Saturday evening's Arqana Arc Sale is always a boutique affair, and Sumbe's Ramadan (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) went the way of Vin Cox signing for Lion Rock Bloodstock's Ben Kwok of Hong Kong for €1.5 million to top the sale at Saint-Cloud. He was one of four seven-figure lots to sell among the 40 offered with the gross passing the €10-million mark for the first time.
Consigned by Christopher Head, the bay son of Raushan (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) (lot 41) and half-brother to G3 Hoppings Stakes second Rasima (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) is a homebred for Nurlan Bizakov's operation. Besides collecting the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein earlier in the day, Ramadan has also accrued victories in the G3 Prix Daphnis, G3 Prix de Fontainebleau and Listed Prix Omnium II throughout the year.
His dam is a full-sister to G1 Pretty Polly Stakes heroine Chinese White (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) with the duo out of G3 Blandford Stakes winner Chiang Mai (Sadler's Wells), herself a half-sister to G1 Prix de Diane victress Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}), who is the dam of influential stallions Invincible Spirit (Ire) (Green Desert) and Kodiac (GB) (Danehill).
At the close of trade 25 horses sold from the 40 offered for a gross of €10,380,000 (+5.8%). The clearance rate was 62.5%. Gains were also made in both the median, €280,000 (+14.3%) and average, €415,200 (+35.4%).
In 2023, 32 horses sold from 42 offered (76%) for a gross of €9,811,000. Last year's average and median were €306,594 and €245,000, respectively.
The seven-figure lots were closely clustered together, and the sale was just over halfway through when Highflyer Bloodstock signed the ticket at €1.4 million for G1 Deutsches Derby hero Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) (lot 34). Part of the OH Consignment, the 3-year-old son of stakes winner and G1 Premio Lydia Tesio second Path Wind (Fr) (Anabaa) is a half-brother to Panjari (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a stakes winner in both France and Germany.
Bred by Gestut Fahrhof, Palladium originally made €80,000 as a BBAG September yearling on the bid of Liberty Racing. That entity, run by Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, won the 2023 edition of the German Derby with Sea The Moon (Ger)'s Fantastic Moon (Ger). Fantastic Moon runs in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, while Palladium is booked into the G2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club in Milan next weekend.
Just four lots after the sale of G1 German Derby hero Palladium, the Aga Khan Studs' Zarir (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) stepped into the Saint-Cloud ring. Offered by his breeder, lot 38 caught the eye of Vin Cox on behalf of Paulins Racing to the tune of €1.3 million. From the same female family as Arc heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar), the 4-year-old gelding has been placed in the G1 Prix Ganay, G3 La Coupe and G2 Prix Foy this season. He holds an entry in the G2 Bahrain International Trophy in mid-November, but his participation is doubtful with Australia firmly to the fore for his new connections.
“He'll go to Australia,” said Cox. “He looks to have the potential to be a good stayer. We're delighted to have been able to get a horse of his quality and bred by the Aga Khan Studs, and we can't wait to see him run Down Under.”
The penultimate lot in the ring at lot 54, Trafalgar Square (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) duly attracted plenty of attention and hammered at €1.15 million to Libyan owner Omar Ismil Sh Ghrghar as the fourth seven-figure horse of the night. The 3-year-old gelding, a listed winner in April, also sports a trio of group placings on his record prior to a win in the valuable Arqana Series des 3 Ans on Aug. 15. The Ecurie X-bred was two lengths adrift of Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) when second in the G2 Prix Chaudenay on Saturday. An €80,000 Arqana August yearling when purchased by Yellow Agency, he is a half-brother to the stakes-winning G1 Prix Marcel Boussac second and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third Times Square (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}).
Ghrghar also bought the Make Believe (GB) colt Believer (Fr) from Gianluca Bietolini for €150,000. The 2024 dual winner went through the ring as lot 12.
Arqana's president Olivier Delloye and executive director Freddy Powell said, “We would like to thank our vendors for the exceptional horses that they have entrusted us with this evening, as well as our buyers who have once again turned out in force. Some of them have been coming for decades. Their trust in us enables this sale to establish itself a little more as an unrivalled international event each year.”
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