Having signed for five yearlings over the weekend, Phoenix Thoroughbred completed their shopping list with a Siyouni colt from Charles Brière's Fairway Consignment who requested a closing bid of €180,000 from Dermot Farrington. The bay is a half-brother to the dual Listed victrix MAMBOMISS.
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The day after a filly from the first crop of Australia won the Gr.3 Prix du Calvados in style, a female member of his second generation offered from Ecurie des Monceaux went the way of David Redvers for €220,000. She is the first foal out of a half-sister to Arc heroine DANEDREAM and Chester Vase winner VENICE BEACH, from a family that traces back to the prolific LADY BERRY.
She was my pick of the day, said Redvers. She is made like a Classic filly, looks a painting and walks beautifully. She will be trained in Great Britain but I am not sure with whom.
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A daughter of Invincible Spirit from the fabulous TIME CHARTER family and offered by Haras d'Etreham fetched €180,000 from Prime Equestrian. Out of a half-sister to the Gr.2 Prix de Malleret scorer TIME ON, hence a close relative to the top class juvenile CURSORY GLANCE, the filly benefitted from the recent performances of her year-older half-sister Early Time, who opened her account as second asking and ran 4th in the L. Criterium du Bequet after the catalogue was printed.
She is a second foal, commented Alexandre Puyfourcat, and the dam's first looks like she will gain black time very soon, she was very unlucky last time out. We bought five yearlings this week and will sit down tonight to make decisions on their trainers.
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Having already consigned the €290,000 son of Intello, Hubert Honoré bested this figure with a Siyouni colt who commanded a final bid of €380,000 from Anthony Stroud acting on behalf of Godolphin, with Phoenix Thoroughbreds as the underbidder. Bred by Chris Wright's Stratford Stud Place, the bay is a full brother to the fast filly SOUVENIR DELONDRES, winner of the Gr.3 Prix Eclipse and L. Prix de la Vallée d'Auge.
Physically I thought he compared very favourably with the horses I saw yesterday and Saturday, said Stroud. He is by a serious stallion, comes from a very good nursery and my valuation was in line with the price he made.
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French-born, British-based trainer David Menuisier has enjoyed his best season so far, notably courtesy of Gr.2 York Stakes scorer THUNDERING BLUE, who like many of Menuisier's charges runs in the colours of Clive Washbourn. The successful tandem will hope for a repeat scenario with a son of Intello for which they paid €290,000 to outbid Fiona Carmichael and Amanda Skiffington.
Offered by Hubert Honoré, the colt was bred by trainer Nicolas Clément out of the Listed-winning mare WINTER FASHION, who has already produced two black-type performers including FLOWER FASHION who won three races and was placed at Listed level for the Chantilly-based professional last year.
This colt really caught my eye when I saw him yesterday, expressed Menuisier. I thought he was the best colt in the sale and feel very lucky to have an owner with the capacity to invest in top quality horses. I am a fan of the sire and there is a bit of speed on the dam side so I can't see why we wouldn't win the Prix du Jockey Club with him!
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A son of Dabirsim offered by Elevage de Tourgeville is set to join Willie Browne's mighty breeze up squad next season after being knocked down to the master of Mocklershill for €160,000. The April-born colt hails from the family of RUSSIAN BLUE and ALEXANDRIE.
Ling Tsui's success with Urban Sea and her descendants has been nothing short of extraordinary, as was most recently illustrated by the dazzling victory of Sea The Stars' daughter SEA OF CLASS in the Gr.1 Darley Irish Oaks. The chesnut will be joined in the yard of William Haggas by a paternal half-sister after Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International paid €200,000 for lot 188 offered by Haras d'Ellon. She is out of the speedy Listed-placed mare Ponte Vespucci, herself a daughter of the Gr.1 Prix Maurice de Gheest scorer Porlezza.
She is a super filly and I felt the price was very reasonable considering the quality of her page, commented Watrigant who was stood next to Urban Sea's former trainer Jean Lesbordes. She is very stamped by her sire and very relaxed, which is always a good sign. She will be trained by William Haggas.
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With Laurens having swept all before her this season, scooping three Group 1 contests on the trot, while Aylmerton and City Light impressed from Royal Ascot to Flemington, the progeny of Siyouni has gained an increasingly international profile. Justin Casse has been a long-time admirer of the stallion and didn't hesitate to offer €240,000 for a filly by the Haras de Bonneval resident, from the draft of Haras d'Etreham. The bay is a granddaughter of the Gr.2 Prix de Pomone scorer, from the stellar family of PEINTRE CELEBRE.
My client is not awake yet so I can't disclose her name yet, confessed Casse, but I can confirm that the filly will be trained in America.
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Another first foal, this time out of the Gr.3 Prix Allez France scorer MAYHEM, went the way of Anthony Stroud acting on behalf of Godolphin. Bred by Brendan Hayes, the relative to CERULEAN SKY, MOONSTONE, US ARMY RANGER et al. was consigned by Ballylinch Stud, who had a busy night both as a vendor and buyer.
She is an extremely nice filly, said Stroud, bred by Brendan Hayes who does a sterling job. I don't know who will train her yet but she will eventually join our broodmare band.
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The second and last American Pharoah to sell at a European yearling sale this season will race for an all American partnership after falling to Deuce Greathouse for €850,000. The ahtletic filly is the first foal out of the Grade 3 winner MARBRE ROSE, which Ecurie des Monceaux raced with Christophe Clément in partnership with Haras de Saint-Pair.
Deuce Greathouse was bidding alongside Cindy Hutson who will partner with Robert Masterson in the Ecurie des Monceaux offering.
She is, just like her father, an extremely well balanced filly, had a great presence about her and seemed like she had a great mind. My family bred the third dam Mrs. Marcos and raced the offspring so we know the family very well. That was the one we wanted to buy.
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John O'Connor showed some stamina to have the final say on the only Dubawi colt in the catalogue, who was brought to the ring by La Motteraye Consignment. Bids were fired from all around the ring and David Redvers proved the toughest opponent, only admitting defeat when the Ballylinch principal offered €1,400,000. The imposing dark bay is the first foal out of the Irish 1,000 Guineas and EP Taylor Stakes winner JUST THE JUDGE, for whom Qatar Racing and China Horse Club paid 4.5 million guineas three years ago.
We were very keen to have him, a relieved O'Connor commented. He is a beautiful individual by an exceptional stallion and from a family we know extremely well. We actually bred and sold the dam of Just The Judge, Faraday Light, and the family goes back to the days of the McCalmonts. The colt will go into training for Ballylinch Stud and obviously we are hoping to make a stallion.
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Lope de Vega's star continued to shine bright with lot 105, from the stallion's home Ballylinch Stud, also commanding six figures. The full brother to Dewhurst Stakes and Lockinge Stakes hero BELARDO was the pick of Mick Flanagan acting on behalf of the China Horse Club.
He is a great mover and full brother to a champion juvenile, said Flanagan. I also like the fact that he is out of a Danehill mare. We haven't yet decided on a trainer.
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The first Dubawi in the ring, a racy filly offered by Jürgen Winter's Haras de la Pérelle, found herself at the centre of a bidding battle involving the Coolmore team and Danish trainer Bent Olsen, who was taking bids over the phone alongside agent Morten Buskop. The score board read €520,000 when the latter emerged as the winning bidders for the first foal out of the Gr.2 Balanchine Stakes and Cape Verdi Stakes victrix CLADOCERA.
Buskop explained:
She has been bought for Danish owner Lone Kaj Nielsen, who has had horses with Bent Olsen for many years and always wanted a Dubawi so she is over the moon to be taking this filly home. We will start her up in Scandinavia and hopefully in the future she will be able to take on the bigger international scene, which Bent Olsen has done before. She could also be a great broodmare prospect, although this is not the priority at the moment.
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Ecurie des Monceaux's Lope de Vega colt benefitted from a major update after his two-year-old half-brother DARK VISION, still unraced when the catalogue went to press, bolted up on his first three starts for Mark Johnston culminating with a dominating display in the Gr.2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood which prompted his purchase by Godolphin.
While Dark Vision had only achieved 15,000gns as a yearling, it took a bid of €900,000 from M.V. Magnier to secure his year younger sibling.
He is a lovely, good moving horse and his brother looked very talented at Goodwood, said Magnier.
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A grey son of Dark Angel offered by Ecurie des Monceaux caused a serious bidding battle which eventually saw Michel Zerolo give way to Stephen Hillen at €450,000. The colt is a half-brother to two Stakes horses in BUTHELA and DEEMSTER who both went through the same ring.
He has a good physical and is very much in the mould of the sire, said Hillen. He behaved beautifully in the ring, and obviously the record of Ecurie des Monceaux is second to none. He will be trained by Henri-François Devin for a new client.
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A couple of hours after the first Galileo filly in the ring commanded €600,000, the second daughter of the same sire fared even better, exiting the ring with a €810,000 price tag. Justin Casse was the winning bidder for the half-sister to the high class juveniles KENYA, ZANTENDA and SINGLE who was consigned by Haras des Capucines.
What's not to like about her? quipped the agent. She is from a very good family with a lot of quality about her and a lot of substance for a Galileo. She will go to the US and be trained by my brother [Mark].
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Peter Brant has been on a phenomenal ride with Ecurie des Monceaux-bred SISTERCHARLIE, who has now annexed three Grade 1 races Stateside after running 2nd in the Gr.1 Prix de Diane. Not content with having produced such a talented athlete, the dam Starlet's Sister has also been responsible for MY SISTER NAT, who took 2nd in the Gr.3 Prix Chloé after the catalogue was printed.
The White Birch principal already returned to the well a year ago when securing a Siyouni colt for €340,000 and was back for more this time around with Michel Zerolo having to stretch to €400,000 to secure the Charm Spirit yearling half-brother.
The dam has obviously proved that she is a tremendous breeder, commented Zerolo. This colt will go into training with Jean-Claude Rouget like his year-older half-brother who is set to make his racecourse debut on Tuesday. We have high expectations for him.
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The first yearling by Triple Crown hero to go through a European sales ring fittingly went the way of Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, who offered €750,000 to outbid Phoenix Bloodstock. The athletic bay is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille heroine Shareta.
She is beautiful individual out of a Group 1 producer and Bob Baffert has said that American Pharoah could have been just as good on the grass, expressed Magnier.
My grandfather founded Ballydoyle on American dirt horses—that’s where Galileo comes from, that’s where Sadler’s Wells came from. It all goes back to the American Classic horse. And we strongly believe in American Pharoah. He really could be the next big thing. Be it him, or Justify, we think that a horse of that type can once again have a transforming impact on European bloodlines. So that’s what we want to do: to get the best American Pharoahs we can, put them in Ballydoyle, and try to make him a new Northern Dancer. Remember Scat Daddy was an all-American hero, too, and look what he has been able to do on turf in Europe.
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Still from the dominant draft of Ecurie des Monceaux, a son of Frankel from the family of Best Of The Bests attracted a closing bid of €600,000 from Oliver St Lawrence, who was standing alongside Bahrain owner-trainer Fawzi Nass.
He is a big scopey horse with a nice staying model, quite unfurnished at the moment but who could hopefully go on to win the St Leger, offered the agent. He will be trained by George Peckham.
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The only colt in the catalogue by Talismanic's sire Medaglia d'Oro went the way of Sun Bloodstock's David O'Callaghan for €340,000. The son of dual Grade 3 victrix Rusty Slipper was brought to the ring by Ecurie des Monceaux on behalf of Trinidad & Tobago based breeder Ralph Meahjohn.
He is a gorgeous individual, expressed the agent, who looks like he'll stay and could fit either Europe or Australia - provided he runs fast enough! We'll regroup at the end of the sale and decide where they all go on to be trained.
David Redvers wasn't going to be denied on a half-brother to Classic heroine CHICQUITA and Gr.2 Ribblesdale scorer MAGIC WAND, by Nunnery Stud's first crop sire Muhaarar. The agent kept upping his game until a €420,000 bid closed the deal for the Ecurie des Monceaux offering. Redvers commented:
He is for Qatar Racing and is one of the few colts we need to buy to fill the gaps of our breeding program. He is a fantastic individual with a stallion's pedigree, and his physique gives credit to where he's come from. He looks speedy and is very much in the type of the sire.
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American agent Gatewood Bell had the final say at €400,000 for a filly from the first crop of dual Classic scorer Gleneagles whose dam has already produced Gr.1 Prix Jean Prat scorer INTELLOGENT as well as Listed performer Lightupthenight. This is the family of German Classic winners NIGHTFLOWER, NIGHT PETTICOAT and NEXT DESERT.
She is a half-sister to a Gr.1 winner out of a young stallion that I really like. She will start in Europe before heading to America if she proves good enough. She is for Everett Dobson of Cheyenne Stables. »
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The very first lot in the ring, a daughter of Galileo out of the Grade 2 winning mare Naissance Royale, set proceedings off to a strong start when commanding €600,000 from Narvick International's Emmanuel de Seroux. From the prominent draft of Ecurie des Monceaux, the slick bay is set to travel to Japan for an undisclosed client.
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