By Emma Berry
DEAUVILLE, France—George Bolton didn't make it to Deauville when the flying filly Lady Aurelia won the G1 Darley Prix Morny but the American owner-breeder ensured that his first visit to Arqana did not go unnoticed when, through Kerri Radcliffe, he bought the top lot on day one of the October Sale.
Consigned by Eric L'hermite's Haras de Grandcamp as lot 77, the Siyouni (Fr) half-sister to Group 3 winner Evasive's First (Fr) (Evasive) led all comers through the first select session at €360,000 and she will remain in Europe to be trained after Radcliffe outstayed both Anthony Stroud and Michel Zerolo among the early bidders.
“I love how the French and the English raise their horses,” said Bolton, who, in partnership with Sheila Rosenblum, also bought a No Nay Never filly for 650,000gns at Book 1 of Tattersalls October Sale.
He continued, “Their horses don't have steroids or surgeries and that's why we decided to come to this sale today. This horse is exactly the type that we buy—muscular, fast-looking, big girth, lots of potential in her. I'd have rather spent €250,000 than €360,000 but other people were here. The goal is to give her the chance to be what she can be.”
From a slightly faltering start which saw a high number of buy-backs with the first hour or so, the first session gradually hit its stride to finish only slightly down on the figures set last year. The clearance rate picked up to end just a point down at 78% after 165 of the 211 yearlings offered found a buyer. Collectively they brought a first-day tally of €10,951,000, down by 14% on last year's opening day, with a median of €50,000 (down from €57,000) and average of €66,370, representing a drop of 10%.
“There was a definite strength in depth at the top end of the market, as showed by the 8 yearlings – one more than a year ago – which commanded €200,000 or more and were knocked down to 7 individual buyers,” commented CEO Eric Hoyeau. “It was also pleasing to welcome a number of new faces at this sale, who had travelled to Deauville from America, Australia, and a number of European countries. However, we proved a bit short in quality individuals to fit the requirements of the many international investors who were present in Deauville, and whose standards tend to be particularly unbending in the current selective market. When the dust settles we will review the sale thoroughly in conjunction with our vendors and no stone will be left unturned in our endeavour to produce a more effective event both from a buyers' and vendors' perspective next year.”
Monceaux Once More
There was also an American connection to the top colt of the sale (lot 173), a €280,000 son of Camelot (GB), whose prowess was again underlined just an hour before the colt sold when Coolmore's King Of Leogrance (Ire) won the listed Prix Vulcain on at the racecourse right next to the sales complex.
Ecurie des Monceaux consigned the half-brother to the G1 Racing Post Trophy runner-up Johann Strauss (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) for breeder Gary Chervenell, who was in Deauville with his wife Jane and said, “We're extremely delighted. The mare is beautiful and she produces beautiful babies who have all been good runners. Mr. Bozo [of Monceaux] does such a good job and the French premiums are a huge incentive to breed horses in this country.”
Like his half-brother before him, the Camelot colt will race for the Coolmore partners after Nicolas de Watrigant signed for him on behalf of MV Magnier.
Monceaux was also the consignor of lot 133, a daughter of Invincible Spirit (Ire) out of the Group 3-placed Demurely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) bought by Laurent Benoit of Broadhurst Agency for €270,000. With 24 yearlings sold during the first day for a total of €2,387,000, Ecurie des Monceaux was again the name at the top of the vendors' list and was ahead from early in the sale when Jeremy Brummitt placed just one bid of €210,000—enough to make Australian agent John Foote step aside—and signed for lot 18, another colt by Camelot, this time from the farm's signature family.
“You can see what Montjeu has done with this family,” said Brummitt of the half-brother to G3 Prix de Lutece winner Pacifique (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). His dam's half-sister Prudenzia (GB) (Dansili {GB}) has also produced one of Montjeu's leading lights, the G1 Darley Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Ire).
He added, “It's a charismatic family and I think it's just what that hot Montjeu blood wants—a touch of sangfroid. I'm very lucky that I was allowed to buy the pick of the sale and he'll go to England.”
The agent later went to €120,000 for one of only two fillies by the late Samum (Ger) in the catalogue (lot 101). Bred by Gestut Karlshof, the former home of the stallion, and offered by Haras du Mézeray, the filly is a sister to the Group 1 winners Baila Me (Ger) and Be Fabulous (Ger).
“It was a conflict of interests really. I wanted her myself but I had to buy her for a client and I always try to do the best for my clients. She had the prettiest head I've ever seen on a mare. I suppose I should have looked at the rest of her but the head was enough for me,” quipped Brummitt.
Sheikh Continues Support Of Devin
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid invested heavily during the previous fortnight's Tattersalls October Sale and he was the buyer of one of Tuesday's pricier colts (lot 90), a colt by Sea The Stars (Ire), who will be trained in Chantilly by Henri-Francois Devin, the recipient of a number of yearlings this season for the sheikh. Stephen Hillen went to €250,000 for the Haras d'Etreham consignee, the second foal of the dual-winning Medicean (GB) mare Amarysia (Fr) whose first colt by Nathaniel (Ire), the 3-year-old Sejo (Fr), has already won twice.
“Henri-Francois Devin loved the horse,” said the agent. “We saw him two or three times yesterday and he walked well every time, very professionally.”
Shadwell Double
A Siyouni yearling was also on the shopping list of the Shadwell team, which secured lot 216, a the first foal of the winning Street Cry (Ire) mare Melbourne Shuffle from the Fairway Consignment for €240,000. The 6-year-old mare is out of a sister to G1 Fillies' Mile winner Listen (Ire) and also Sequoyah (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), the dam of 2000 Guineas winner Henrythenavigator.
Earlier in the session, Simon Crisford, acting on behalf of Sheikh Hamdan, had also signed for lot 50, another first foal, this time a colt by Lope De Vega (Ire) out of a half-sister to G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. winner Illuminate (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}).
The early January foal, who brought the hammer down at €220,000, was offered by Gwenael Monneraye and Lucie Lamotte's La Motteraye Consignment, which topped the August sale in Arqana when selling a Dubawi (Ire) colt out of the Irish Classic winner Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}).
Nearing end of the day, trainer Christophe Ferland found himself with a new Intello (Ger) colt on the books when going to €200,000 for lot 184 on behalf of owner Gerard Laboureau. Like the dual Group 3 winner Young Rascal (Fr), another son of Intello, the colt was bred by at Haras de Saint-Laurent by Elisabeth Fabre who would have better insight than most to the traits of the young Cheveley Park Stud stallion as he was trained at the stable of her husband, Andre, in Chantilly.
An abbreviated second day of trade at Arqana starts at 3 p.m. local time today.
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