Al Wukair

Following the success of the Arqana Online Sale held Jan. 17, a second online sale will be held on Jan. 31 from 3-5 p.m. The catalogue is made up of four stallion shares and breeding rights and five purebred Arabians of racing age. Among the breeding rights and stallion shares will be an interest in dual Group 1 winner The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) (lot 6), a breeding right to multiple Group 2 winner Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) (lot 7), and a share in G1...

It was extremely unlikely that any first-season sire this year would even get close to the record-breaking 56 winners for Mehmas (Ire) in 2020. That feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that the start of the Flat season was delayed for several months by the pandemic-induced shutdown of racing. Leaving this huge tally aside, in any other year 35 first-crop winners at a strike-rate of 40% would be more than respectable, and it is this number, and £788,531 in progeny earnings in 2021, that sees Mehmas's...

Continuing our series featuring feedback on the European stallion with first runners this year, bloodstock agent Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International shares his view with a particular focus on the French scene. He said, "Generally speaking it is always tough to get a strong idea of the first-season sires at this stage but of course we are always keeping our ears open. I'm always a little but careful when the talk is too hot but this time there has been no strong word like we might have had in the...

The wait is very nearly over for the young pretenders we will examine in this fourth installation of our multi-part Value Sires series: stallions with their first runners in 2021. While the full verdicts must be delayed until these are given a fair shake with their first full seasons with 2- and 3-year-olds, the reality is that the first juvenile races in the coming months will be akin to a perpetual Christmas morning in the bloodstock world, with each of us eager to unwrap the packages we have been examining...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a half to a young Group 1-winning sire. 11.25 Deauville, Debutantes, €22,000, 2yo, c/g, 7 1/2f (AWT) VERDERON (IRE) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is a notable newcomer for Godolphin and Andre Fabre on the Polytrack, being a 500,000gns Tattersalls December Foal Sale purchase. The half-brother to...

As the prices have dropped, so has the clearance rate risen at Arqana, with 84% of the 164 mares and foals offered on Monday being marked as sold. Other indicators also improved on the trade from the equivalent session last year as the average rose by 17% to €11,478 and the median jumped from €6,500 to €10,000. From a much smaller offering than in 2019, the 137 lots sold during the third session brought an aggregate of €1,572,500. Matt Houldsworth of Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock has been busy throughout the...

The first of four sessions of the Arqana Autumn Yearling Sale took place on Saturday with a day dedicated to flat-bred yearlings. After scratches, 214 youngsters went under the hammer, with 156 finding new homes for a clearance rate of 72.9%. A total of €1,092,000 was accrued, at an average price of €7,000 and a median of €5,000. Last year's yearling session, which took place at the end of the sale, saw 147 yearlings sold (83.5%) for an average of €8,044 and a median of €6,500. Sebastian Desmontils's Chauvigny Global...