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Fitting Finale at Arqana as Coolmore go to €1.7 Million for St Mark's Basilica Filly

at 5:01 pm | Back to: Europe, Shared News Europe

Updated: August 19, 2024 at 8:25 am

Monceaux boss Henri Bozo congratulates MV Magnier after Coolmore snapped up the €1.7 million top lot by St Mark's Basilica | Zuzanna Lupa

By Brian Sheerin and Adam Houghton

DEAUVILLE, France – Talk about a fitting finale. After what could only be described as a patchy opening two days to the August Yearling Sale, a St Mark's Basilica (Fr) filly (lot 270) out of Ecurie des Monceaux's blue hen Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) topped Sunday's concluding session at €1.7 million when sold to Coolmore's MV Magnier.

Prudenzia is the gift that keeps giving for Henri Bozo's powerful breeding operation in France. Who could forget her daughter Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who became a brilliant globetrotting filly for the Coolmore partners and Aidan O'Brien after topping this sale at €1.4 million in 2016?

Philomene (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) also commanded top-lot status here in 2019 when selling to Godolphin for €1.625 million and she confirmed herself a classy prospect on the racetrack, too, when landing a Group 3 and chasing home Joan Of Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 2021 Prix de Diane.

Prudenzia is also the dam of Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), herself a winner of the Irish Oaks, and already a fine producer in her own right with three black-type horses–including the classy Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})–flying the flag for the family with distinction. 

The chance to buy into families like Prudenzia's does not come around too often but, just as Bozo was thankful to see Coolmore show their respect for such an opportunity in the sales ring, Magnier paid special thanks to Monceaux for supporting the five-time Group 1-winning and dual Classic hero with such a high-quality mating.

Magnier said, “In fairness to everyone at Monceaux, they took a big risk in sending a mare like her to a first-season sire. We're just very happy for them. St Mark's Basilica was an incredible racehorse – very tough.”

Along with posting the top lot of the entire sale, St Mark's Basilica enjoyed a productive weekend in France with eight lots selling at an average of €446,250 and an aggregate of €3.57 million. Not bad for what was a €65,000 covering fee when he first joined the stallion ranks at Coolmore in 2022. 

Magnier added, “St Mark's Basilica has had an incredible sale these past few days. Listen, a horse who was as tough and as talented as he was – the champion two-year-old and champion-three-year-old – you have to get behind him. We're grateful to Monceaux for supporting him with such a high-class mare and thankfully he came up with a very nice filly. Obviously Prudenzia was bred in partnership with Lady O'Reilly. She was a superb breeder and will be sorely missed by the industry.”

Of the 292 lots offered, 226 were sold at a clearance rate of 77%, representing a 6% drop on last year. The average fell 7% to €217,058 while, perhaps most tellingly, the median dropped by €30,000 to €140,000. The aggregate topped out at €50,237,000, down 11% on last year's figure. 

 

 

Can Lightning Strike Twice For Al Shira'aa With €1m Night Of Thunder?

Al Shira'aa Racing returned to a familiar source with their €1-million purchase of Lot 249, a Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly from the Ecurie des Monceaux draft.

It was at this sale two years ago that the powerful owner-breeder operation went to €320,000 to secure another Night Of Thunder filly consigned by Monceaux. That turned out to be Vespertilio (Fr), the G2 Debutante Stakes winner and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third who belongs to the same family as not one but two of Sunday's top lots.

Not only does Vespertilio share her second dam, Platonic (GB) (Zafonic), with the €1.7-million filly by St Mark's Basilica (Fr), but Platonic also happens to be the third dam of Lot 249, one of five yearlings by Night Of Thunder to sell this week for a total of €3,060,000 and at an average of €612,000.

Noting the similarities with Willie McCreery's stable star, Al Shira'aa's Kieran Lalor said, “We bought Vespertilio from Henri [Bozo] and this filly has a very similar profile. Physically, she has a bit more substance. It's a beautiful family and we loved seeing our filly [Vespertilio] down near the bottom [of the page]. Hopefully, this one works out the same for us.”

He added, “Henri's farm is one of the best breeders and raisers of racehorses, so when we come here we always hope to come out of the sale with one of his stock. We're delighted to have her. The boss loved her and was very brave in fairness to go to a million, but she's a fabulous filly. We'd love it to be the same result as Vespertilio – one level up from Group 2, hopefully.”

The latest filly destined to carry the familiar black and red silks of Al Shira'aa is the second foal out of the Muhaarar (GB) mare Paix (Ire), who gained the biggest success of her career when winning the G3 Prix de Lutece in 2020, following in the footsteps of her own dam, Pacifique (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who won the same race nine years earlier.

 

Look De Vega Team To Train €1m Filly By The Arc Favourite's Sire

Ballylinch Stud set the tempo for what proved to be the strongest of the three days. The sales ground had been abuzz about Lot 240, a filly by resident stallion Lope De Vega (Ire) and out of the stud's Group 3 winner Normandel (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). She didn't disappoint. 

Lighting up the early part of the Sunday session when becoming the first of the three yearlings to break the seven-figure marker, the Lope De Vega filly was knocked down to Oliver St Lawrence on behalf of Victorious Racing for €1 million. 

The agent said, “She wasn't an easy one to get. We loved the filly and Carlos and Yann Lerner will get her to train. They obviously know all about Lope De Vega this year! 

” Fawzi Nass and I had discussed these sorts of figures and it was definitely the top end [of the budget] but she is just a lovely filly – a gorgeous-walking filly. Hopefully she can come back for the Prix de Diane or something. We hope.”

Victorious Racing has already built up a good reputation with the Lerner stable and, as St Lawrence rightly suggested, the team clearly knows a thing or two about the sire given the yard's exploits this season with the French Derby winner and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe favourite Look De Vega (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

“Sheikh Nasser has Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), who we bought at the Arc Sale here last year, in training with Carlos and Yann and he won a Group 1 in Germany the other day,” St Lawrence said.

Reflecting on the market, he added, “I think the nice horses have been very hard to buy. I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to give a million for her. I was reluctant to but Yann was digging me. She is lovely and came from a good nursery.”

 

Talking points

  • Normal service resumed on Sunday with Monceaux-drafted yearlings responsible for three of the top five yearlings sold. All told, Monceaux sold 31 yearlings for a whopping €12.88 million and an average of €415,484. 
  • Al Shaqab was notably strong over the past three days and spent €3.135 million on 10 yearlings. The leading owner-breeder operation ended the sale as the leading buyer. 
  • The Americans were similarly important to the trade. Not least John Stewart of Resolute Racing, who signed for Friday's top lot by Wootton Bassett (GB) at €1.4 million. Resolute ended the weekend as the third-strongest buyer in the ring in terms of aggregate spent after snapping up three well-bred yearlings for €2.17 million collectively. 
  • Of the leading sires, Wootton Bassett and Siyouni (Fr) were similarly well-represented with 21 and 19 yearlings sold respectively. It was Wootton Bassett who came out best at an average of €314,048 and an aggregate of €6.595 million while Siyouni's 19 yearlings fetched €5.177 million at an average of €272,474.
  • There were four millionaire lots at Arqana over the past few days. The exact same number was posted at this sale last year and in 2022 as well.

Flay Active at Arqana from the US

American chef Bobby Flay has been active at the Arqana August sale this week, shopping from home online in the US after a busy summer of traveling. Flay has purchased three lots for a total of €635,000, striking for the most expense of the three, a €250,000 filly (Lot 263) by Siyouni from the Ecurie des Monceaux consignment on the final day of the sale. 

“Most of my focus is the European market, racing in France, England, and Ireland,” said Flay. “I have a bunch of mares over there as well.”

Flay, who is well-known for his astute collection of top families, purchased mares at last year's December Mares Sale and also at Arqana in December. He also recently had the winning bid on a share in Zarak (Fr) at the July Arqana online pop-up sale for €710,000 (although the share was ultimately picked up by existing shareholders during the 30 day holding period). 

“My focus is on sales like this Arqana sale,” said Flay. “I just love the Arqana sale. I feel like there are really good families, really great physicals, and some really good value.”

Mangan Strikes For €650k Siyouni Filly

Jane Mangan has been a familiar face at Arqana all week and the former amateur jockey and broadcaster got in on the action during the final session when signing for lot 285 on behalf of the Thoroughbred Racing Corporation Limited.

Perhaps best known for racing top-class talents such as Derby hero Oath (Ire) and the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness Stakes winner War Emblem around the turn of the century, the Thoroughbred Corporation has returned to the fold in recent years with a handful of horses in training with John and Thady Gosden, including the G2 Park Hill Fillies' Stakes third Lmay (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

The question now is whether the team's historic green and white silks can get back to where they once were as a regular sight at the top level, but it certainly won't be for the want of trying if the €650,000 purchase of this Siyouni (Fr) filly is anything to go by.

Consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux, she is the second foal out of a Lope De Vega (Ire) half-sister to the G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Saturday's G2 Prix de Pomone victrix Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), both bred and raced by Wertheimer and Frere.

“It's an incredible family,” Mangan summed up. “The Wertheimers do a wonderful job with their breeding and she's come from Ecurie des Monceaux, an incredible house. 

“Prince Faisal bin Ahmad [of the Thoroughbred Corporation] was here during the week. He saw her and liked her. We've been trying to buy well-bred fillies here for the last three days, but it's been very tough for the right horses. We feel very lucky to get her.”

Mangan added, “She'll go back to the UK, we'll get her broken and then we'll give her a break. It's August, so it's nice and early, and she's a February foal. We'll be in no rush–she's got a Classic pedigree and there's plenty of time for that.”

 

Mandore Making Hay on Back of Good Season

Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International has been one of the busiest agents at Arqana over the last few days, signing for yearlings for Al Shaqab Racing, Gerard Augustin-Normand and Jean-Claude Seroul. 

“We've got the best two-year-old in France right now, Houquetot (Fr), so we try again this year. It has always been a good sale for us. We bought Place Du Carrousel (Ire), Zarakem (Fr), Unquestionable (Fr), Little Big Bear (Ire), and Qemah (Ire) from this sale – all Group 1 winners,” he said.

Among the yearlings signed for by de Watrigant were three by the sale's leading first-season sire St Mark's Basilica (Fr), including the half-sister to Group 1 winner Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) for €550,000.

“I have been very impressed by what I've seen by the sire,” he said. “We'll see from the sales coming but his stock here had a lot of quality. They looked mature with good balance and they were strong animals who looked to have a good attitude. They looked like racehorses, and that's what the buyers are looking for. They had a lot of Siyouni about them and of course they were both really good two-year-olds, so it looks like his stock could have some precocity as well.”

The agent also manages the interests of Alain Jathiere, the part-owner of Birthe (Fr) (Study Of Man {Ire}) who ran second in Sunday's G2 Prix Alec Head, and owner of the G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Puchkine (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).

“Birthe is with a very talented young trainer, Laura Vanska, who will decide whether she goes next for the Prix Vermeille or the Prix de l'Opera,” he said. “She has done an absolutely great job with her.

“M. Jathiere will remain involved with Puchkine when he stands at Haras de Beaumont next year, and M. Augustin-Normand will also be involved along with the Chehboub family, so Puchkine will have a great chance and, as a son of Starspangledbanner, will be a great addition to the French stallion ranks next year.”

Kingman Filly Bound for Japan after Making €520k for “Thrilled” Applewood Family

The husband-and-wife team of Philippe Brosset and Ciara O'Connor offered two yearlings in just their second year of consigning at the Arqana August Sale and it was all smiles for the pair after Lot 301, a Kingman (GB) filly out of a half-sister to the G1 Preis der Diana heroine Serienholde (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), sold to Japanese jockey-turned-trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka for €520,000.

Operating under the banner of their family-run Applewood Stud, Brosset and O'Connor offered the filly on behalf of Gestut Wittekindshof and were understandably delighted with a sale which they hope will serve as an advertisement for their budding farm.

“We're just thrilled with the result and so excited,” said Brosset. “We'd had a few hiccups and little things which make you wonder if you're going to make it. But we expected her to make good money because she was a nice filly and she showed very well.”

He added, “It's great for us, our small place and the family. It's a team effort and this is a great advertisement. My main goal is to raise Group 1 winners and to sell a good horse for a client is brillian – it shows that we can do the job.”

As well as being a German Classic winner, Serienholde has already proved herself as a top-class producer as the dam of Schnell Meister (Ger), the winner of the G1 NHK Mile Cup in Japan and by the same sire as this filly–something that clearly hadn't gone unnoticed by Tanaka.

“I'm planning to ship this filly back to Japan,” he said. “Her pedigree has a special relationship with Japanese racing and I'm expecting a lot. She's by Kingman who is siring lots of winners in Japan, including a two-year-old I train who is doing very, very well. The Kingmans have very good speed which is essential to racing in Japan.”

 

 

End-Of-Sale Statement

Arqana president Olivier Delloye and managing director Freddy Powell said, “Once again this year, the August Yearling Sale welcomed a wide variety of buyers to Deauville, both regulars and newcomers. Japan and the United States were particularly active, together with Europe, the Middle East and Australia. The 2024 edition was just behind last year's record-breaking sale, with sales once again topping the €50-million mark and the percentage of horses sold at 77%, which remains more than respectable for a select sale in the current economic climate. It should also be noted that the 11 top priced horses were sold to 11 different buyers. These results would not have been possible without the confidence of our buyers and the work of our vendors, whom we would like to thank warmly, as well as our teams, who work tirelessly to ensure the success of our sales. We will now be concentrating on the v.2 Yearling Sale, which we hope will follow on from the results of the August Sale.”

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