Arqana August Yearling Sale

A bay son of Wootton Bassett (GB) and G3 Prix Miesque heroine Magic America (High Yield) (lot 281) caught the eye of Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi to the tune of €1 million during Sunday's Arqana August Yearling Sale. Part of Anna Sundstrom's Coulonces draft, the April foal is a half-brother to Look Around (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who won the Listed Star S. and was placed twice at Group 3 level. The pair's dam, who was second in the G1 Prix Morny, has also produced the G3 Prix du Calvados second...

The third millionaire of the Arqana August Yearling Sale was lot 244, a son of French Champion Sire Siyouni (Fr) and Hourglass (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Knocked down for €2.2 million to MV Magnier and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, the May colt was consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux. His dam is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and sire Shamardal (Giant's Causeway). Under the G1 Irish Oaks-winning third dam Helen Street (GB) (Troy {GB}) is G1 Dubai World Cup and GI Stephen Foster H. hero Street Cry (Ire) (Machiavellian),...

If you are heading into the most important week for your bloodstock business, it never hurts to have a recent Group 1 winner or two to advertise your wares, and in Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Ecurie des Monceaux has just that. By Wednesday, we will know if Henri Bozo and his team have eschewed their usual Arqana hospitality offering of foie gras and oysters in favour of marmalade sandwiches but, with or without the favourite delicacy of Paddington, his is the name that...

The majority of Arqana's yearlings have now gone through the ring this season, with only the November Yearling Sale's 155 lots left to sell, and indices are positive across a range of categories for the Deauville-based sales company when taken as a whole. For the first time, more than 1,200 horses were offered, with more than 1,000 of them finding new homes for a clearances rate of 82.7%. The turnover (€80,499,000) and average (€75,871) both increased, while the median settled at €31,000. In addition, 227 (+17%) horses sold for €100,000...

A son of Dubawi (Ire) (lot 292) went to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin for €2 million during the third and final session of the Arqana August Sale on Monday. He is the fourth seven-figure yearling of the three-day stand. Out of G3 Prix Minerve heroine Golden Valentine (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), the bay colt was consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux. His second dam, G3 Prix Cleopatre victress Gold Round (Ire) (Caerleon), is responsible for no less than seven black-type horses, with four stakes winners to her credit. She is,...

Next week, the first yearlings by Darley's dual champion Too Darn Hot (GB) will be offered for sale at the Arqana August Yearling Sale. Expectations were always going to be high for Too Darn Hot--a son of sire of sires Dubawi (Ire), out of the triple Group 1-winning mare Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), from the deep family of the prodigious sire Darshaan (GB). An undefeated champion at two who repeated as champion at three, he also achieved the best foal sales average of 2021. But uniquely, it will...

DEAUVILLE, France--Gestut Ammerland, the famed German nursery of such luminaries of the turf as Lope De Vega (Ire) and Hurricane Run (Ire), stole the limelight during the concluding session of Arqana's August Sale with a New Bay (GB) granddaughter of the homebred Deutsches Derby winner and Arc-placed Borgia (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}). John and Thady Gosden had already left Deauville earlier in the day following Sunday's success of stable star Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois for the second year running. But, through Arqana's Freddy...

DEAUVILLE, France--The second and final session of the select part of the Arqana August Sale lit up in ebullient fashion with two seven-figure yearlings, including the €2.4-million sale topper by Dubawi, a half-sister to Group 2 winner Babylone (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Charlie Gordon-Watson made a significant impact on the day's action when acting for an unnamed client and signed for the filly (lot 108) out of Typique (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) shortly after bidding €525,000 for lot 99, a filly by Frankel (GB). The sale leader was consigned by Haras...

Updates on the Arqana August Yearling Sale as it happens in Deauville. Classy Signings For Coolmore Siyouni was also on the shopping list of the Coolmore team, which stands his Arc-winning son Sottsass (Fr) and went to €650,000 for another colt by the sire for the Ecurie Des Monceaux draft. Lot 160 is the first foal of Correze (GB) (Shamardal), whose lone win may have come in the provinces but she is a daughter of the G3 Nell Gwyn S winner Cloud Castle (GB) (In The Wings {GB}) and is a...

A Dubawi (Ire) colt who is the second foal out of the G3 Prix Minerve winner Golden Valentine (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) is the early leader during the first session of the Arqana August Yearling Sale after selling to Oliver St Lawrence for €750,000. Golden Valentine's first foal, a Galileo (Ire) colt, made €450,000 at the Deauville Select Sale last September. Both were bred by Ecurie des Monceaux and the Roth family's LNJ Foxwoods.

DEAUVILLE, France--Somebody has to be the trailblazer and the first yearling into the ring for the 2021 European season will be a first-crop daughter of U S Navy Flag. The filly hails from the consignment of Haras de l'Hotellerie which offers its biggest draft this year, nine years on from making its Arqana August debut. The Garcon family's operation made quite a splash back then, selling a Dubawi (Ire) colt to Jehan Malherbe of Form Bloodstock for €450,000, and he was no one-hit wonder. Named Mubtaahij (Ire) and sent into...

DEAUVILLE, France--As the first full day of showing got underway for Arqana's August Yearling Sale, the sales grounds gradually filled as visitors arrived from Britain and Ireland, along with a planeload of agents and owners who came straight to Normandy from Saratoga.  As if to welcome France's premier sale back to its rightful slot in the calendar, the sun also made an appearance as Arqana prepared to bring the curtain up on the European yearling season. The three-day auction begins its run on Saturday, with two select evening sessions after...