A colt (lot 251) and a gelding (182), both by Zarak (Fr), make €240,000 and €125,000, respectively, to fill the first two places as the Arqana Summer Sale kicked off in Deauville on Wednesday. The pair of stores were both sold by the Channel Consignment.
Thursday's topper, who set a new record top price for a store at the sale, is out of a full-sister to G1 Prix Cambaceres hero Nirvana Du Berlais (Fr) (Martaline {GB}) and went to the session's leading buyer Guy Petit on behalf of Edward James. Sold as Nietzsche Has (Fr), the February-foaled colt is also related to Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Aubusson (Fr) (Ballingarry {Ire}) and two-time graded-scoring jumper Triana Du Berlais (Fr) (Presenting {GB}).
“He's a lovely well-made colt,” said Edward James. “He'll go to England to be pre-trained and we hope that he can make into a good racehorse and then stallion in the future.”
About midway through the sale, the son of the Grade 3-placed Chata Joana Has (Fr) (Dream Well {Fr}) caught the eye of Bertrand Le Metayer of BLM Bloodstock. Named Nabab Has (Fr), the gelding is out of a half-sister to listed-winning jumpers Na Has (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}) and Namour Has (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}).
“He's a colt that looks ready made to run at three at Auteuil,” said the agent. “I've bought him with Mr. Rolland and Arnaud Chaille-Chaille.”
The Channel Consignment was the leading vendor, with 16 sold for an average of €77,125 and a gross of €1,234,000.
Fresh off siring Sunday's G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger), Sea The Moon (Ger) was also the sire of note of the top-priced 2-year-old on the day, lot 36. Consigned by Knockanglass Stables, the son of Apura (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) went to Nicolas de Watrigant's Mandore International Agency and Alessandro Botti for €85,000. His dam is a half-sister to the Domedriver (Ire) horse Three Bodies (Ire), who won the Listed Prix Ridgway and was second in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano. Japanese Oaks heroine Erin Court (Jpn) (Durandal {Jpn}) is under the third dam.
“I think he's one of the best colts in the sale, said Alessandro Botti. “He is by Sea The Moon, a good stallion, and his dam has already produced two winners. We've bought him for Mr. Jathiere and one of my clients. We're very happy and I'm looking forward to him joining my stable.”
Of the 222 offered on Thursday, 182 sold (81.9%) sold for a gross of €6,157,250. The average was €33,831 (+3%) and the median rose to €24,000 (+17%). Nine lots, all stores, sold for six figures.
A new top lot (2 5 1 ) at #SummerSale, offered by @TCC_AcfEquine for Hamel Stud. This colt by Zarak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Zarak @AgaKhanStuds, brother to NIKO HAS, was bought for €240,000 by @GUYPETIT1 for Edward James. A historical top price for stores at this sale! pic.twitter.com/CHrllvyROq
— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) July 5, 2023
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