Quality Abounds At Deauville December

Arqana's December Breeding Stock Sale is the annual finale of the European breeding stock sale season, and this year's catalogue of 962 for Dec. 9 to 12 features drafts from a number of Europe's-and the world's-leading breeders that are high in both quality and quantity.

Renowned owner/breeders like the Aga Khan Studs, Wertheimer et Frere, Godolphin, Haras de Saint-Pair and Ecurie des Monceaux have all indicated that they are selling out of necessity, recent good seasons on the racetrack meaning that they have more high quality fillies than they have space for.

For most of these vendors, too, offering their culls at Arqana has long been an important part of their business plans. When fillies and mares sold through their consignments go on to do well for other breeders it fuels interest in their offerings each December, and breeders can buy with confidence knowing that the breeder is usually still working for them still by developing other members of the families they buy.

A prime example is the Aga Khan Studs, which in recent years has sold, before they produced their top runners, at Arqana the dams of Cartier champion and Classic winner Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and this year's G1 Irish Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris winners Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Shakeel (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), respectively. The stud also sold in Deauville in 2013 Vadawina (Ire) (Unfuwain), who was a Group 2 producer at the time and has since thrown this season's G3 Tyros S. winner and G1 Racing Post Trophy third The Pentagon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and his full-sister who made 1.55-million gns at Tattersalls this year.

“They've sold some really good mares over the last few years in Arqana,” said Arqana's Ludovic Cornuel. “They sold the dam of Almanzor for €16,000, so a lot of breeders could have afforded her. They sold Shamiyra, the dam of Shakeel, this year's Grand Prix de Paris winner, for €190,000 and before that they sold Vadawina, who now has a tremendous record. They've been selling really top-quality mares over the last few years and it's a very good draft again this year.”

Cornuel pointed to Zakia (Fr) (New Approach {Ire}) (lot 197) as a standout of the Aga Khan's 42-horse consignment. The 3-year-old is an unraced half-sister to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and dual Classic winner Zarkava (Fr) (Zamindar), who produced this year's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}).

“It's a unique opportunity to get into that family, and it might be the only opportunity to get a sister to Zarkava, one of the best of all time,” he said. “It's something really exceptional.”

Other highlights of that draft are expected to include Kerila (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) (lot 165), a winning half-sister to two stakes winners in foal for the first time to Siyouni (Fr); Vanzara (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) (lot 91), a 3-year-old half-sister to Vadawina; and Shemiyla (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}) (lot 61), a half-sister to Shakeel's dam and out of the G1 Prix de Diane winner Shemaka (Ire).

Wertheimer et Frere each year exclusively offers its culls in Deauville, and in 2015 it sold Polygreen (Fr) (Green Tune), the dam of this year's G3 Prix du Calvados winner and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac second Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), for €200,000. The Wertheimers offer a consignment of 21 this year, including Polydream's 3-year-old half-sister Siligreen (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 178); Gravitee (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 159), a full-sister to Classic winner and young sire Intello (Ger) in foal to Maxios (Ger); Frame Of Mind (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (lot 181), a 3-year-old half-sister to G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Queen's Jewel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and listed winner Royalmania (GB) (Elusive Quality); the stakes-placed Guerriere (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (lot 141) from the family of Group 1 winners Solemia, The Gurkha and Silasol; and the 3-year-old Vicugna (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), a half-sister to three stakes winners.

“We're very happy to have a very strong draft from the Wertheimers,” said Cornuel. “They're selling really exciting mares. They have a strict policy in terms of mares for their breeding operation and with all the success they've been having over the last few years they can't keep them all and they have to sell some.”

Ecurie des Monceaux, a perennial leading consignor at Arqana's yearling sales and the seller of last year's €1-million top lot Parvaneh (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), offers a very rare commodity this year in the form of Desiree Clary (Ire) (Sholokhov {Ger}) (lot 200), the lone mare offered at auction in Europe this year in foal to American Pharoah.

“Parallel to the success of their yearling programme, the Monceaux draft has been building up and developing considerably over the last few years,” said Cornuel. “They present the only mare in foal to American Pharoah selling in Europe this year, Desiree Clary, and they have two Group 1 winners: Sortilege [lot 184] in foal to Kingman and Molly Malone [lot 163] in foal to Golden Horn. Molly Malone has started her broodmare career very well, having had her first foal [Morgan Le Faye (Shamardal)] run second in a listed race last week. They also have exciting racing prospects in A Raving Beauty [lot 127], who was second in the G1 Premio Lydia Tesio in Italy recently, and Rythmique [lot 137], who was Group 3-placed this year.”

Haras de Saint-Pair's power-packed offering of 10 includes two daughters of G1 Prix Vermeille winner Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio), Pearly Empress (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) (lot 35) in foal to Dariyan (Fr) and Pearly Avenue (GB) (Anabaa) (lot 167) in foal to Kendargent (Fr), as well as German listed winner Nymeria (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) in foal to the Saint-Pair-bred Vadamos (Fr).

Godolphin offers 15, and that stable's representative Lisa-Jane Graffard said, “We have a select bunch of fillies out of training and mares in foal, but they are a very solid and robust bunch. We've had a great year on the track, which means the selection has gotten a little bit tougher, but it still has to be done. Last year at this sale we sold Joyeria, a non-winning daughter of Medaglia d'Oro for €75,000 and she was sold last week at Fasig-Tipton in foal to Frosted for $260,000, and I think there is plenty of value to be found in our draft again this year.”

“There are some really strong physicals this year, to go alongside the pedigrees and I'm impressed at how well the fillies are holding up at a time of year when they often start to look a bit tired and wintry,” said Graffard. “Representing a global operation means that there will be pedigrees to suit buyers from all over the world. We are selling two stakes performers in Agathonia [lot 46] and Bouquet de Flores [lot 212]–both of whom have been incredibly tough and consistent performers on the track. Alongside them we have the one-time winner Spindrift [lot 162, out of a half-sister to Sky Mesa] who has plenty of appeal to the American market and is an imposing type. She's been consistent as well, and is arguably unlucky not to have more wins to her name. Rueing [lot 102], Saxon Rose [lot 104] and Val de Marne [lot 94] are just shy of black-type in France, and are all three attractive fillies with different pedigree profiles that any breeder would be happy to see in their paddock.”

The catalogue also includes 319 weanlings, and Cornuel said there has been an increase in quantity as well as quality.

“We have had a lot of entries and interest from a wider spectrum of vendors in France to sell foals this year, which has not always been the case on the French market.” he said. “As a consequence we have 10% more foals this year and a rise of quality. This year's achievements of Different League and Brametot that were both purchased at affordable prices on the Monday of the sale underlines that there is quality on offer from start to finish.”

This year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Brametot (Fr) (Rajsaman {Fr}) passed through the Deauville ring twice, first in utero when his dam sold for €12,000 in 2013 and again the following year when he was a €26,000 foal. This year's G3 Albany S. winner and dual Group 1-placed Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) also highlights the value available at this sale; she was a €8,000 foal in 2015.

Haras de Grandcamp's Dabirsim is Europe's leading active first-season sire, and there are 17 by him slated to sell including lot 53, Haras de Petit Tellier's half-brother to two stakes winners. Discussing the strength of the French sire ranks, Cornuel said, “Siyouni and Dabirism are two stallions that people are really talking about at the moment. They are well represented in the catalogue, so are the proven Kendargent, Le Havre and Wootton Bassett. Intello is off to a promising start and will have 11 foals offered in Deauville. First-season sires will also be well represented with progeny of Brazen Beau, Gleneagles, Gutaifan, Kingston Hill, Make Believe, Night of Thunder, Outstrip or Prince Gibraltar to name a few.”

Adding some international flavour to the foal ranks is Haras de Colleville's Frankel (GB) colt out of Gooseley Chope (Fr) (Indian Rocket {GB}) (lot 218).

“We are selling a foal by Frankel, a brother to the very precocious Group 3 winner Goken consigned by Haras de Colleville” Cornuel said. “He's a really good-looking individual and is one of the only two Frankel foals catalogued at sales in Europe this year.”

There are four foals by Sea The Stars (Ire) catalogued, including Ronald Rauscher's filly out of Bay of Islands (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 144), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Saddex (GB) (Sadler's Wells).

There is plenty more quality not touched on here, and with the seaside town of Deauville the perfect spot to wrap up the sales season, it's worth the trip to Arqana Dec. 9 to 12.