Arqana Heats Up as Jaber Abdullah Signs Up Smart Mehmas Filly

[Wandering Eyes]

DEAUVILLE, France — Trade may have slightly shifted down a gear, as is to be expected of a graded sale, but right from the word go on Wednesday there was a noted surge in demand, along with a new wave of faces on the ground for this second session, which saw a rise in the clearance rate to 82.5 per cent, up by five per cent on the equivalent day last year. That in turn led to an increase in both average and median as well as the session's aggregate, despite the fact that seven fewer horses changed hands than in 2024.

For trainer Andreas Schutz, it was a case of one door closing and another swinging open. On Wednesday morning his stable star and Classic winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Muhaarar) left his yard to embark upon his new career as a stallion at Haras de Castillon. But by late afternoon, Schutz, on behalf of Marhaba Ya Sanafi's owner Jaber Abdullah, had signed up a new promising addition to his team in the form of lot 279.

The Mehmas filly out of the winning Danehill Dancer mare Lamorlaye has much to recommend her beyond her sought-after sire. Her half-sister, the Listed winner Wasmya (Toronado), is the dam of this season's G1 Prix du Moulin winner Sahlan (Wootton Bassett), who heads next to California for the Breeders' Cup Mile. Furthermore, the filly's third dam Lagrion is the dam of Group 1 winners Dylan Thomas, Queen's Logic and Homecoming Queen as well as the dam of Derby winner Serpentine.

“I made a list for [Jaber Abdullah] and he's been looking at the pedigrees and he really likes, so she was the pick of the day,” said Schutz.

The filly was consigned for breeder Khalifa Al Attiyah by Marhaba Ya Sanafi's new home stud of Haras de Castillon, and it is a farm with which Schutz will soon become familiar. 

“We're really looking forward to this,” he said of the impending stallion career for his Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner. “The horse actually left the stable this morning. He's been a very tough and very genuine horse. He's always been healthy, never seen the doctor, and he's very strong. I hope he will make good [foals]. We have mares to go to him and he will get good support.”

 A Day for the Fillies

Fillies generally held sway on Tuesday, with a Havana Grey daughter of Listed winner Charm Appeal (Canford Cliffs) selling for €290,000 online to Stephen Hillen. The agent, who is also the filly's breeder, explained that she had been bought for a partnership known as Lady M Partners. The filly's two-year-old half-sister Lady Mara (New Bay) won her sole start for Jerome Reynier in the colours of Becky Hillen since the publication of the catalogue. 

Increased participation from trainers on Wednesday included the purchase of lot 290, Haras de la Louviere's Ghaiyyath filly from the extended family of Puce and Prudenzia for €130,000, while Gavin Hernon, in association with Meridian International, went to  €100,000 for a Nathaniel filly consigned by Haras de Grandcamp.

Hernon said of lot 241, “She was extremely athletic. Nathaniel is obviously a very good sire of fillies and she was quite strong for a big Nathaniel filly and she had a lot of Invincible Spirit coming though in her as well. She's a beautiful mover. We took her out of the box about 20 times and every time she just did it so effortlessly and beautifully. We are delighted to get her for a couple of existing clients.”

The Invincible Spirit influence is courtesy of her dam Auntinet, a sister to the G2 Flying Childers winner and late sire Zebedee.

Late Clap for Thunder

Bidding online, BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe was the successful purchaser towards the end of the day for the second and final Night Of Thunder colt in the catalogue. He was bought for €170,000 from Haras de l'Etre.

The agent said of lot 326, a son of the Listed-placed Teofilo's Princess, “He's obviously by the sire of the moment and I bought a very nice Night Of Thunder for the same client here in August. I thought that he looked like a colt who probably should have been in the first day. We liked the cross with Teofilo and his sister in Canada [Lupa] looks useful. We were delighted to get him and we thought he represented great value.”

Donohoe added, “He'll be brought to Ireland to Sonny Carey's to be broken for a Middle Eastern client who races in France, and he will go back there into training next year as he has the premiums.”

Menuisier Returns to Familiar Ground

British trainers have been thin on the ground in Deauville this week, but then many have been involved in four straight weeks of yearling sales in Ireland and England, with a week of horses in training to follow at Tattersalls from next Monday. 

For English-based Frenchman David Menuisier, a return to his homeland made perfect sense, particularly when considering that one of the best horses he has trained to date, Wonderful Tonight (Le Havre), was an Arqana graduate, albeit from the August Sale. 

Early in the session Menuisier picked up another from the Coulonces draft to take back to Sussex with him when going to €97,000 for the Sioux Nation colt out of American Beauty (Dark Angel), who is a half-sister to Adventure Seeker (Bering), the dam of Group 1 winners Little Big Bear and Whistlejacket.

 “I saw him on Sunday and I kind of knew I had to buy him,” he said. 

The trainer is already positively predisposed towards the family as he trains the five-time winner and 93-rated Tribal Chief, who is not only also by Sioux Nation but is out of Araca (Elusive Quality), another daughter of Adventure Seeker. 

Menuisier continued, “I try every year to buy one from Coulonces because we've had a lot of success with them – Wonderful Tonight, Belloccio, and a lot of others. So, it's always a pleasure to deal with them. The horse, I think, looked amazing.”

He added with some prescience, “The sale for some has been a catastrophe but it's still hard to buy the ones you want. I wouldn't be surprised if the sale feels a bit stronger today than the first day. Yesterday there were the pedigrees but today they have been better physically.”

A Sioux Nation from Coulonces was also on the shopping list of Juergen Albrecht, who signed up a filly from the Listed winner Quiet Times (Reliable Man). A second foal and half-sister to Lovers Leap (Lope De Vega), who is in training with Jane Chapple-Hyam, she was bred by Sven and Carina Hansen of Fair Salinia in partnership with trainer Pia Brandt. Brandt was also successful over the road at the racecourse on Wednesday when her Lope De Vega colt Take Me On romped away to a five-length victory on debut in the Prix Saint-Desir.

Sealiway Colt Joins the Leaderboard 

A member of the first crop of Haras de Beaumont's dual Group 1 winner Sealiway was knocked down at €115,000 to Libyan-based Dr Khaled Salami of KGS. Bred by Ecurie Biraben and Antoine Gilibert, lot 316 represented a decent pinhooking result as he had been bought as a foal for €31,000 by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and was reoffered as a yearling by Arcadia Elevage. He is a half-brother to the Listed Prix Roland de Chambure winner Harmless (Anodin) and out of the unraced Pivotal mare Snowbright.

Sealiway has had three yearlings sold so far this week in Deauville for an average of €66,333, from his first-crop fee of €12,000.

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