Marc-Antoine Berghgracht

The first session of Part 3 of the Arqana October Yearling Sale was topped by a son of Goken (Fr) (lot 580) who went for €60,000 to MAB Agency on Friday. Consigned by Haras de la Haie Neuve, the bay is a grandson of G2 Ribblesdale S. heroine Thakafaat (Ire) (Unfuwain). Dual Group 1 winner and sire Power (GB) is under the third dam, as is GI E. P. Taylor S. victress Curvy (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). The colt was bred by Haras des Pyrenees. It is worth noting that Goken,...

Every owner starting out in racing will have big dreams. That said, when José Delmotte first took a share in a racehorse more than 25 years ago, he may not have allowed his mind to wander as far as one day being the breeder of Europe's champion 2-year-old.  But that is where the Frenchman now finds himself. That one share led to a horse in training, followed by a few more, then some broodmares, the purchase of a farm in France's Orne region, and now that famous graduate of his...

A delayed and disrupted breeze-up season finally got underway in France on Wednesday with Osarus staging the first thoroughbred auction to be conducted entirely online in Europe. From an original catalogue of 79 juveniles, 21 had been withdrawn prior to the sale, but Osarus received 10 supplementary lots which had been rerouted from the cancelled BBAG sale in Germany. The turnover of €509,500 was almost exactly half of previous year's tally but that was derived from 15 fewer horses being sold—32 in total from 63 offered. The average price dropped...