due course. We have lots of options. We're very happy with the purchase.”

The most expensive yearling filly on the day was lot 620, a Haras de Montaigu-consigned daughter of Beaumec de Houelle (Fr) who went to Midland Equine Ltd. for €72,000. From the family of listed winner Howard le Canard (Fr) (Hamas {Ire}), the bay was produced by the winning Best Exit (Fr) (King's Best).

At the end of the session, 134 yearlings had found new homes from 169 offered (79%) for an aggregate of €3,730,500. The average was €27,840 and the median was €20,000.

Overall, 291 horses sold over the two days from 367 offered (79%) for an aggregate of €9,218,500. The average was €31,679 and the median was €20,000.

Breeding stock will go under the hammer during the one-day Arqana Autumn – National Hunt Breeding Stock Sale on Wednesday from 11 a.m. local time.

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Supasundae (GB) was bred for those high summer days at Epsom, Ascot and Goodwood. By Galileo (Ire) and out of a Danehill half-sister to Group 1 winners Nathaniel (Ire) and Great Heavens (Ire), both of whom are also by Galileo, it was no stretch for his breeder Newsells Park Stud to have Classic aspirations for him when he arrived in this world in January 2010.

Plan A didn’t quite work out: Supasundae was bought in at 195,000gns when failing to reach his Book 1 reserve at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and, two years later, he was bought for a now scarcely believable £5,000 at Goffs UK as an unnamed and unraced gelding.

The note on his catalogue page that day read, “This gelding is a fine individual whose looks and appearance clearly indicate that he has needed time”. He transpired to have been a shrewd purchase by Tim Fitzgerald and, given that time, he gave back in spades.

Supasundae won his first two bumpers readily—the first for Fitzgerald and the second on his sole start for Andrew Balding. Then, bought privately by the late Ann and Alan Potts, he was transferred to Ireland, initially to the care of Henry de Bromhead and subsequently, during 2016, to Jessica Harrington, who this week announced his retirement from racing.

Supasundae may have been a late starter but he has packed plenty into his six years of racing, with three Grade 1 triumphs to his credit, including the Irish Champion Hurdle (beating the mighty Faugheen (Ire)), victories at Aintree’s Grand National meeting and the Cheltenham Festival, at which he appeared in six consecutive years.

With 31 runs, eight wins, 11 places and more than £750,000 in prize-money to his credit, he now takes his bow from a successful career. Not the one he was intended for, but an honourable one nonetheless.

Mesnil Casts Potential New Star
As one jumping star is retired, another appears to be enjoying something of a renaissance. There was much consternation regarding the withdrawal of Altior (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) from last Saturday’s G1 Betfair Tingle Creek Chase but that should take nothing away from the winner, Politologue (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}), who made a superb start to this season, having ended the last one on his rousing G1 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase victory at the Cheltenham Festival.

Now nine, the grey gelding made his first two starts as a 4-year-old in France in the colours of Sophie Devin, the daughter of his breeder Antonia Devin of Haras du Mesnil. Since then, he has been a stalwart of the Paul Nicholls stable, winning 11 of his 25 races in Britain, including two Tingle Creeks and the G1 Melling Chase at Aintree.

In the saddle for his last two Grade 1 wins has been Harry Skelton, more usually seen riding for his trainer brother Dan, a former assistant to Nicholls. The brothers have close links to Politologue’s owner John Hales, who, as well as consistently racing decent National Hunt horses over many years, is an ardent supporter of show jumping and owned Arko III, one of the best horses ridden by their Olympic gold medal-winning father Nick Skelton.

Politologue’s sire Poliglote, who died at Haras d’Etreham in 2018, was a true dual-purpose stallion and holds the rare distinction of having been champion sire both on the Flat and over jumps in France. The son of Sadler’s Wells was bred by the Wertheimer family and provided them with their 2012 Arc winner Solemia (Fr).

In similar vein, Antonia Devin and her husband Henri can be considered breeders of distinction in both codes. Two years in a row they have bred a Cheltenham Festival winner, with A Plus Tard (Fr) (Kapgrade {Fr}) having won there in the Cheveley Park Stud colours in 2019. They have also enjoyed much success with their own stallions over the years. Politologue is out of a mare by their former stalwart, Turgeon, who died last year at the age of 33 having covered 26 mares the previous season.

As he entered his twilight years, Turgeon’s stud mate Doctor Dino (Fr) came to the fore and is now one of France’s busiest stallions. In 2019 the dual G1 Hong Kong Vase winner was sent 155 mares and, while he is principally regarded as a Nation Hunt stallion, with the likes of Sceau Royal (Fr), Docteur De Ballon (Fr), Sharjah (Fr) and La Bague Au Roi (Fr) as his major flagbearers, he is also responsible for the Flat group winners Golden Legend (Fr), Villa Rosa (Fr) and G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Physiocrate (Fr), all three having been bred by the Devins and trained by their son Henri-Francois.

The latest addition to the stallion yard at Mesnil is Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {GB}), who won the G2 Dante S. for his breeders Mark Weinfeld and Helena Ellingsen of Meon Valley Stud in 2019 before returning to post two wide-margin victories in France this season, including his swansong in the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville.

Meon Valley Stud has already provided arguably the best British-based National Hunt stallion of the modern era in the recently retired Kayf Tara (GB) (Sadler’s Wells). In Telecaster, who is out of the Oaks and Irish Oaks runner-up Shirocco Star (GB), we find not just Sadler’s Wells in his top line, but the much-vaunted Monsun (Ger) underneath. Though both these top-class stallions have been hugely influential on the Flat, they are also ubiquitous in the pedigrees of jumpers.

With the support in particular of the Devins’ own broodmare band, which features plenty of outcross daughters of their former stallions Turgeon, Kaldounevees (Fr) and his son Ange Gabriel (Fr), don’t be surprised to see Telecaster loom large in the jumps division in years to come.

Come On Eileen
In many respects, 2006 was a vintage year for those who enjoy seeing some of the game’s smaller players gain the upper hand in major races. The 16,000-guinea yearling Sir Percy (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) won the Derby for Victoria and Anthony Pakenham, whose previous star performer had been the prolific jumps winner The Dark Lord (Ire) (Lord Americo {Ire}).

A month earlier, Speciosa (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) had plotted a wayward course to triumph in the 1000 Guineas for her small dual-purpose trainer Pam Sly, who owned the filly with her son Michael and Dr Tom Davies. The victory not only made Sly the first British woman to train a British Classic winner, but Speciosa, bred by Kevin and Meta Cullen, became the first graduate of a breeze-up sale to win a Classic.

Having turned down a seven-figure offer for Speciosa before her Classic season, the Slys and Davies retained her as a broodmare and she is still at her former trainer’s farm near Thorney, some 40 miles from Newmarket. She has been joined in the paddocks by her three winning daughters Asteroidea (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Vernatti (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Specialty (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The latter is responsible for the latest exciting member of the dynasty in 3-year-old Eileendover (GB) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), who has won her only two bumper starts to date by a collective 45 lengths in the colours made famous by her grandam.

Eileendover may be seen next in the listed juvenile bumper at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, according to Pam Sly, who told TDN after last Saturday’s rout at Wetherby, “I’m going to try to get a bit of black type with her, then give her a break and have a go on the Flat as I think she goes on any sort of ground.”

The breeder/trainer has her horses in tremendous form and, as well as Eileendover, she has also won with her homebreds Xcitations (GB) (Universal {Ire}), Fransham (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}) and Takeit Easy (GB) Malinas {Ger}) in recent weeks. Furthermore, Rainyday Woman (GB) (Kayf Tara {GB}), whom she bred and trained for her first two starts, recently won on her bumper debut for champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Sly says of her 17-year-old former stable star, “Speciosa had a Cracksman (GB) filly this year and is not in foal this time. She’s still as feisty as ever. Her 2-year-old by Nathaniel (Ire) is enormous and is in my front paddock. I’ll get on with him in the new year.”

Meanwhile, Speciosa’s daughter Asteroidea has a 3-year-old War Command filly named Bellica (GB), also described by the trainer as “enormous, so I’m going to try to run her in a bumper”.

The bumper-to-Flat route has worked well in the past for middle-distance fillies, with the Hughie Morrison-trained Urban Artist (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) winning last year’s listed mares’ bumper at Cheltenham before notching three consecutive wins and some black type on the Flat this season to push her rating to 98. The most notable example of all, however, was perhaps Turbo Linn (GB) (Turbo Speed {GB}), who was reared on a Scottish hillside by her owner-breeder James Nelson before being deftly trained by the late Alan Swinbank to progress from Carlisle bumper winner to G2 Lancashire Oaks winner from seven consecutive wins in nine months. The stuff of dreams for all small breeders.

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Haras de Montaigu’s Martaline colt out of the dual winner Best Exit (Fr) (King’s Best) (lot 648) was picked up by BLM Bloodstock for €87,000, while another colt from Hotellerie (lot 743) by Martaline cost Saubouas Bloodstock €80,000.

The three-day Arqana Autumn sale saw horses-in-training-a mix of flat and National Hunt-as well as stores and National Hunt yearlings go under the hammer in Arqana’s Deauville main yard parade ring. Tweaking of the sale format due to various COVID-19 protocols mean that year-on-year comparisons are difficult for the Autumn Sale, but nonetheless 482 horses were offered from 558 catalogued this week, with 333 (69%) finding new homes. The aggregate was €7,955,000, the average €23,889 and the median €14,000.

The two days of the sale reserved for National Hunt youngstock (2-year-old stores and yearlings) ended with a contraction in that market of around 30% from 2019 to 2020, with the aggregate from those sessions dropping from almost €7-million to €5-million. Arqana’s Eric Hoyeau and Freddy Powell said in a statement, “The percentage of horses sold was a little more resilient in the yearling session than in the store section. Nevertheless, we can’t ignore the contraction in demand for young National Hunt prospects, partly due to the health crisis currently affecting the world. New faces, notably Irish, have appeared among buyers, but this has not made up for the absence of major players in the market.”

Selling continues in Deauville on Thursday with the single-session National Hunt Breeding Stock Sale.

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