De Chambure Spies “Good Opportunity” To Land Extreme Choice Filly At Arqana

[Wandering Eyes]

Haras D'Etreham boss Nicolas de Chambure said that he jumped at the opportunity to snap up a weanling foal by Australian super sire Extreme Choice (Aus) for €110,000 from JK Thoroughbreds at the Arqana February Mixed Sale on Wednesday. 

De Chambure, who spent time in Australia prior to taking the reins at Haras D'Etreham, revealed that he will be playing the long game with the sale-topper who it is hoped will one day join the broodmare band at the leading French stud. 

“I thought she was a filly we really needed to see on paper and I liked her physically so I said we'd give it a go,” a delighted de Chambure said on Wednesday evening.

Extreme Choice stands for a whopping $275,000 at Newgate Stud in Australia. It is well-documented that the brilliant sire of Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside (Aus), Melbourne Cup hero Knight's Choice (Aus), multiple Group 1 winner She's Extreme (Aus) and much more has overcome issues with subfertility. 

Lot 115, who was offered by Irish native John Kilpatrick, very much represented something of a rarity at Arqana, with de Chambure revealing that the plan will be for the filly to be put into training in due course. 

He continued, “Extreme Choice is very well-managed at Newgate Stud and is getting roughly 50 or 60 mares in foal every year, which is pretty good for him. He is a very good stallion down there and I always like to buy different pedigrees and different bloodlines for the broodmare band later on. So she will be kept to race and hopefully she will be good enough to join the broodmare band down the road. 

“It was nice to have a filly like her available in France without having to go all the way to Australia to secure bloodlines like this. I thought it was a good opportunity to buy a filly like her and to diversify our bloodlines a little bit.”

The Extreme Choice filly is out of a winning More Than Ready mare Grey Queen, who is a half-sister to Australian Group 1 performer Our Gold Hope (Aus) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Grey Queen is also a sister to a Group winner and from the family of Daylami (Ire), Dalakhani (Ire), Dolniya (Fr) and more.

Commenting on the filly's physicality, he said, “I thought she had the strength of the Australian horses and plenty of substance. She has a bit of a sprinter's walk but has very good size and strength. Very happy with her physically and, knowing what the stallion can do in Australia, I thought the price was very fair. Really happy.”

De Chambure added, “John Kilpatrick is an Irish guy who set up in France maybe 10 or 15 years ago now and he has a very good reputation here in France. He lives close to us so we do quite a bit with him. The filly was born with him and he has done a very good job with her.”

The Extreme Choice filly was one of three lots to make six figures on a day when turnover reached €2,691,000–down €140,500 on last year's trade that saw 28 more horses offered. The clearance rate rested at 80% while the average was €11,960 and the median was €5,000. 

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