A son of Zoffany offered by Willie Browne's Mocklershill, who consigned the sale-topper earlier in the afternoon, brought a final bid of €400,000 from Nicolas de Watrigant acting on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing, with Charles Gordon-Watson in the underbidder role. The bay is the fourth foal out of a winning daughter of Gr.2 Prix de Malleret victrix Diamilina, closely related to last year's Gr.2 Beresford Stakes scorer and 2017 Classic hopeful Capri.
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An imposing son of Kendargent brought to the ring by Brendan Holland's Grove Stud attracted interest from all around the ring until Stephen Hillen and Mark Richards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club were left to do battle. It took a bid of €470,000 from the former to secure the second foal out of the Gr.3 scorer Bugie d'Amore, who had been bought for €155,000 from Haras de Saint-Pair at the October Yearling Sale.
He is a lovely horse and did a very good time, explained the agent. He is for an existing client who has a nice Kendargent and will go to Richard Hughes. We tried to buy the Siyouni [lot 44] and thought we would have to stretch our budget a bit more for this one, we are pleased to have bought him at this price. There are some really nice individuals here, which explains why the market is so strong. I had a huge short list!
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Another Siyouni juvenile, a filly offered by Con Marnane's Bansha House Stables, was the center of a protracted bidding war of which Angus Gold emerged as the worthy winner. The second foal out of the Listed performer Reech Band, she was a €75,000 purchase at the August yearling sale.
She is a beautiful, quality filly, by a stallion who is particularly successful with his fillies, said Gold, and out of a Choisir mare who could run, as Jean-Claude Rouget told me. She will be trained by him.
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Haras de Bonneval resident sire Siyouni boasted the strongest delegation with 12 two-year-olds in the catalogue and they achieved tremendous results, including a €550,000 purchase by Godolphin's Dick O'Gorman. The bay colt is the third foal out of the Sinndar mare Ponte Di Legno, herself a winner at two and out of the Gr.1 Prix Maurice de Gheest heroine Porlezza, who also produced the Gr.3 Prix de Cabourg scorer Pontenuovo and L. Prix La Flèche runner-up Ponte Vespucci.
Such strong credentials didn't go unnoticed at last year's v.2 Yearling Sale, where the colt topped proceedings at €125,000 on a bid from Margaret O'Toole, which now looks to have been money well spent.
He is a very nice horse who breezed very well, commented Richard O'Gorman. Siyouni is a very good sire.
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Haras de Colleville flagship sire Kendargent is enjoying a tremendous run of form on the track with the likes of Jimmy Two Times and Soleil Marin, and the success continued in the sales ring when a colt out of the Listed-winning juvenile Mystic Spirit commanded a final bid of €280,000 from Charles Gordon-Watson.
He will go into training with Roger Varian in Newmarket, commented the agent. I have bought him for Cheveley Park Stud and we have been trying hard since the start of the sale so it is a relief to have him. He is a solid horse by the right stallion.
Jim McCartan's Gaybrook Lodge Stud, who is enjoying a tremendous season at the breeze up sales, celebrated another successful pinhook with the sale of a daughter of the regretted Scat Daddy, the sire of top class juveniles No Nay Never, Caravaggio, Lady Aurelia, Acapulco et al. Charles Gordon-Watson signed the docket at €260,000 for the first foal out of the US Stakes winner My Perfect Ten and commented:
I have bought her on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing. We like Scat Daddy very much and there is not many of them around anymore. She is very athletic with a great temperament. She ticks a lot of boxes and I am thrilled to have her.
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A buoyant ARQANA sales ring went surprisingly quiet when Kerri Radcliffe, standing at the top of the stairs next to her husband Jeremy Noseda, offered €1.4 million for a powerful son of Street Sense consigned by Willie Browne's Mocklershill Stables and Paul Shanahan, who had been bidding agressively alongside Jamie McCalmont, shook his head.
The dark brown, who was picked up by Jim McCartan for $15,000 as a yearling, is out of the Listed Prix Coronation mare Mystic Spirit, who is in turn a half-sister to the Woodward and Travers Stakes scorer Alpha.
I've been to every breeze up sale in the world this year and this is the nicest horse I've seen, a relieved Radcliffe enthused. He is for Phoenix Thoroughbreds, like all the other horses I've bought, and will be trained in England my my husband.
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Paul Basquin of Haras du Saubouas was all smiles after selling a daughter of Haras d'Etreham's Elusive City for €320,000. Angus Gold emerged as the final bidder for the daughter of My Girl Charlie, who remained unraced but as her name hints is a half-sister to the dual Gr.1 winning juvenile and successful sire Myboycharlie.
I thought she was a fantastic filly, expressed Gold. Masculine, powerful, with great presence. She is bred to be fast with the dam being a half-sister to Myboycharlie and defintitely looks fast. She will go into training with Francois Rohaut and I hope she is as fast a she looks!
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Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International had the final say at €240,000 for a son of Wootton Bassett offered by Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connor's Longways Stables. Last year, the couple sold a Siyouni colt named Le Brivido for €105,000, who is now unbeaten in two starts for André Fabre in the colours of Prince Faisal and is a declared runner in Sunday's Poule d'Essai des Poulains.
He is by a stallion I like and did a nice breeze, despite the fact that he got sick on the way to Deauville, said Bozo. I have bought him for a partnership involving a new Chinese client. We haven't discussed about a trainer yet.
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Richard Knight placed the final bid at €260,000 for a January-born daughter of Choisir out of the Galileo mare Livia's Wake, herself from the family of Gr.1 winners Linngari and Mont Ormel. Consigned by Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm, the bay is the first purchase made at ARQANA by Dubai-based business man Hussain Lootah, whose colours have recently been carried by the likes of Group 3 winner Frankuus.
She breeze very fast, said Knight, and we like the fact she is the second foal out of a Galileo mare. She looks precocious and we tried to buy the other Choisir [lot 12] but he made a lot of money. She will race in the UK but we haven't decided on a trainer yet.
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Peter and Ross Doyle have tasted Gr.1 glory with Choisir's progeny in the past, having notably bought the aptly named Olympic Glory, a Group 1 winner at two, three and four, and they returned to the well when offering €360,000 for a colt from the draft of Bansha House Stables. The first foal out of the Raven's Pass mare Lady McKell, who hails from the close family of the dual Group 1-winning sprinter Mozart, the bay had posted one of the most eye-catching breezes on the eve of the sale.
We've been very lucky with Choisir, with horses like Olympic Glory among others, commented Ross Doyle. He came highly recommended by Con Marnane and proved very straightforward in his breeze. He will go to Richard Hannon for Al Shaqab."
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A grey son of the Gr.1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains victor Style Vendôme, who has already been represented by two winners from four first crop runners, set the sales ring alight when commanding €400,000 from Shadwell Stud's Angus Gold. Offered by Brendan Holland's Grove Stud, he is the third foal out of the Stakes performer Irisijana, who is herself a half-sister to three black type horses in Germany and to the dam of consistent Gr.1 performer Spectre.
He is a very nice, straightforward, uncomplicated horse who looks to have a very good mind on him, said Angus Gold. The stallion seems very promising having already sired a couple of winners and the trainers like his progeny. This one as well as the Sepoy [lot 3] will likely head to England to be trained."
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