An unnamed colt from the first crop of Mehmas (Ire) was the leading flat offering from Monday's Arqana Summer Sale, with lot 13 hammered down to Nicky Bertran de Balanda for €100,000. Mehmas currently leads the European first-season sires table by winners with nine and he registered his first stakes winner on the weekend when Method (Ire) took the Listed Rose Bowl S. This colt's dam is a half-sister to the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Vale Of York (Ire). De Balanda said, “He's a lovely colt. His sire was a good juvenile and his offspring seem to be following in his footsteps, with another good winner this weekend. He'll go into training with Francis-Henri Graffard.”
The Mehmas colt is the first horse consigned by Laura Vanska. A Godolphin Flying Start graduate, Vanska served as an assistant to Nicolas Clement before starting her own breaking and pre-training operation in Chantilly less than two years ago.
“He arrived with us in November and has been working with our other horses,” Vanska said. “He's a colt that has not stopped improving. We were meant to offer him at the Breeze-Up in May, but for logistical reasons, we waited for this sale. I was confident in his breeze, and thought he wouldn't disappoint us. I'm really happy for all my team.”
The Summer Sale-typically a two-day affair but this year reduced to one-offered a mix of flat and National Hunt prospects. Leading trade overall was the 3-year-old gelding Prunay (Fr) (Prince Gibraltar {Ire}) (lot 142) a wildcard entry who was third in the G3 Prix Aguado on July 4 on his second start over jumps. He was bought by Toby Jones for €240,000 and is bound for Ireland.
“I've bought him for one of my long-standing clients,” Jones said. “He'll go to Ireland. He really stood out–he's a good-looking individual and is still a maiden that could go over fences. He really ticks all the boxes.”
The Wertheimer et Frere-bred 3-year-old filly Night And Day (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) also looks bound for the jumping sphere, having been bought by Highflyer Bloodstock for €90,000. Lot 212, whose second dam is the excellent producer Magnificient Style-dam of Group 1 winners Nathaniel (Ire), Playful Act (Ire) and Great Heavens (GB)-was beaten a short head when second at Angers on June 5.
Another 3-year-old filly from the Wertheimer draft that proved popular was Humble (GB) (Cacique {Ire}) (lot 74), a once-raced maiden bought by Arthur Hoyeau for €80,000. She is a half-sister to the G3 Prix Vanteaux winner Platane (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and a granddaughter of Gold Round, herself a half-sister to the great Goldikova (Ire).
While 257 horses were catalogued for the Summer Sale just 198 went through the ring. Of those, 152 (76.8%) were sold at an average of €19,030 and a median of €9,000. The aggregate was €2,892,500.
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