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Will The Full-Brother to Sottsass be the Star of the Show at Arqana?

It has become a familiar occasion to open the Arqana August catalogue and find an offering from the remarkably consistent broodmare Starlet's Sister (Ire), whose progeny have shone for years here for the perennial leading consignor, Ecurie des Monceaux.

Most recently, the Dubawi (Ire) filly Pure Dignity (GB) brought €2,500,000 from Oliver St. Lawrence in 2020, and Parliament (GB), a colt by Fastnet Rock (Aus), sold for €700,000 in 2019. Pure Dignity just won her first start for Roger Varian.

But the 2022 offering might be the most exciting yet: a full-brother to the multiple Group 1-winning Sottsass (Fr), the record-breaking World Champion, French Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, now standing stud at Coolmore in Ireland. Sottsass himself sold here in 2017 to Michel Zerolo's Oceanic Bloodstock on behalf of Peter Brant for €340,000. And the people who know Sottass well, they will tell you his full-brother is almost a dead ringer.

Michel Zerolo bought both Sottsass and Sistercharlie | Sue Finley photo

“If you compare this yearling with Sottsass, you would find them quite similar,” said Henri Bozo, who will sell Lot 154 under his Ecurie des Monceaux banner on Sunday. Sottsass's regular pilot was by the farm to see the 2021 version, said Bozo. “Cristian Demuro, the jockey, was by to see him the other morning, and he was amazed by how much they looked alike. I think he's got the same head, the same forehand, and the same self-confidence. I think it's striking to people who know Sottsass well.”

One of those people, of course, is Michel Zerolo, both a buyer at Arqana and a seller under his Haras des Capucines banner, the farm and consignment he owns with partner Eric Puerari.

Zerolo bought Starlet's Sister's first-ever progeny, Sistercharlie (Ire), after her win in the G3 Prix Penelope in France, for Brant. Zerolo said she caught his eye when she won a Class 1 race at Saint-Cloud in her prior start, when he first recommended her. “She was mighty impressive that day,” he said. “She had a fantastic turn of foot.”

Zerolo would go on to be proven correct; Sistercharlie would go on to win 10 starts over four years, including the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, to be named the Eclipse Award-winning turf female.

So when Sottsass, her half-brother by Siyouni (Fr) came up for sale in 2017, Zerolo and Brant were back. “He was an obvious one, of course,” said Zerolo.

In looking at Starlet's Sister's 2021 yearling, Zerolo said he sees the similarities as well.

“He's a nice horse,” he said. “He's probably a bigger version of Sottsass, very athletic. They're similar; they're full-brothers, of course. He has more white, and is a slightly lighter chestnut, but other than that, there are a lot of similarities.”

Bozo said that potential French buyers had been visiting the colt along with others in the consignment over the summer, but now, of course, an international marketplace has descended upon Arqana for the sale. “We've seen all the right French people and now we are looking forward to seeing all the foreigners coming here. But they will be present. They will be inside. The market is good and this sale has been extremely successful and good value.”

The Jour de Galop recently called Starlet's Sister the `unicorn of Monceaux,' and Bozo took a moment to reflect upon his good fortune in buying her. “We are very lucky and we do mean it. There was no talent in chasing her, a mare with a good pedigree, by Galileo (Ire) from a family we didn't have. We are always investing in young mares, I'm a big believer in young mares, especially when they are by the right sire lines. She was not expensive, and Hubert Guy keeps reminding me about the time he called me about her, and I must say, it has been a life-changing thing. She has been amazing.”

In the beginning, he said, he was looking to breed her to a proven stallion at an affordable price. “That's why we sent her to Myboycharlie,” he said. “He brought some strength and speed. And that was Sistercharlie. And the story keeps going. It's amazing.”

But for Bozo, who looks every bit the part of a man who could top this sale yet again, humility, gratitude and hard work seem the order of the day.

“We have to be grateful for these mares who have put Monceaux on the map and we keep trying to invest in new bloodlines to improve our work, improve our facilities,” he said. “And it's a non-ending adventure.”

And will Sunday be another chapter?

Zerolo said he felt it would. “He's got a wide appeal, it's a great cross, Siyouni over Galileo, and it has already worked. I would imagine he would appeal to a number of people. Best of luck to Henri.”

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Arqana October Comes To A Close

The curtain came down on the five-day Arqana October Yearling Sale on Friday with a low-key session of 99 yearlings that was headed by J.K. Thoroughbreds's filly by Zelzal (Ire) (lot 705), who was bought by Mandore Agency and John Hammond for €41,000. The top-priced colt of the day was a first-crop son of Cloth Of Stars (Ire) (lot 723), and the name on the ticket was once again John Hammond at €30,000.

Friday's trade saw 84.9% of the yearlings offered change hands to add €940,500 to the sale's aggregate. While the average (€11,196) and median (€10,000) were down for the session, they were well up for the sale as a whole. Over the week, 582 yearlings were sold for €26,740,500, a record for the sale and up 48% on 2020, when four fewer horses were sold. The cumulative average of €45,946 marked a 47% jump, while the median climbed 40% to €28,000. Figures were also up on the pre-pandemic 2019 sale, when 414 horses were sold for €16,957,000 at an average of €40,959 and a median of €25,000.

Monceaux was leading vendor at the sale with 26 yearlings sold for €3,464,000, including the sale-topping €440,000 Camelot colt, while Stroud Coleman Bloodstock topped the buyers' table with 15 purchased for €2,395,000.

Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said in a statement, “After last year's sale that produced mixed results in an uncertain environment, we can only be satisfied with these figures. They have exceeded all our expectations. A total of 63 horses were sold for €100,000 or more and demand remained very strong from start to finish, as evidenced by the 83% of horses sold and with French and international purchases from England, Ireland, USA, Scandinavia, Australia, Germany, Spain, Japan, Eastern Europe etc. We would like to thank all of our buyers, who never stop increasing, for their confidence. We must also salute the work and endurance of our consignors. All this would not be possible without them. Since August more than 900 yearlings have already been sold. A final session devoted to the flat followed by the cream of

the National Hunt yearlings is still to come at the Autumn Sale next month.”

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€1.5-Million For Son Of Siyouni

French champion sire Siyouni (Fr) provided the second millionaire of the Arqana August Yearling Sale when Ecurie des Monceaux's colt out of Cercle de la Vie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 152) fetched €1.5-million to the bid of Oliver St Lawrence on behalf of Fawzi Nass. Cercle de la Vie is a full-sister to Group 1 winners Highland Reel (Ire) and Cape Of Good Hope (Ire), and her current 2-year-old, who was a private purchase at €120,000 by Jamie McCalmont in Deauville last summer, is Angel Bleu (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who won last month's G2 Vintage S. for owner Marc Chan and trainer Ralph Beckett.

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Haspel On Trail Of Success

DEAUVILLE, France–There were tears of delight from breeder Jose Delmotte and his friend and agent Marc-Antoine Berghgracht following the sale of Delmotte's Kingman (GB) filly (lot 62) for a session-leading €950,000 on Saturday evening at Arqana.

From the Juddmonte family of young sire Calyx (GB), the filly's dam Needleleaf (GB) (Observatory {GB}) was bought as an unraced 2-year-old from the Juddmonte draft at Tattersalls December Sale by Berghgracht six years ago for 60,000gns. The sister to Group 1-winning sprinter African Rose (GB) has already hit the big time with her second foal, Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who provided a welcome update to an already strong catalogue page last month by winning the G2 Superlative S. for Godolphin. It was that same outfit that came calling for the statuesque yearling, whose breeding so closely resembles that of G2 Coventry S. winner Calyx, who is by the same sire and is out of another full-sister to Needleleaf, the Group 3 winner Helleborine (GB).

Delmotte, who owns Haras d'Haspel in Normandy and offered just one yearling during the select part of the August Sale, said, “It's a great sale. I heard all the wonderful compliments people were paying her, that she was exceptional, fabulous.”

He added, “Marc-Antoine has always tried to push me in the right direction to try and improve the quality of our mares. And whoever you speak to in the world of bloodstock, they always tell you that the model breeding operation is Juddmonte. So whenever we are at a sale [in Newmarket] we always look to see what they have that corresponds to our needs that might be somewhere near our budget.”

Delmotte sold Native Trail as a foal at the Arqana December Sale for €50,000 and he eventually found his way into Charlie Appleby's stable after being offered as a breezer by Norman Williamson of Oak Tree Farm at the Craven Sale in April.

The breeder continued, “With her brother he was already very big, which is why we sold him as a foal because we were worried that later on he would be the size of a hunter. Of course he ended up eventually being bought by Godolphin and that has worked out very well. It's a wonderful story and it is a story of friendship with Marc-Antoine.”

The agent himself was at first too overcome to speak, but after hugging Delmotte, he added, “It's very emotional because in this profession you have to be able to take the rough with the smooth and Jose has known plenty of setbacks. But now he has this wonderful mare producing these excellent horses, and he also has the sister of St Mark's Basilica (Fr) on his farm as well.”

Berghgracht continued, “It's all about teamwork and he and the team at Haras d'Haspel really deserve this. You never know with horses. He had a filly by Siyouni who knocked herself in her box on Thursday and had to be withdrawn. It can happen at any time. Now he is in the fortunate position of having this wonderful mare who is from a great operation and who is still young. Who knows where she could lead?”

The pandemic-affected 2020 sales season meant that there was no Arqana August Sale last year, but comparing Saturday's figures to those recorded at the same session in 2019 saw a slight rise in the clearance rate to 72% for 57 sold from 79 offered. The average and median were both down, if such a comparison is a fair one, to €202,930 (-29%) and €170,000 (-23%).

Monceaux's Early Splash

An early echo of last year's €2.5 million sale-topper was provided when lot 17 was knocked down at €750,000 an hour into the Arqana August Yearling Sale.

Vendor, buyer and sire were all repeated when Oliver St Lawrence and Fawzi Nass plumped for a Dubawi (Ire) yearling sold by Ecurie des Monceaux. This one was a colt, however, and the dark bay is the second foal of the LNJ Foxwoods homebred G3 Prix Minerve winner Golden Valentine (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), herself out of a half-sister to the Wertheimer brothers' celebrated Goldikova (Ire).

“This lovely Dubawi colt caught our eye at an early stage and the owner was keen to buy him,” said St Lawrence, who confirmed that he will race for the Saudi-based KHK Racing, which part-owns last year's sale-topper, a half-sister to Arc winner Sottsass (Fr) who has been named Pure Dignity (GB).

“He will be trained in the UK,” the agent added.

Bred in partnership by Monceaux and LNJ Foxwoods, the colt is a grandson of the G3 Prix Cleopatre winner Gold Round (Ire), who was bought from the Wertheimer draft carrying Golden Valentine in the same ring in 2012 for €520,000 by Alex Solis. Golden Valentine's first foal is a Galileo (Ire) colt named Shadowfax (GB) who sold for €450,000 at last year's Select Sale and is now in training with John and Thady Gosden in Newmarket under the ownership of Qatar Racing and LNJ Foxwoods.

St Lawrence had his bidding boots on early and also claimed the first Roaring Lion yearling to pass through the ring in Europe for €140,000. Lot 4 was offered by Haras d'Etreham and is out of the Pivotal (GB) mare Every Time (GB) from the immediate family of G1 Moyglare Stud S winner Cursory Glance (Distorted Humour) and Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), a Grade I winner on the American turf for Chad Brown.

Ecurie des Monceaux, which ended the session as leading vendor by aggregate with 15 sold for €3,357,000, was also responsible for the third-top lot of the session, a filly by the late champion sire Galileo (Ire) out of the listed-placed Johannesburg mare Militante (Ire).

“They've stopped making Galileos and he has been such a world-changing sire,” lamented David Redvers after signing for the chestnut half-sister to the G3 Prix de Lieurey winner Wind Chimes (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) at €600,000.

He added of lot 56, who was bought for Qatar Racing, “She is strong and correct–everything we want in a filly to add to our broodmare band–and I thought she was good value at that price. She has come off the best farm in France and she will remain in France to be trained.”

From Trotting To Galloping

Florent Fonteyne of Trotting Bloodstock had a productive five minutes when buying consecutive lots from the Haras de Colleville draft for €220,000 and €380,000. The fillies are both daughters of the young Colleville resident and leading sophomore sire Galiway (GB), with the latter, lot 31, being a full-sister to the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagaradere winner and this season's G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Sealiway (Fr).

“We were very keen to buy from France's leading breeder Guy Pariente and it is possible he may keep a share in the fillies,” said the young agent, who noted that he was acting on behalf of owners Thomas Lines and Ronan Kerdraon, who race as SARL Groupe KR and have 12 horses in training. The partnership began its involvement in Thoroughbred racing just two years ago, having had a previous involvement in trotting.

He added, “The clients have sent mares to Galiway and are fans of the stallion.”

Sealiway's sister has already been named Seagala (Fr) by her breeder and she is a daughter of the listed Prix Herod winner Kensea (Fr), who is by Galiway's stud-mate Kendargent (Fr).

She followed into the ring a filly bred on exactly the same Galiway-Kendargent cross who is also a sister to group winner and out of a group-winning mare. In the case of lot 30, she is a sibling to another smart juvenile in Kenway (Fr), winner of the G3 Prix La Rochette, and a daughter of the G3 Prix Eclipse winner Kendam (Fr), who was also third in the G1 Prix de la Foret. If a formula works, why not repeat it?

Trio For Godolphin

Anthony Stroud and David Loder, in Deauville on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed and in the company of trainer Charlie Appleby, were the leading buyers in the name of Godolphin with three yearlings bought for €1,500,000. The majority of that tally was accounted for by the day's top lot, but they also signed for lot 68, a Lope De Vega colt bred and consigned by Ballylinch Stud.

The chestnut, bought for €350,000, is the first foal of Normandel (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who won a listed race in the colours of her breeder Gerard Augustin-Normand when trained by Pia Brandt and later won the G3 Park Express S. for Ballylinch and Jim Bolger.

Normandel is a full-sister to La Pyle (Fr), whose son Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {GB}) won this season's G1 Coronation Cup, and a half-sibling to Augustin-Normand's G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mont Ormel (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}).

The colt was one of two by Lope De Vega bought by Godolphin on Saturday, along with lot 10, another first foal, this one out of dual winner Front Contender (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and bought for €200,000 from La Motteraye Consignment.

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