In America, the name Casse has always been intrinsically linked with Florida and the 2-year-old markets, almost in the way the Head or de Chambure family names permeate Normandy and the French racing industry. So at first, it comes as a bit of a surprise that one of the most active and enthusiastic participants in [...]

The need to address post-retirement options for Thoroughbred racehorses at the end of their career in France in a more centralized way was the topic of an exploratory meeting held by Godolphin and the Aga Khan Studs yesterday at the Arqana Sales Complex in Deauville. The event was attended by industry executives, farm owners and [...]

An auction of sought-after stallion seasons and season options will be held in the Arqana sales ring in Deauville tonight, Friday, at 5:30 p.m. to raise money to help combat a mega-landfill project in Nonant-le-Pin, France, in the heart of Normandy's breeding region. The sale is organized by Arqana and the Association Sauvegard des Terres [...]

`Luxury brands' has been the theme of Arqana's campaign for the 2015 December Breeding Stock sale, and there is no consignment for whom the description is more fitting than that of Wertheimer et Frere. The brothers, Alain and Gerard, of course, are the owners and operators of the world's leading global luxury brand, Chanel, and [...]

U.S. participation at the Arqana December sale has grown over the past few years to the point that you're as likely to hear English being spoken–often with an American accent–as you are French. It couldn't be long, then, until pedigrees appealing to both Europeans and Americans would start to shine in Deauville. Embellishment (Ire) (lot [...]

Over the past several years, it has become increasingly rare to find a mare in foal to Galileo (Ire) in the marketplace. Two sold in 2014, one in Europe and one in America, and this year, only one, More Hennessy, who brought $1.5 million from Summer Wind Farm at Fasig Tipton November, has come on [...]

The three-day Arqana Autumn sale gets underway at 11 a.m. Monday in Deauville, with buyers, consignors and sales officials alike resolved to carry on with the sale despite the terror attacks in Paris Friday night. The sale offers 646 lots in the main catalogue–255 horses in training, 36 2-year-old store horses and 385 flat and [...]

Drive 80 minutes due south of Deauville to the department of Orne to visit one of the perennial leading consignors at the Deauville sales, and you won't find a magnificent 18th century chateau, or be blown away by the gardens. What you'll find is not a showplace, say its owners, but a working farm, with [...]

Four years ago, Nicolas de Chambure took over the reins at Haras d'Etreham, one of the most high-profile breeding and consignment operations in France in the second half of the 20th century. He was 26 years old. Etreham, made famous by his grandfather, Roland de Chambure, who along with Alec Head became known for introducing [...]

A fiberglass statue of American Pharoah, painted by the world's most celebrated equine artist, Pierre Bellocq (PEB) will be on display at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale and auctioned for charity at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's Aug. 9 fundraiser, confirmed Fasig CEO Boyd Browning. Fasig-Tipton, of course, offered the 2015 Triple Crown winner at [...]

The Richard Hannon-trained filly Illuminate (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who made a very favorable impression when winning a Salisbury maiden on her debut in May, is on course for the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot. Her clearcut defeat of stablemate Great Page (Ire) (Roderic O'Connor {Ire}) reads all the better now following the subsequent impressive [...]

Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) faces just 10 rivals as she bids to become only the second filly since 1990 to complete the G1 1000 Guineas-Investec Oaks double at Epsom on Friday, but has the potentially tricky stall one to overcome to do so. Ryan Moore faces the age-old dilemma on Michael Tabor's May 3 [...]