Deauville

Following positive starts to the sales year in Britain and Ireland, this week the midwinter auction action switches to France for the two-day Arqana February Sale, which starts on Tuesday in Deauville. Trade begins with a session of 85 horses in training, both Flat and Jumps, and then progresses to yearlings and 2-year-olds, followed by breeding stock.  A rare opportunity in this part of the world to buy a daughter of Deep Impact (Jpn)'s promising young son Kizuna (Jpn) is presented by lot 164, from the draft of Wertheimer et...

The winner Diva Victoria (Fr) (Recorder {GB}) (lot 70) has been added as a wildcard to the upcoming Arqana February Mixed Sale. Offered by trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, the great granddaughter of the G1 Oaks heroine Eswarah (GB) (Unfuwain) will go through the ring on Tuesday, Feb. 15 along with the other 95 horses-in-training. Her dam is a half-sister to G2 Prix de Pomone and G3 Prix de Psyche victress Raabihah (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who also ran second in the G1 Prix Vermeille. Diva Victoria, who is currently rated 85,...

A 1/50th share in young sire Zarak (Fr) will be offered as lot 1 in the upcoming Arqana Online January Sale. Slated for Jan. 13 from 3-5 p.m. French time, the sale also features a breeding right in Territories (Ire) (lot 2); a half-share (1/100th) in Al Wukair (Fr) (lot 3); the listed placed broodmare Becquascenthe (Fr) (Nombre Premier {GB}) (lot 4); and a trio of National Hunt horses-in-training. His Highness The Aga Khan's Zarak was the leading first-season sire in France in 2021, and among his 18 2-year-old winners...

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,...

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. Tuesday's Observations features a son of Oaks winner Talent (GB) (New Approach {GB}). 14.25 Deauville, Mdn, €27,000, unraced 2yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT) Juddmonte's unraced FRACTION (GB) (War Front), a Francis-Henri Graffard trainee, is a half-brother to Listed Finale S. victrix Variable (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) out of...

Group 1 winner Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) and G1 French 1000 Guineas runner-up Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) are two of the stars in the upcoming Arqana December Sale catalogue, which was released on Wednesday. Consigned by Haras de Castillon as lot 192, G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Grand Glory was also third in the G1 Prix de Diane and is due to run in the upcoming G1 Japan Cup on Nov. 28. Third in the G1 Prix Rothschild, Speak of the Devil (lot 172),...

From the mud and the murk of a storm-hit Deauville on Thursday emerged the latest TDN Rising Star as The Aga Khan's Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) strutted his stuff in the card's opening Prix de Saint-Desir for unraced juveniles. A son of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix du Moulin heroine Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) racing for the Jean-Claude Rouget stable, the April-foaled bay was patiently ridden by Christophe Soumillon towards the rear early. Making smooth headway in the straight, the 41-10 second favourite...

DEAUVILLE, France--Back at Arqana's yearling sale in August, Tim Donworth had just left the employment of Jean-Claude Rouget with a view to setting out his own stall from Sept. 1. The racing gods have smiled kindly in the meantime, and the 27-year-old is now almost eight weeks into his training career with three winners and a second from just five starters.  Those three victories have all come during this week's sale at Arqana, starting on Sunday at Le Mans with Cotai Hero (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) and, like buses, the...

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. Thursday's Observations features a son of MG1SW Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). 11.50 Deauville, Debutantes, €27,000, 2yo, c/g, 8fT EREVANN (FR) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a son of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix du Moulin heroine Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who starts out for...

DEAUVILLE, France--In weather that wouldn't have felt out of place for Arqana's August Sale, the sales ground in Deauville was bathed in warm sunshine on Tuesday while trade in the ring continued to be similarly encouraging. There was a time when Elusive City, at €15,000, was the most expensive stallion at stud in France. Much has changed in the intervening decade and the former Haras d'Etreham stallion was lost to the local breeding industry when suffering a heart attack in 2019 after standing ten seasons in France. But he was...

It has been just 11 days since Godolphin's 2-year-old filly Life In Motion (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) announced her arrival in style, earning 'TDN Rising Star' status with a mightily impressive five-length debut triumph over seven furlongs at Saint-Cloud. She is set to encounter a half-dozen opponents in Tuesday's G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville, a contest won last year by this month's G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire})). Her trainer Andre Fabre, whose latest win was registered in 2014 with Godolphin's subsequent MG1SP G1 Poule...

Group 1 winner Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), who races for Albert Frassetto, John d'Amato and Mike Pietrangelo, will be offered at the upcoming Arqana Breeding Stock Sale from Dec. 4-7. Slated to sell on Dec. 4, the G1 Prix Jean Roment heroine and G1 Prix de Diane third also won the G3 Prix de Flore as a 4-year-old and the G3 Grand Prix de Vichy this term. In her most recent start, the Haras de Bourgeauville-bred was second by a nose in the G1 Prix de l'Opera on...