Deauville

Deauville's six-furlong Prix de Lisieux for unraced 2-year-olds can throw up a smart filly and Sunday's edition looked full of promise as Yeguada Centurion's Epson Blue Cen (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}--Epsom Icon {GB}, by Sixties Icon {GB}) mastered her peers. Sent off at 10-1, the homebred daughter of the G3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner travelled strongly on the wing behind the leaders before being unleashed by Christophe Soumillon to take control 300 metres out. Staying on strongly as the eye-catching Wertheimer homebred Iron Bird (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) produced a rattle...

Providing a boost to the form of TDN Rising Star Polyvega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Juddmonte's Apollo Fountain (GB) (No Nay Never--Fount {GB}, by Frankel {GB}) made light work of Saturday's five-furlong Listed Prix Yacowlef at Deauville. Runner-up to that Wertheimer blueblood at Chantilly last month, the 3-1 favourite was keen early in the hands of Alexis Pouchin as he opted to drop out last. Delivering a dramatic surge to hit the front passing the furlong pole, the Andre Fabre-trained daughter of the operation's G3 Prix de Lieurey winner...

For the third consecutive year, Arqana's Summer Sale broke the €10-million barrier by gross, with 326 lots (67%) marked as sold from 488 offered in Deauville. Buyers, more selective than in 2023 when the sale boasted an 83% clearance rate, paid €10,711,000 across the three day stand. However, the 2024 catalogue was bolstered by an additional 113 horses compared to the 2023 version. The average closely tracked last year's edition as well at €32,856 (-3%), while the median dropped 19% to €16,000. Thursday's session, which featured breeding stock, added €1,142,500...

The G1 Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday, August 18 has been identified as the "obvious target" for Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) after he defied odds of 80-1 to gain a first career victory in the G2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Beaten in two previous starts at Newbury and Chester, Rashabar found significant improvement to come out on top in a field of 22 for Ascot's premier two-year-old contest, showing a good attitude to hold on by a nose having raced away from the other principals. It...

An additional six wildcards have been added to the Arqana Summer Sale in Deauville on July 1-4. On the Flat, Nardaran (Fr) (Waldgeist {GB}) (lot 478) will sell after a debut third at Saint-Cloud. He is out of multiple group winner Narniyn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Another Flat-bred horse is Fang Mich (Ger) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) (lot 503), who has a win and a placing from two starts. The half-sister to G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon Ger}) is joined by jumps horses Policasta (GB) (National Defense {GB})...

A juvenile colt by Justify is one of 134 Flat-bred 2-year-olds catalogued for the mixed Arqana Summer Sale on July 1-4. The mixed sale features the 2-year-old breezes on Monday, July 1 beginning at 1 p.m., while the Flat juveniles and 176 2- and 3-year-old stores will sell on Tuesday, July 2 at 10 a.m. Wednesday's session features 200 horses-in-training from 2 p.m., and the final session, on Thursday, July 4, includes 115 mares and filles, beginning at 11 a.m. Graduates of the sale have enjoyed success on the Flat...

Arqana's Summer Sale, originally set for July 2-4, will now be held from July 1-4. There was a significant increase in entries across all categories of the mixed sale, which resulted in the expanded stand. The breeze session will take place at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse on Monday, July 1. On Tuesday, July 2, Flat-bred 2-year-olds and National Hunt stores will sell beginning at 10 a.m. The sale will feature horses-in-training at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, and the final day of the sale will begin at 11 a.m. on...

Coolmore America stallion Justify continues to be popular at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale, and his colt out of Inchargeofme (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) was knocked down for €2.3 million to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin later in the day. Coolmore was the underbidder. Sold as lot 110 from the draft of Oak Tree Farm, the bay is from the family of GIII Futurity S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf third Nagirroc (Lea). His dam was third in the GIII Mint Julep H. Bred by Nursery Place,...

Lot 62, a burly son of Justify and Curly Locks (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), was the first horse to break the seven-figure mark at Arqana's May Breeze-Up Sale on Saturday, selling for €1 million to Alex Elliott, buying on behalf of Amo Racing. Consigned by Lynn Lodge Stud, the chestnut is out of a full-sister to dual Guineas winner and Group 1 sire Churchill (Ire), as well as G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Clemmie (Ire) and G3 Diamond S. winner Blenheim Palace (Ire). He was bred by Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt in Kentucky. Mags...

Nominations for the €1.2-million Arqana Series, now in its second year, are now open until June 1, the sales company announced on Thursday. Consisting of five races reserved for foals offered at the 2022 Arqana Vente d'Elevage and 2-year-olds sold at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale, the series features four races for 2-year-olds and one for 3-year-olds. A trio of juvenile races and the 3-year-old race will take place at Deauville on Aug. 15. The final 2024 Arqana Series race will be held at ParisLongchamp on Arc Weekend, Oct. 5....

1/ST and France Galop have partnered with the aim of increasing international participation, the two companies announced on Wednesday. The new partnership will begin with the $100,000 GIII Gallorette S. at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, Preakness Day. Whichever horse wins the Gallorette, will automatically qualify to run in the €250,000 G1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet S. at Deauville on Aug. 18. A travel stipend will also be provided. 1/ST has previously partnered with Ascot Racecourse on Gulfstream Park's Royal Palm Series which targets Royal Ascot's juvenile races, as...

For some, Deauville is a summer playground. Horse sales, racing, good food and a spot of shopping. We have the Duc de Morny to thank for that. Having been instrumental in the construction of the racecourse at Longchamp in 1857, Napoleon's half-brother turned his attention to the Normandy seaside and by August 1864, racing was underway at Hippodrome la Touques in the town which has continued to draw the rich and famous, both for horse racing and film festivals. Nowadays, Deauville is no longer home solely to the August meeting....