Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale

Listed winner and dual Group 1-placed Times Square (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) (lot 180) has been added to Arqana's Vente d'Elevage from Dec. 3-6. Consigned by Christophe Ferland, the bay was second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at two and third in the G1 French 1000 Guineas this year. She is joined by three additional wildcards: lot 160, Deccan Queen (GB) (Rail Link {GB}) from the Coulonces consignment, who is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Bellamy Cay (GB) (Kris {GB}) and listed winner Cinnamon Bay (GB) (Zamindar), herself the...

Dual listed winner Burgarita (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), and group winners Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) and Waldbiene (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) have been added to Arqana's Vente d'Elevage from Dec. 3-6. The trio will sell during Part I of the catalogue, which is available in its entirety on Monday, Oct. 31. Besides taking the Listed Prix de la Seine and Listed Prix Casimir Delamarre, the Andre Fabre-trained Burgarita also placed in the G1 Prix de Diane, as well as three more group races from just 12 starts. She is...

New group winners Lastotchka (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}--Muthla {Fr}, by Muhtathir {GB}) and Speirling Beag (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}--Starscape {Ire}, by Cape Cross {Ire}) have been added to the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale catalogue. They are set to sell during the opening session in Deauville on Dec. 3. Saturday's G3 Prix Belle de Nuit heroine Lastotchka races for Ecurie Noel Forgeard, P Bonnier et. al. and Jean-Marie Beguigne and was already a winner of the Listed Prix de Thiberville earlier this year. Bred by Ecurie Touchstone, she was second to 'TDN Rising...

Group 2 winner Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger--Amabelle {Ger}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}), twice placed at the highest level in her native land, will be offered during Arqana's December Breeding Stock Sale, from Dec. 3-6. Slated to enter the ring on Dec. 3, the G2 T. von Zastrow Stutenpreis heroine also took last year's G2 Diana Trial for breeder Dr. Christoph Berglar and trainer Waldemar Hickst. Her final race was a solid third in the G1 Preis von Europa and her record stands at 15-4-4-5 with earnings of $229,353. Currently...

Group 1 winner Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) will be offered during the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale during Dec. 3-6. A winner of the G1 Prix Vermeille, the 4-year-old landed the G2 Prix Corrida, G3 Prix de Flore, and the Listed Prix La Camargo in the Gemini Stud silks for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard earlier in her career. Graffard said, "It's been a pleasure to train this magnificent filly for the last three years. Very brave and with a great temperament, she achieved all her objectives this year...

Peter Brant and Chad Brown enjoyed a productive GI Kentucky Derby week with victories in the GIII Modesty S. and GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S., and they picked up right where they left off Saturday with Michael Tabor getting in on the action. Having repeatedly come out on the wrong end of blanket finishes last year while campaigned by trainer Cedric Rossi and Le Haras de La Gousserie, Rougir got her nose down on the line in the G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines at ParisLongchamp Oct. 3 before settling...

The frenetic pace of the breeding stock sale season finally came to a halt on Tuesday, as, after four days of selling during Arqana's December Breeding Stock Sale, the last horse passed through the ring at Deauville. Overall, the aggregate grew by 58.5% to €42,007,700, up from €25,253,500 during the first year of the Covid pandemic and the first time the sale breached the €40-million mark. There were 689 lots sold from 907 offered (76%), and 13 horses made at least €500,000, compared to six in 2020. The average of...

A colt foal by Fastnet Rock (Aus) (lot 675) starred at Deauville as trade wound down a notch during the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale on Monday. Consigned by Haras de Castillon, who had also offered eventual €2.5-million buy and Group 1 winner Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), the bay is out of the winning Purple Magic (GB) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}). He was purchased by Benoit Jeffroy on behalf of Manister House Stud for €60,000. Besides the top lot, race fillies and broodmares were the most sought after,...

Haras de la Gousserie's G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) is one of three wild cards to have been added to Arqana's Breeding Stock Sale in December, along with Eudaimonia (Fr) (Vision d'Etat {Fr}), who was third in the same race. Winner of the G3 Prix des Reservoirs and placed in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at two, Rougir progressed this season to take fifth in the G1 Prix de Diane, finishing just a length and a half behind the winner Joan Of Arc (Ire). She was...

Al Shaqab Racing's Haras de Bouquetot featured heavily among the top lots on the fourth and final day of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville. Both the topper and next dearest lot were mares in foal to Bouquetot residents, and the co-highest-priced foal of the day was also by one of their growing roster of stallions Lot 784, the Frankel (GB) mare Bursa (GB) in foal to G1 Prix Jacques le Marois hero Al Wukair (Fr) from the Bouquetot draft proper, commanded a session-topping €38,000 from Haras du Quesnay....

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...

Foals were to the fore during the second session of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale and Blandford Bloodstock made the early running when bidding €160,000 for a filly by the increasingly popular Wootton Bassett (GB). The weanling (lot 251) hails from a George Strawbridge family which includes the Group 1-winning siblings Call The Wind (GB), We Are (Ire) and With You (GB), and is the first foal of the unraced Ayelet (GB) (Hat Trick {Jpn}). The mare's listed-winning dam Dream Clover (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is a half-sister to the...