Arqana's inaugural September Yearling Sale, a replacement for the v.2 Yearling Sale, started its two-day run on Thursday, and a smart colt by the former French-based stallion Toronado (Ire) brought a session-topping bid of €120,000 from Mathieu Alex on behalf of Pauline Chehboub's SAS Yellow Agency.
Part of the Fairway Consignment draft and already named Tomokay (Fr), lot 34 is the fifth foal from his dam, the winning Hold That Tiger mare Loumaxaye (Fr). His half-brother Hayejohn (Fr), by first-season sire Johnny Barnes (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), carried all before him in the Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles at Vichy after the catalogue was published.
This is also the extended family of the dual listed winner Sully (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and G1 Futurity S., G1 Queen Elizabeth S. and G1 Caulfield Cup S. heroine Aqua d'Amore (Aus) (Danehill).
Second on the buyers' sheets was lot 82, Tiger King (Fr) (Inns Of Court {Ire}). Originally a €9,500 in utero purchase by Jean-Claud Olivier out of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in 2020, the colt was re-sold one year later in that same sale for €19,000 to Six of Us. Offered by Haras de Grandcamp on Thursday, the February-foaled colt was snapped up for €85,000 by John Hassett of The Bloodstock Connection for GET IN THE GAME. Out of the listed-placed Pink Cloud (Fr) (Octagonal {NZ}), his dam is a half-sister to two-time listed winner Pink Gin (Fr) (Kouroun {Fr}), as well as the stakes-placed Pink Anabella (Fr) (Anabaa).
John Hassett said, “He's a magnificent colt, that comes from a good stud. I'm very pleased with this purchase. It's possible that he might come back to Deauville for the Breeze Up next May, but nothing is decided yet.”
Hassett had struck for a colt by Shalaa (Ire) earlier in the day, when shelling out €68,000 for lot 71 as JCH Bloodstock. Haras de Castillon consigned the bay, whose dam is a half-sister to none other than outstanding third-crop sire and dual Group 2 winner Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who was also runner up in the G1 National S. and third in the G1 Middle Park S.
John Hammond bought four on the day for owner Gerard Augustin-Normand ranging in price from €5,000 to €80,000. Leading the quartet was a colt by City Light (Fr) (lot 101) from the draft of Haras d'Aspel. His dam is a half-sister to the stakes winner and stakes producer Rioticism (Fr) (Rio de la Plata), responsible for three-time stakes winner and G3 Round Tower S. third Ladies Church (GB) (Churchill {Ire}), while his half-brother by Birchwood graduated at Deauville this summer for Joel Boisnard. This colt will also join the Boisnard string.
Thursday's most expensive filly was a daughter of Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (lot 47). Purchased for €77,000 by Hammond from Haras de la Haie Neuve, the well-bred miss is from the same family as Group 1 winner Sequoyah (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), the dam of dual Classic winner Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo), and the Classic-placed Group 3 winner Queen Cleopatra (Ire) (Kingmambo); while Sequoyah's half-sister Listen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) took the G1 Fillies' Mile and was runner-up in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. Carrying this filly, her dam brought €55,000 from Narvick International at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in 2020.
“She's a lovely filly, that is very like her sire,” said Hammond. “I really like her physique and she has a lot of strength. We'll decide on her future at a later date.”
At the end of the day, 101 yearlings (71.6%) had sold from 141 offered. The gross was a respectable €2,113,000. The average was €20,921 and the median settled at €15,000.
The sale continues Friday at 2 p.m.
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