Sea Breeze For France’s Premier Juvenile Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

DEAUVILLE, France—It’s been a good week for Arqana graduates, with the top lot of the 2016 August Sale, Magic Wand (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), having lifted the Cheshire Oaks on Wednesday, just ahead of the victory of Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in the Chester Vase.

The sales action this weekend in Deauville focuses on the breeze-up scene and last year’s bestselling record-breaker at this particular auction changed hands for the same price as Magic Wand at €1.4 million. That colt by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense came to be known as Walk In The Sun and though he didn’t start his racing career until January, he is unbeaten in his two starts to date for Phoenix Thoroughbreds and has recently moved from Jeremy Noseda’s stable to be trained by Martyn Meade.

In every racing season there’s the opportunity to trot out the old chestnut about good horses coming from anywhere, and while Homerique (Exchange Rate) was hardly found in the bargain basement, this Classic prospect, already a winner and recently second to Luminate (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) in the G3 Prix Penelope, was well bought by Laurent Benoit at last year’s breeze-up for €75,000.

Among Godolphin’s purchases that same day were Rastrelli (Fr) and Expressiy (Fr), a colt and a filly by Siyouni both plucked from the Church Farm and Horse Park Stud draft, both of whom are multiple winners, while Expressiy is also G2-placed and was runner-up to Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the listed Pretty Polly S. last weekend.

There could also be black type on the way for the William Haggas-trained Pretty Baby (Ire) (Orpen), a €190,000 purchase and a wide-margin winner of her last two starts for Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum. She runs in the listed Kilvington S. later today (Saturday), while Teppal (Fr) (Camacho {GB}), bought for €105,000, lines up in tomorrow’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.

With 170 juveniles catalogued and two wildcards this year, Arqana could well have a record number of horses offered today—the previous high being 149 in 2012. In the intervening years numbers have been trimmed but Arqana, in common with its fellow sales companies, has had increased demand this year for places at what has been a very successful auction in recent seasons.

Last year was the first time Arqana had sold a millionaire breezer—that distinction being held by Willie Browne’s Mocklershill draft—and the pinhooking sensation helped to push turnover up to a record high of €13,291,000. The average and median figures also broke new ground at €137,745 and €82,500 respectively. It has been widely acknowledged that things have been tougher all round at this year’s breeze-up sale and an increase in lots offered could threaten the clearance of 76% in 2017, which had fallen from 83% the previous year.

Siyouni remains one of the most popular sires in France and he accounts for 10% of the catalogue, while there are 11 youngsters by second-season sire Dabirsim (FR), eight by freshman sire Olympic Glory (Ire). There will be very few opportunities remaining to buy a Scat Daddy 2-year-old but the late Coolmore sire has six on offer this Saturday, as outlined in our accompanying feature.

In near-perfect conditions—much less taxing than the soft ground encountered earlier this season—the youngsters were put through their paces on the Deauville turf before a good crowd on Friday lunchtime. Vendors at this A-list sale will be hoping that trade is brisker for some of the more select members of their annual draft.

Amy Marnane, whose family celebrated the first-start victory for this season’s unsold breezer On A Session (Noble Mission {GB}) at Lyon-Parilly on Thursday reported plenty of action on the sales ground at the Bansha House draft. She said, “We’ve been busy but then we were busy before the other sales, too. We’ll see.”

Irish vendors dominate the list of consignors but among the home team is Paul Basquin of Haras de Saubouas, who was the leading vendor at the Osarus Breeze-up Sale last month and has nine to sell today.

“We’re very happy with how the breeze went this morning—the ground was quite fast but it was lovely and they have all come back sound,” he said. “We’ve been busy throughout the day and there seem to be plenty of big buyers here but I imagine the market will be selective.”

The first lot heads into the ring at 1pm local time.

 

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