French Resurgence Adds Depth To Arqana’s Flagship Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

If you’re following the bloodstock sales trail in Europe, then it pretty much begins and ends in Deauville.

It’s almost a moot point to talk about the sales season these days, as auctions happen week in, week out, from the pop-up variety on racecourses, to constant additions to the calendar at sales houses. But some things are cast, if not in stone, then in firm tradition and the European yearling season opens on the Normandy coast, permitting one to feel that, even though plenty of hard work is involved, at least some of it can be conducted in the holiday guise of shorts and flip-flops.

Taking the yearling market as a whole, the term flip-flop could apply equally well here. As foal crops in France, Britain and Ireland rise well in advance of an increase of buyers, there remains a strong sense that parts of the industry are built on shifting sands, but not so at Arqana’s August Sale. One thing that members of the bloodstock community routinely agree on is that the top end of the market is very much ring-fenced and remains strong behind that invisible barrier. Major international buyers may come and go—and the Mayfair Speculators will be a notable absentee at this sale—but new faces also appear regularly, and we can expect to see plenty more this season of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, which bought last August’s top lot, a colt by Dubawi (Ire) out of the Grade 1 winner Giofra (GB) (Dansili {GB}), for €1.55 million.

In fact, among the buyers in Arqana’s elite tier last year where at least four individual Japanese owners including Koji Maeda and Shadai Farm, the Americans Alex Solis, Jason Litt and James Crupi, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and many of the major European-based operatives.

From the smallest ever August catalogue, a record average of €165,587 was produced, while the median held steady at the previous year’s record of €110,000, the first two years this sector had ever broken into six figures. The fact that only 305 yearlings were offered meant that turnover dipped a little from the 2015 record of €42,881,000 but this was also the year that recorded the highest price for an Arqana yearling of €2.6 million.

“Last year was a bit of an exception as we happened to have a smaller catalogue. Not by design but because physical maturity plays a major role in the selection for the August catalogue—along with conformation and pedigree of course—as our October sale has also become a very viable alternative for the top individuals,” says Arqana’s director of communications Alix Choppin.

“The aim for the August Sale is usually to find around 340 yearlings for that catalogue. This year’s catalogue has been easy to put together. We came up with 345 horses without having to lower our expectations, which is a really good sign. Clearly the rise of the stallion market [in France] can take some of the credit for that. It’s not the only reason but it’s definitely a positive.”

While the buyers’ list remains truly international, the list of overseas consignors is perhaps shrinking. This is likely to be a reflection of the significant seachange that has taken place in the French bloodstock industry over the last decade. The notable success of some young French-based sires has in turn encouraged more stallion masters to take a chance on standing horses in France as a first choice rather than as an after-thought. This in turn has led to better mares staying in or travelling to the country, an increase in the number of overseas breeders boarding mares in France, and the rise of a number of popular young domestic consignors, such as Coulonces Sales, La Motteraye, Fairway Consignment and HSV Agency alongside the longstanding traditional vendors.

Choppin adds, “It’s been great to see already this season the diversity at the top end of the market at Saratoga, where the top ten yearlings [on the first day] went to seven different buyers, and of course it was exciting to see American Pharoah’s yearlings being so well received. We have two beautiful fillies by him in the catalogue and they are both consigned by French-based operations who have raced fillies in America. It’s good to see that French breeders are not resting on their laurels with Siyouni (Fr) and Le Havre (Ire) on their doorsteps but are consistently trying to go to the best stallions around the world.”

Ecurie des Monceaux consigns exclusively yearlings raised on the stud but with its range of influential partners from varying nations, the Henri Bozo-led team has become the dominant force of the August Sale over the last six years. With a strong draft of 35 yearlings to sell on the back of a successful racing season, which has included Group/Grade 1 victories for graduates Intellogent (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) and Sistercharlie (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), it seems unlikely that Monceaux will concede its position as leading vendor this year.

As well as one of the American Pharoah fillies out of Grade 3 winner Marbre Rose (Ire) (Smart Strike) (lot 158), half-siblings to both Intellogent and Sistercharlie appear in the current draft, the former, a filly by first-season sire Gleneagles (Ire) being the eighth lot into the ring, while a Charm Spirit (Ire) colt out of Starlet’s Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is lot 43.

In fact, Bozo will have a good sense of the way the sale is going very early in the proceedings as his draft is responsible for six of the first 23 lots through the ring, including two colts from the first crop of Muhaarar (Ire) out of the half-sisters Pacifique (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) (lot 9) and Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 16), both of whom have played leading roles at this sale in the past. The latter is the dam of the G1 Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and this season’s G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Piquing international interest may well be Haras de la Louviere’s three-parts sister to Australian Group 1 winner Contributor (Ire) ((High Chapparal {Ire}) from the first crop of the Irish National Stud’s Free Eagle (Ire), who will be offered as lot 33. She will be followed into the ring by another American Pharoah filly, the half-sister to G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Prix Vermeille winner Shareta (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}), selling from Haras d’Etreham as lot 34.

The list of siblings to Group winners is deep, with lot 44 being Haras du Mezeray’s Siyouni half-brother to Naaqoos (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), while the joined forces of Camas Park & Glenvale Studs will offer lot 52, an Australia (GB) half-brother to the ill-fated Permian (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) from the dynasty of Pasadoble and Miesque which has been further well represented this year by the Niarchos family’s Classic winners Study Of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {JPN}) and Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

The stars aren’t all reserved for the first night, however. Among six Galileo yearlings catalogued is a half-brother to last year’s top lot from Haras de la Perelle (lot 121). There’s no denying how well the champion sire has worked with fast mares, which will make lot 159, Haras d’Etreham’s filly out of the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. winner Margot Did (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), of particular interest.

Of the heavyweight proven sires in the book, Dubawi is represented by a filly and a colt, the latter being the first foal of the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas and GI EP Taylor S. heiroine Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}). The 8-year-old mare was a sales-ring sensation in her own right when selling for 4.5 million gns to the partnership of Qatar Racing and China Horse Club in 2014, and it would be no surprise to see her February-born son, catalogued as lot 137 through La Motteraye, play a leading role in Deauville.

The seemingly unstoppable rise of Dark Angel (Ire) sees his prominence grow in France and he has 12 youngsters included in the August Sale. Among them are a half-brother to promising young stallion Havana Gold (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), also from the La Motteraye draft (lot 135), and the first foal of the G2 Lancashire Oaks winner Lady Tiana (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}), offered by Haras de l’Hotellerie as lot 145. She will follow into the ring another filly out of a Sir Percy mare, this one the GIII Robert J Frankel S winner Lady Pimpernel (GB), whose daughter is by Ballylinch Stud’s freshman sire Make Believe (GB) (lot 144) and from a strong family which includes this season’s G1 QIPCO 1,000 Guineas winner Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}).

The strength and global appeal of the pedigrees will doubtless entice a cast of international buyers, as is the norm at Arqana in high summer, where the aesthetic and gastronomic delights of Deauville provide an extra draw. But the principal business focuses on a first taste of the cream of the European yearling crop in a country currently riding high on a bloodstock resurgence.

“It’s a virtuous circle,” says Choppin. “French breeders and consignors have been selling well over the past few years and as a result have reinvested in broodmares, upgraded their broodmare bands and then invested in better nominations without necessarily having to travel abroad, and all that is being reflected in the quality of the catalogue.”

The Arqana August Sale takes place from Aug. 18 to 20 and is followed by the V.2 Sale on Aug. 21. Printed copies of the TDN will be available in Deauville throughout and will feature further sale previews from Aug. 15.

 

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