Son Of Goken Tops Friday’s Arqana Session

The first session of Part 3 of the Arqana October Yearling Sale was topped by a son of Goken (Fr) (lot 580) who went for €60,000 to MAB Agency on Friday.

Consigned by Haras de la Haie Neuve, the bay is a grandson of G2 Ribblesdale S. heroine Thakafaat (Ire) (Unfuwain). Dual Group 1 winner and sire Power (GB) is under the third dam, as is GI E. P. Taylor S. victress Curvy (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). The colt was bred by Haras des Pyrenees.

It is worth noting that Goken, who stands alongside his sire Kendargent (Fr) at Haras de Colleville, has eight stakes winners to his credit, and his Zorken (Fr), who won a listed race earlier in the year, doubled up at that level in Thursday's Criterium de Vitesse at Deauville.

Friday's leading buyer Marc Antoine Berghgracht's MAB Agency also signed for a €17,000 son of Romanised (Ire) (lot 546) from the draft of Haras de Bourgeauville earlier in the day.

From a consignor's standpoint, Haras de la Haie Neuve was on top with five sold for a total of €135,000 and an average of €27,000.

Just behind lot 580 on the buyers' sheets was a filly (lot 627) by Toronado (Ire), who sold for €55,000 to Broadhurst Agency/Capucines Bloodstock. That sire had topped Thursday's session with a €130,000 colt (lot 434). Part of the Haras des Sablonnets draft, the bay is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Best Win (Fr) (Red Dubawi {Ire}).

Friday's session boasted a healthy clearance rate, as 80 sold of 93 offered (86%). The gross was €1,277,500, while the average was €15,969 and the median was €13,500.

The fifth and final session of the sale begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday with 93 yearlings catalogued.

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Making Waves: Memorable Moment For Godolphin Classic Winner

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Mawj in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Cup S. presented by Dixiana Farms at Keeneland last weekend.

 

Classic Filly Comes Good At Keeneland

Godolphin homebred Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), already a winner of the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, doubled her top-level tally in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland on Saturday and gave trainer Saeed bin Suroor his 500th group/graded win in the process (video).

A half-sister to Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), an Eclipse Award champion in the U.S. and soon to be a Darley stallion, as well as the stakes winner Modern News (GB) (Shamardal) who was twice group placed, Mawj is followed by a juvenile filly by Mastercraftsman (Ire) and a weanling filly by Dubawi. Her dam is a half-sister to G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner and sire Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}), and her great granddam is the Italian champion Proskona (Mr. Prospector).

One of 18 worldwide Group 1 winners for her former Darley reverse shuttle sire, Mawj is one of three Grade I winners in the U.S. after GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner-turned-sire Outstrip (GB) and Mischief Magic (Ire), who landed the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Exceed And Excel's 42 Stateside runners have resulted in 23 winners (55%) and 11 stakes winners (26%).

 

 

Luck O' The Irish For Ten Sovereigns Colt

Robert and Lawana Low's Irish Gent (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) became the 24th winner for his sire at third asking when taking an off-turf affair during the Belmont at the Big A meeting for trainer Todd Pletcher (video).

Bred by Denis McCarthy, the dark bay made €130,000 as a Goffs November foal when purchased by Pier House Stud. his value rose appreciably to €500,000 when he was sent back through that ring during the Orby Sale, where Jacob West picked out the son of Indigo Butterfly (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) on behalf of the Lows. The third and last reported foal from his dam is a relative of G1 Jebel Hatta hero Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and that gelding's full-sister With The Moonlight (Ire), who was a three-time group/graded winner and third in the GI E. P. Taylor S.

Coolmore's Ten Sovereigns already has three stakes winners in his first crop of 2-year-olds internationally. Represented by just three runners in the U.S. so far, Irish Gent is the stallion's first American winner.

 

Brant Runner Collects In New York

Peter Brant homebred Francesco Clemente (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) won a Belmont at the Big A contest for Chad Brown on Thursday (video).

A winner of his first three starts for John and Thady Gosden in the UK last year, the White Birch Farm-bred earned black-type with a second in the Listed Festival S. in May. The half-brother to the multiple stakes winner and multiple group-placed Abingdon (Street Cry {Ire}) was switched to the U.S. after a start in the Listed Wolferton S. at Royal Ascot. His dam Justlookdon'touch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a half-sister to the influential champion Islington (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), and produced Dubawi full-siblings as her latest foals–a 3-year-old colt named Howeitat (Ire) and a 2-year-old filly christened Birkin (Ire).

Darley's Dubawi now has 37 winners from 77 runners in the U.S. (48%). His 19 North American stakes winners (25%) are anchored by three-time Grade I winner In Italian (GB).

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King George Hero Pyledriver To Stand Under Coolmore’s NH Banner Next Year

Dual Group 1 winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}–La Pyle {Fr}, by Le Havre {Ire}) will stand under the Coolmore National Hunt banner in 2024, Coolmore announced on Friday. Retired earlier this year before being acquired by Coolmore, the 6-year-old won both the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. and the G1 Coronation Cup. A fee will be announced later.

“Pyledriver is the best horse I've ever had anything to do with and gave us so many fantastic days,” said co-trainer William Muir. “From day one he never let us down; brilliant temperament, went on any ground, clean winded and super sound. The only issue he ever had was caused by another horse leaning on him in that race in Saudi. It'll be a very sad day when he leaves the yard but I think he'll continue to excel in his new career.”

Bred by Knox and Wells, Ltd., he was a 10,000gns buy-back at the 2017 Tattersalls December Foal Sale and went into training with Muir and Chris Grassick in the colours of the La Pyle Partnership. A debut winner as a juvenile at Salisbury in 2019, he earned a listed victory later that year. Pyledriver then was second in the G3 Classic Trial and won the G2 Great Voltigeur prior to a run in the G1 Derby. He bounced back later that year to take the G2 King Edward VII S. and was also Classic-placed when third in the G1 St Leger.

Never worse than second in four 4-year-old starts, Pyledriver won the Coronation Cup after running second in the G2 Jockey Club S., and later in the year was second by just a length in the G1 Hong Kong Vase.

After a trip to Saudi Arabia and a fourth in Meydan's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic to kickstart his 5-year-old campaign, he was second defending his Coronation Cup crown prior to trouncing a quality field in the King George. This term, he won the G2 Hardwicke S. in good style at Royal Ascot and was fifth in another King George. His record stands at 20-8-4-1 and $2,606,075 in earnings.

“Pyledriver is a fine big horse, with plenty of quality about him, a great colour and a very good walk,” said Robert McCarthy who went to inspect him. “He was a terrific racehorse and he's a complete outcross for the majority of National Hunt mares here in Ireland.”

Pyledriver is the first foal out of the dual winner La Pyle, herself a half-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mont Ormel (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}) and a full-sister to G3 Park Express S. heroine Normandel (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).

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“No-brainer” To Offer Classic Winner At Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Says Cachet Team

Connections of Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) have described it as “a no-brainer” to offer the 1,000 Guineas heroine for sale at the Sceptre Sessions as part of the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls given how strong trade was at the corresponding sale 12 months ago.

Not only did Cachet provide Highclere Racing and trainer George Boughey with a breakthrough domestic Classic success when storming to 1,000 Guineas glory at Newmarket last year, but she also followed up on that effort by running out a gutsy second to Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the French edition.

Cachet was famously bought by Jake Warren on behalf of Highclere for just 60,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. Warren's uncle Harry Herbert, who manages the successful ownership vehicle, recalled, “It all began at the breeze-up sales. Jake was absolutely mad about Cachet–she was the one he absolutely wanted to buy.

“When the hammer came down at 60,000gns, we were over the moon. We heard afterwards that George Boughey was the underbidder so we went to George and said, 'why don't you train her?'”

He added, “It was early days for George and I wanted to have a horse or two with him. This gorgeous filly turned out to be Highclere's first domestic Classic winner. It's been an incredible story because she's such a brave, courageous filly who really wants to do it.”

It was John Bourke of Hyde Park Stud who bred Cachet. In fact, Bourke sniffed out one of the bargains of the century by snapping up Cachet's dam Poyle Sophie (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) for just 3,000gns at the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls in 2018.

Little did he know then that Poyle Sophie was carrying what would turn out to be the 2022 1,000 Guineas winner and Herbert remembers what that day meant to the Highclere team.

He said, “My god it was a long last furlong–it was agony! All of the family were there and they were screaming her home. What a day. It was wonderful for George to train his first Classic winner and for Jake, who has inherited his father's [John] brilliant eye to buy a filly that could win a Classic for 60,000gns is absolutely remarkable. A wonderful day.”

Herbert's sentiments were echoed by Warren, who said, “It was wonderful. In my uncle's silks, having found a filly for him to win a Classic was absolutely incredible. My children were there, my parents were there, it was just a very special day. She did us so proud and is an amazing filly.”

Thoughts now turn to offering Cachet at the Sceptre Sessions, where she is sure to command plenty of attention from some of the top breeders around the world. According to Herbert, there was no better place to sell the Classic winner than at Tattersalls in December, given all of the top buyers around the world make that sale a must visit each year.

Herbert said, “It was a no-brainer, really. We saw Classic winners and Group 1 winners make significant sums of money here last year and we've always sold our top fillies at this sale. The world comes to this sale. It is the most significant European sale of mares. A Classic winner heading to the sales is a rarity so hopefully she'll stand out from the crowd.”

Warren went on to explain how he felt Cachet, being a daughter of Aclaim and granddaughter of Acclamation (GB), represented a perfect outcross to visit all of the top stallions around the world before outlining his hopes that the major breeders were as enamored with the filly as he was when he first clapped eyes on her.

He said, “The most important aspect of her pedigree is that she's an outcross for all the top stallions in the world. You can't find a stallion that she can't visit being a granddaughter of Acclamation.

“Her physical attributes are exactly what you'd like to see in a broodmare prospect. She stands over a lot of ground and has a great important frame with beautiful looks about her. She really is outstanding and is something, I hope, that breeders around the world will look at with great envy and be hoping to acquire for their broodmare bands.”

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