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 Frere. Named Anacronique (Ire), the unraced 4-year-old filly is out of the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein and G2 Prix de Sandringham winner Impassible (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), herself a half-sister to the Group winners Spotify (Fr) (Rediute's Choice {Aus}) and Attendu (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}). Another sibling, the mare's Listed-winning full-sister Foreign Tune (Ire), is the dam of G3 Prix La Force winner Adhamo (Fr) (Intello {Ger}).
Haras de Bouquetot is offering the young Olympic Glory (Ire) mare Helcia (Ire) in foal to Mehmas (Ire) as lot 231. A winning juvenile, Helcia is a daughter of the highly credentialed Mizdirection (Mizzen Mast), who won back-to-back runnings of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. From the same draft comes lot 283, the 8-year-old dual winner Middle East (Ire), a Frankel (GB) three-quarter-sister to the dual Group 3 winner and Group 1 runner-up Nayef Road (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who was covered on May 27 by Ectot (Ire). The mare also has a 2-year-old filly by Le Havre (Ire) and a yearling colt by Shalaa (Ire).
Among the National Hunt mares, the only one catalogued in foal to Haras du Mesnil's popular stallion Doctor Dino (Fr) is the well-related Crystal Reef (GB) (lot 411), a King's Best half-sister to Martaline (GB), Reefscape (GB) and Coastal Path (GB), all of whom have made an impact as National Hunt sires. Now 17, the mare's five winners in both codes include the G2 Prix Chaudenay winner Doha Dream (GB) (Shamardal) and Matfog (Fr) (Style Vendome {Fr}), whose six victories include the G2 Grand Steeple-Chase de Compiegne.
Of the 70 yearlings standing their ground for the sale, there is one youngster by last year's champion first-season sire in France, Zarak (Fr). Catalogued as lot 364 and already named Zinayak (Fr), the colt from Haras de Precolette is a son of the winning Anabaa Blue (Fr) mare Zina Blue (Fr), who is a half-sister to the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Morandi (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
A member of Wootton Bassett's final French-conceived crop is offered as lot 148 by Haras de la Haie Neuve and is a half-sister to the G2 Prix Greffulhe winner and Arc fourth Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}), who is now in training in Australia with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
In addition to the 435 lots originally catalogued, the sale has been boosted by a wildcard and 27 supplementary entries, including lot 446, the Monsun (Ger) mare Alexandrina (Ger) from the family of Melbourne Cup winner Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). The 16-year-old, who is the dam of the G2 Prix de Pomone runner-up Mango Tango (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), is offered carrying a foal from the first crop of Siyouni's son Sottsass (Fr).
The sale gets underway each day at 11am local time.
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