Haras de Beaumont Launches First Consignment at Arqana

Two years ago as breeders and buyers descended upon Deauville for the Arqana December Sale, many made the short drive out to the Chehboub family's newly launched Haras de Beaumont, which sits on a portion of the former Haras du Quesnay estate, to inspect dual Group 1 winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}). Last year was more of the same as visitors dropped in to take in champion three-year-old and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) and this year, they'll be back to visit yet another new arrival in G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Puchkine (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).

At this year's December Sale, the operation is set to open up another new chapter as they debut the Haras de Beaumont consignment. Beaumont has six mares and fillies in training catalogued for the upcoming sale, including three mares in foal to Beaumont-based stallions, plus the Group 3-winning, Group 1-placed Daylight (Fr) (Earthlight {Ire}) and G2 victress Classic Flower (GB) (Calyx).

Pauline Chehboub was on site at Arqana on Thursday morning, overseeing as the first few buyers began making their rounds of inspections.

Group 3-winning juvenile Daylight shows Thursday afternoon at the Beaumont consignment | Katie Petrunyak

“Finally we are not a buyer,” she said with a smile. “We are a vendor, so that changes a lot. This is exciting for us to promote our stallions Sealiway and Ace Impact. When you are lucky to have Daylight and Classic Flower as horses in training, we want to associate Haras de Beaumont with superstars like them so it's very exciting. I love meeting people and horses here from all around the world.”

Daylight, selling as lot 178, headlines Beaumont's line-up. The two-year-old daughter of Earthlight is out of the listed winner Latita (Fr) (Silver Frost {Ire}) and was a winner on debut in May for Gousserie Racing and Sandrine Gavrois. She later became her freshman sire's first stakes winner when she scored in this year's G3 Prix de Cabourg. Also this year, the filly placed in a trio of group outings including a runner-up performance in the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes.

Beaumont will be represented by another filly with plenty of racing left ahead of her in Classic Flower. Also campaigned by Gousserie Racing in partnership with Jean-Etienne Dubois, the daughter of Calyx was a winner on debut last April and closed out her juvenile season with a score in the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte. This year at three, she was runner-up in a pair of Group 3 starts. Classic Flower, who is from the same family as Group 2 victress Beshaayir (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), will sell as lot 191.

“We've got two proper top-class racing fillies in Daylight, who is one of the best two-year-olds in Europe this year–and I'm sure there will be plenty more to come next year as a three-year-old–and Classic Flower, who was a top-class two-year-old and raced on at three,” said farm manager Mathieu Alex. “We were asked to sell horses and we are very happy that it's a high-level consignment. I think for a farm like us, it's important to be here at the sales and be present. The great thing about sales and when you're selling horses is that you're meeting a lot of people.”

Alex pointed out a few other stars of the consignment that will sell during the opening session on Saturday including Tigrais (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}), who sells as lot 156, Rosir (Fr) (Style Vendome {Fr}), selling as lot 222, and Near Amore (Ger) (Amaron {GB}), selling as lot 107.

“Tigrais is a very, very good-looking mare,” said Alex. “She's a young mare, only covered for the first time this year [but not in foal at the time of sale], and she's a Group 3 winner at two, which is exciting. We've also got a mare called Rosir who is a half-sister to Rougir (Territories{Ire}), a Group 1 winner that we raced and sold here a few years ago. Near Amore is a stakes-placed mare in foal to Ace Impact, so that's also exciting.”

Group 3 winner Tigrais sells as lot 156 | Katie Petrunyak

Alex said that based on the results of the breeding stock sales in England and Ireland, he has high hopes for more of the same lucrative market for sellers in France.

“Obviously Tattersalls and Goffs has been very, very strong the whole year with foals, yearlings and now mares so we are hoping that Deauville will also be very strong,” he explained. “I feel that on the first day there's a very, very strong catalogue, so why not?”

Alex added that a yearling consignment may be on the agenda for Beaumont someday in the future.

“It's difficult to know exactly when, but we'll try to be here again with high-class horses,” he said.

Looking ahead to 2025, Chehboub and the rest of the Beaumont team will be busy with their largest roster yet of five stallions, including newcomer Puchkine who will stand for € 8,500.

“In our business, we have to have a new one each year, so in three seasons we've done a lot and we want to continue to support our stallions,” said Chehboub. “We have loyal clients and a good team and we hope it will be a good season.”