‘She Made a Lot of Sense’: Quirke Signs Up Well-Related Helenium at Auctav’s Dubois Dispersal

[Wandering Eyes]

BURSARD, FRANCE — Described by sales house Auctav as 'D-Day', the sale of some of the stock of Jean-Pierre Dubois ended up being a little more V-Day after a little over half of the 99 lots on offer were bought back by the legendary owner-breeder.

The auction did however draw a bustling crowd to the Haras de Bois Roussel, where Helenium (lot 50), a Frankel half-sister to Calyx, stole the show when sold to Coolmara Stables for €600,000 through agent Conor Quirke.

Offered in foal to Calyx's sire Kingman, the six-year-old mare already has two fillies on the ground by that same sire. The page has also been enhanced in recent years by the treble Group 1 winner Native Trail (Oasis Dream), whose dam Needleleaf is a half-sister to Helenium's dam, the Group 3 winner Helleborine (Observatory).

“It didn't take much thinking as to why you'd want Helenium,” Quirke said. “Her unraced three-year-old half-sister by Kingman made 550,000gns just last month in Tattersalls. This mare has a couple of Kingmans to run for her, she is back in foal to Kingman, she's by Frankel, so she made a lot of sense.”

He added, “Coolmara Stables are really looking to get into breeding at the top table by buying blue-chip mares and I think she fitted the bill perfectly. They are well known as National Hunt breeders but they are starting to move into Flat breeding and they bought some yearling fillies a few years ago that they have in training.”

Quirke also bought the winning New Approach mare Sidewalk earlier in the session for €80,000 for a “very well-established Irish breeder”, describing the length of time it took for the hammer to fall at €80,000 as “painfully slow”. Indeed, the selling rate was roughly 15 lots per hour through the first half of a leisurely afternoon, though those who had turned out, either to observe or to participate, could partake of a lavish free barbecue lunch and bar.

Sidewalk is a daughter of the Listed winner Discernable (Elusive Quality) and was sold in foal to Ace Impact. “Auctav have put on a good show today and I think everybody will be happy with that transaction,” Quirke added. 

Mathieu Alex of Haras de Beaumont, where Ace Impact stands, also signed for a mare in foal to him for €82,000. Lot 42, Blue Wings, is a Listed-winning daughter of the Derby winner Wings Of Eagles from the family of Showcasing and Camacho. 

Alex said, “She's in foal to our top stallion Ace Impact, whom we strive to support. We also need to support our clients, our stallions, and those who place their trust in us.”

The Frankel mare Frisella (lot 15) had been the first to make a splash, when selling for €390,000 to Hervé Barjot on behalf of Pegasus Farm. The nine-year-old mare, who is out of Kingman's half-sister Panzanella (Dansili), was a winner herself and has produced the dual winner and black-type earner Grand Scoop (No Nay Never).

“She's by the right sire in Frankel and the covering sire is Blue Point, who is a very good stallion and had another stakes winner recently,” Barjot said. “She was bought for plenty of money [320,000gns at Tattersalls, in foal to No Nay Never]. I think the market is recalibrating. She's made her value, and I think if she'd been at Arqana in December she would have made more. I have bought her for a client who breeds and sells.”

He continued, “Jean-Pierre Dubois carved the path that we all follow today. I don't think there is another person in racing who could fill his shoes. Although, I don't know if he will completely stop his activity. He's a great man and I learned many, many things from him.”

Nicolas de Watrigant's Mandore Agency went to €260,000 for Salerne (Charm Spirit), who is herself a half-sister to the G1 Prix du Moulin winner Sauterne (Kingman) and out of a half-sister to top racemare and producer Stacelita (Monsun). The eight-year-old mare (lot 39) is carrying a foal from what will be the first crop of Auguste Rodin.

The penultimate horse through the ring, the two-year-old Siciliano (Time Test), brought a bid of €250,000 from Jeremy Para of Le Marais. The colt has won two of four starts in the Dubois colours for trainer Patrice Cottier.

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