Global Success For Arqana Mares

DEAUVILLE, France–The 2018 European breeding stock sales season comes to a close this weekend in Deauville with four days of selling at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale. While the seaside town and all its Christmas cheer is an attraction in itself, savvy shoppers will be well aware there are still plenty of gifts of the equine variety up for grabs.

While inspections at the Deauville sales grounds were blighted on Friday by periods of heavy rain and wind, buyers from all corners of the globe were still out inspecting mares, fillies and foals, giving reason to believe that the strong international participation witnessed at both Goffs and Tattersalls in recent weeks will continue at the final sale of the year.

And such participation would certainly be merited; the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale has been advertised on a global scale this year, with mares purchased from the sale having produced top-class winners all across Europe, in the U.S., Australia, Japan and South Africa. Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who in October became a Classic winner in Japan's G1 Kikuka Sho, is out of a mare bought by Katsumi Yoshida for €750,000 in 2018. On the other end of the scale, Australian agent Sheamus Mills purchased Suspicieuse (Fr) (Elusive City), the dam of exciting Australian 2-year-old Dubious (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}), for €55,000 in 2013.

Other progeny of mares purchased at Arqana in recent years to win major stakes in 2018 include Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch) and Well Timed (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), winners of the G2 German 1000 Guineas and G1 German Oaks; G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil winner and G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Marmelo (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}); G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern winner Iquitos (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}); G3 Prix de Saint Georges winner City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}); G3 Prix de la Rochette winner The Black Album (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and G3 Prix de Royaumont winner Pollara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). They join a list that includes Group 1 winners like La Cressonniere, Vadamos, Suedois, Danedream, Almanzor, Brametot, Capri, Signs of Blessing and Toronado, whose dams were all purchased at Arqana December.

Pollara's dam, Brooklyn's Storm (Storm Cat), was bought for €70,000 in 2011 and, on the back of Pollara's Group 3 win earlier this year, the mare's Galileo filly foal sold for 1-million gns. In fact, each of the mare's four yearlings to go through the ring since her purchase has reached six figures.

A Raving Beauty (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) was bought privately by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables from the Monceaux consignment at last year's sale for €230,000, and less than a year later after adding the GI First Lady S. to her resume she was bought by Haruya Yoshida for $2-million at Fasig-Tipton November last month. Another Arqana December graduate to perform well of late for the same Chad Brown stable is Rymska (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who was a €35,000 foal in 2014 and sold privately to American interests after winning a listed stake in France. She won four straight races in the U.S. including the Oct. 21 GIII Athenia S. at Belmont-not bad for a €35,000 foal out of a mare that had cost €10,000 carrying her at the same sale the year before.

Arqana released a fine catalogue for the December Breeding Stock Sale in early November, and its quality has since been bolstered by the addition of several well-qualified wildcards. Those include Lily's Candle (Fr) (Style Vendome {Fr}) (lot 160), who returns to the ring where she was scooped up for €15,000 as a foal a year ago. In the interim, she visited Arqana's Arc Sale in October after winning a listed race at Vichy and was bought by Oceanic Bloodstock for €390,000, and she boosted her value even further a day later when winning ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac.

Team Valor's G3 Prix Miesque winner Devant (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) has been supplemented as lot 170, as has Noblesse Oblige (Ity) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) (lot 180), the G3 Premio Dormello winner and one of Italy's top juveniles whose dam was bought for €4,500 carrying her at the Arqana December sale three years ago. The other wildcards include the multiple group-placed 4-year-old Diana Storm (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) (lot 150), a full-sister to German champion and Group 1 winner Dschingis Secret (Ger); and the Group 3-placed Moonlight In Paris (Fr) (Literato {Fr}) (lot 120), in foal to Siyouni (Fr).

Just last week, Issam Fares-the owner of Fares Farm in Kentucky and the breeder of the likes of Da Hoss and Curlin-announced that he will disperse his stock at Arqana's December and February Sales, and four of his young mares have been supplemented to the December sale: the G3 Prix Vanteaux winner Zghorta Dance (Fr) (Le Havre) in foal to Muhaarar (GB) (lot 140); G2 Prix de Pomone winner Baino Hope (Fr) (Jeremy) in foal to Kingman (GB) (lot 190) and her winning half-sister Roman Ridge (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in foal to Wootton Bassett (GB) (lot 110); and listed winner Wedge Trust (Ire) (Zamindar {Fr}) in foal to Gleneagles (Ire).

These late entries bolster a catalogue that includes the typically intriguing consignments of the likes of Wertheimer et Frere and the Aga Khan Studs. The former includes Tiberias (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), a winning half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Silasol (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) from the family of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Solemia and Classic winner The Gurkha (lot 50); Desertiste (GB) (Green Desert), a stakes-producing half-sister to the dam of G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Intello (Ger) in foal to New Approach (Ire) (lot 112) and, from the same family, the 5-year-old Gravitee (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-sister to Intello in foal to Wootton Bassett (lot 159).

The Aga Khan's consignment includes the 5-year-old Talisa (Ire) (Pour Moi {Ire}), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Fidelite (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}) in foal to Shalaa (Ire) (lot 5); and Zerkeriya (Ire) (Soviet Star), a half-sister to Zarkava (Fr) (Zamindar) in foal to Ulysses (GB) (lot 67).

Perennial leading Arqana consignor Ecurie des Monceaux supplies a typically strong draft, including Ma Cherie (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), a winning half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Zagora (Fr) (Green Tune) in foal to Caravaggio (lot 168); Let's Misbehave (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), an unraced three-quarter sister to High Chaparral (Ire) in foal to War Front (lot 188); and Nepali Princess (Ire) (Mr. Greeley), an unraced half-sister to Shalaa (Ire) (lot 139).

Ronald Rauscher (featured in Friday's TDN) brings a draft of 14 from Germany, including triple Group 3 winner Delectation (GB) (Delegator {GB}) (lot 192) and another Group 3 winner in Peace In Motion (Hat Trick {Jpn}) (lot 163).

Stall Salzburg offers two black-type fillies including Night Music (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a dual Group 2-winning half-sister to German Oaks winner Night Magic (Ger) (Sholokhov) (lot 195). Guy Pariente's Haras de Colleville offers a reduction sale that includes the well-bred stakes-producer Cherriya (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}) in foal to Kingman (GB) (lot 185), and G3 Prix Miesque winner Sweety Dream (Fr) (Dream Ahead) in foal to Kendargent (Fr) (lot 218).

La Motteraye Consignment offers the largest consignment on quantity with 27 foals, 19 mares and 16 fillies, and the draft is also big on quality, its foals including the Dubawi filly who is the second foal out of Classic winner Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) (lot 175). The G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner's first foal, a full-brother to this filly, topped the most recent Arqana August yearling sale when sold by La Motteraye and bought by Ballylinch Stud for €1.4-million.

La Motteraye's Gwenael Monneraye said that the filly is more forward than her elder half-brother.

“They are both nice horses, but the filly may be a bit more sharp than the colt–she's all quality,” he said. “She's very much like a Dubawi filly and we are very excited to have her.

“She's a nice filly, she walks well. I saw her in the spring and she developed well through the summer. She's a beautiful filly; David [Redvers] said she was one of the best-looking foals he had at Tweenhills. Even here she stands out in the draft we have.”

The filly is bred by Qatar Racing and China Horse Club, which partnered on the mare at 4.5-million gns at Tattersalls in 2014 when she was offered to dissolve the partnership between Qatar Racing and the Sangster family.

“The partnership is a commercial association; they are willing to sell all the progeny of the dam and they thought this year was a good year to sell as a foal, so we'll see if they're right,” Monneraye said. He added that his team is very grateful to have the support of the breeders.

“We have worked with David Redvers right from the beginning of La Motteraye, and he has always supported us really well,” he said. “We can't thank him enough for letting us sell such good horses. We've been working together since the beginning and it's always worked well.”

Just The Judge's daughter will face some competition from another well-bred filly: lot 113, who is from the second crop of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of the Group 3-placed Desiree Clary (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ger}). The dam was bought by Chantilly Bloodstock carrying this filly at this sale last year for €210,000.

Colleville offers lot 138, a Frankel (GB) colt out of the stakes-winning Restiana (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), and there are also foals by the likes of Camelot (GB), Gleneagles (Ire), Intello (Ger), No Nay Never, Showcasing (GB), Siyouni (Fr) and Wootton Bassett catalogued.

The other breeding stock sales this season have been selective at a possibly unprecedented level, and Arqana President Eric Hoyeau said that while the company is confident the sale's top-of-the-market mares and foals will reward their sellers, the state of the lower tiers of the market is worrisome.

“It is going to be selective; there is no reason to think it will be any different,” he said. “Certainly there is growing interest at the top level and it's more difficult at the lower level.”

Arqana Executive Director Freddy Powell added, “The only difference that we have here compared to the other breeding stock sales [in Europe] is that we've segmented each day. So we start with the best and each day is segmented. We're hopeful that the people who come to buy the first day will buy the second day, and the people that come for the second day will buy the third day.

“We just hope things will go the right way, especially in the middle market. We can be quite confident the high end will go well but the rest will be difficult. We saw the last few weeks that only a few foals were making their nomination price and a lot of mares and foals the last few weeks didn't match the nomination price or just matched it, which is a scary place for breeders.”

The sale begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Monday, and 10 a.m. on Sunday. Tuesday's session, which begins at 11 a.m., is reserved for National Hunt stock and is headlined by the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede breeding stock dispersal.