Offered by the sale's top vendor Haras de Bouquetot, lot 308 made €315,000 from the sale's leading buyer, BBA Ireland. Already the dam of the French listed winner Jouza (Ire) (Toronado {Ire}), the 10-year-old is a half-sister to group winners Above Average (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Sent From Heaven (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), as well as the listed winner Freyja (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and a full-sibling to the G3 Bart Cummings H. second Granddukeoftuscany (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

“She's a very nice mare,” said BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, who was buying in tandem with fellow BBA Ireland agent Eamon Reilly. “She'll first go to Ireland have her foal, and then we'll decide afterwards which stallion she'll be covered by. She's been bought for one of our clients.”

The leading buyer with nine acquired for €743,000 over two days of selling, BBA Ireland also signed for lot 249, Zerziyna (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), at €200,000. Part of the Aga Khan Stud's draft, the unraced 4-year-old filly is a granddaughter of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar).

Reilly said, “We've bought her for an Irish client. We're very happy–she's a lovely filly from a great family. She'll be covered by Lucky Vega {Ire}).”

Rounding out the top three was a colt (lot 264) from the first crop of Persian King (Ire), who sold to Hamish Macauley Bloodstock for €105,000. Hailing from the consignment of Camille and Guillaume Vitse's Normandie Breeding, the bay is a half-brother to G3 Prix Texanita heroine Alistair (Fr) (Panis). Group 1 winners Goldmark (Lyphard), Gabina (Caro {Ire}) and Galetto (Fr) (Caro {Ire}) are part of the extended family.

“He's a lovely colt and very athletic,” said Reilly. “He'll go to Tally-Ho Stud, with the objective to give him a bit of time before putting him through the sales again later.”

Wednesday's stats were similar to the 2022 edition, with 128 sold from 159 offered (80.5%) for a gross of €1,981,000. The average rose 3.3% to €15,477, but the median ticked down marginally to €5,500 (-1.5%).

From a smaller overall catalogue that offered 68 fewer horses, the clearance rate was essentially unchanged at 80% for 245 sold of 307 through the ring. The gross was €3,806,000, while the average and median improved by 15.3% (€15,535), and 8.3% (€6,500), respectively.

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