Deauville

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. Wednesday's Insights features a half-brother to Group 1 winner Seismos (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}). 2.25 Deauville, Mdn, €22,000, unraced 2yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT) Ecki Sauren's SUDDEN DEATH (FR) (Muhaarar {GB}), a €30,000 Arqana October yearling purchase, is the latest of 13 foals out of a half-sister to MG1SW Deutsches...

Arqana's four-day Autumn Sale begins on Saturday with a single session of flat-bred yearlings, with 220 set to be offered after scratches. Following a dark day on Sunday, the sale will pick up on Monday and continue through Wednesday with horses in training, stores and National Hunt-bred yearlings. The single-session National Hunt Breeding Stock Sale will take place immediately following the Autumn Sale on Nov. 19, comprising the jumping stock that was set for the December Breeding Stock Sale. With France in the midst of its second national lockdown due...

The Dec. 5-8 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale's catalogue is now online. A total of 841 mares, fillies and foals will go through the ring in early December, with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. each day. Highlighting the sale are 53 half-sisters to Group 1 winners. Leading the way is G1 Preis Von Europa heroine Donjah (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 182), who will start in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland. The filly is consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux. Monceaux also offers Anabasis (Ger) (High Chaparral {Ire}) (lot 164)...

DEAUVILLE, France—Stephanie Nigge may have been born and bred in Deauville, the town in which she now trains, but she has travelled a long way to get there. And in many ways, her two major patrons reflect both her roots and her stints on the international racing circuit. Gerard Augustin-Normand, one of France's biggest owner-breeders and a fellow Norman, has had a long association with the Nigge family, having initially had horses in training with Stephanie's father Markus, who also trains in Deauville. Augustin-Normand now has 10 horses in training...

Undefeated Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) will head straight to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland after connections decided to forego next weekend's G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket. Campaigned by Stonestreet Stables, the Wesley Ward-trained filly broke her maiden at Gulfstream Park May 31 before taking the G2 Queen Mary S. during the Royal meeting at Ascot June 20. In her latest start at Deauville Aug. 23, she gave her trainer his third victory in the G1 Darley Prix Morny. "We took her out of...

The 784-strong Arqana-Osarus October Yearling Sale catalogue is now online. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the sale has been completely restructured combining the Arqana October Yearling Sale and the Osarus September Yearling Sale, running from Oct. 19-Oct. 23. Alumni of the October sale include Group 3 winner and dual Classic bridesmaid The Summit (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), G1 Prix Jean Romanet scorer Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), MGISW Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), G1 French 1000 Guineas runner-up Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Basset {GB}), and GSWs Policy of...

DEAUVILLE, France—Another tranche of prospective buyers appeared on the sales grounds at Arqana on Tuesday. As second looks, third looks and vettings are being completed, there is now just the nervous wait for vendors until 2pm local time on Wednesday when the Arqana Select Sale finally gets underway and they begin the learn their fate. There is not one member of the bloodstock fraternity who believes that this sales season will be in any way easy. As one major breeder observed on Tuesday morning, "If we get through this year...

DEAUVILLE, France—The Life Of Brian anthem 'Always look on the bright side of life' is one that could easily be adopted by the bloodstock industry. There have been crises in the past—in modern times perhaps none so all-pervading as the one we currently face—but, extraordinarily, the horse traders as a collective always bounce back, even if some individuals are lost from the merry band along the way. Merry would be too strong an adjective to describe the current mood on the Arqana sales grounds but, amid the nervousness of some...

DEAUVILLE, France—In a yearling sales season which has had more reshuffles than the British government's cabinet, the caravan has finally started rolling in the last week and has now pitched up in Deauville for Arqana's headline event of the year. As it is taking place three weeks later than usual, it is no longer the August Sale but the Select Sale, though there is a more than familiar feel to the catalogue, which features plenty of France's leading equine families. Two consignors have taken advantage of the sale's later date...

Patience has long been a particular virtue of Hughie Morrison and Sunday's G2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville was testament to his ability to play the waiting game as Castle Down Racing's Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) fully came of age. Sent straight to the front by Christophe Soumillon, the 13-10 favourite whose previous foray to France had resulted in a four-length success in ParisLongchamp's G3 La Coupe June 25 was always content untroubled at the head of affairs on this deep surface. Setting down for his plunge up...

There was a surprise in store in Sunday's G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet as the James Fanshawe-trained Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) took a significant jump in class to provide her trainer with a third renewal of this 10-furlong Deauville feature since 2014. Coming off a Newcastle handicap win over this trip Aug. 2, the 48-1 shot tracked the pace travelling easily and when committed by Ioritz Mendizabal grabbed the advantage before the furlong pole. Challenged by Ambition (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) all the way to the line, the bay who...

Arqana has announced that its Select Sale, which had been rescheduled from August to September 24 to 26, will now be brought forward by a little over a fortnight to the new date of September 8 to 10. The change is a result of the recent imposition of a new 14-day quarantine requirement on travellers to the UK from France, which would not allow participants at the major European yearling sales to attend the three major sales at Arqana, Goffs and Tattersalls. A statement released by the French sale company...