A Kapgarde half-brother to this season’s unbeaten Prix Sagan (Gr.3) winner and fellow Arqana yearling graduate MESSAGERE from Haras de la Croix Sonnet went for €150,000. From the family of the very talented NO RISK AT ALL, NICKNAME, NOM D’UNE PIPE and N’OUBLIE JAMAIS, the colt was another bought by Haras du Saubouas’s Paul Basquin.
He’s a very nice colt and a half-brother to Messagere, that has won her only two outings this season and looks a class act, said Paul Basquin. We’re delighted to have him. He’s got a stallion’s pedigree. He’ll come back to Saubouas and we’ll take it from there.
Just a short while after signing for a nice son of Kapgarde, Paul Basquin returned once again, this time picking up a son of Ballingary. Offered from Hamel Stud, this half-brother to this year’s Auteuil Group placed KOOL HAS is from the excellent family KOTKITA and KOTKITOVA. He was sold for €105,000.
He’s a lovely colt by Ballingary, a stallion that I like a lot, said Paul Basquin. He’s from one of the best French jumping families, that of Kotkita. He’ll be gelded in the next few weeks at Saubouas.
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Paul Basquin had to go to €92,000 to secure a son of Kapgarde from Haras de la Croix Sonnet. Out of Listed placed FRANCHE ALLIANCE, a half-sister to LA BAGUE AU ROI, notably the winner of the Flogas Novice Chase (Gr.1) last season, the colt also hails from the family of Group winners PLAISIR DU ROY and WALT.
He’s a very well-bred son of Kapgarde, with a dam by Poliglote, that I think is the best broodmare sire in the world, said Paul Basquin. He’s the first foal out of a sister to La Bague Au Roi. He has everything in his favour to be a good horse. He’ll now go to Saubouas, probably be castrated and then we’ll decide on his future.
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Offered from Haras du Buff, a son of leading jumps sire Martaline out of a sister to the very talented QUESTARABAD and Group winner CRYSTAL BEACH was sold for €80,000. The buyer of the latter as a store when he went through the ring at Deauville, Bertrand Le Metayer (BLM Bloodstock) signed for the colt.
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Subject to a lot of interest around the ring, a Doctor Dino gelding out of a sister to Turgot from The Channel Consignment went the way of Highflyer Bloodstock for €130,000. Bought on behalf of Dai Walters’s Walters Plant Hire, that has tasted success at the highest level through the likes of Whisper and Al Dancer across the channel, that were also bought at Deauville.
He’s a magnificent horse, said Sarah Llewellyn from Walters Plant Hire. We really like his sire and he has done very well with his progeny. He looks like a good horse and we hope he’ll follow in the footsteps of Whisper and Al Dancer, both bought here!
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Regular Autumn Sale visitor Toby Jones, who struck yesterday for the promising Emmanuel Clayeux trained GLAJOU, went to €85,000 for a son of Saddler Maker during today’s session. Offered from Haras de Cercy, the two-year-old gelding is out of KAPICA DE THAIX from the same family as 2018 Prix Finot (L.) winner FRACA DE THAIX and Group 1 AQPS scorer DICA DE THAIS.
He’s a very nice horse with a great pedigree. His sire was a fantastic stallion and has sired many good horses. It’s an active family. We’ll keep him to run.
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Horse Racing Advisory secured the position of leading buyer for the day with the purchase of GENTLEMAN DE MEE for €280,000. The sculptural dark brown is a Saint Des Saints half-brother to the talented AS DE MEE and he has made a good career start himself, filling the runner-up spot on both his starts over hurdles to date in the care of Guillaume Macaire.
He is a lovely big horse who looks a real chaser in the making, a staying chaser, said Charlie Swan. Hopefully he'll do well. We'll put him away for this year.
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A final bid of €190,000 secured the good looking four-year-old AQPS gelding FOLBURG DE PALMA for Loko Trans’s owner Karel Jalovy. The son of Sageburg was offered from Gabriel Leenders having won two flat races and finished second in the Prix de l’Avenir (Gr.3). Michal Lisek, the racing manager for the Czech entity, confirmed that Folburg de Palma’s future now lies over jumps. He said:
We’ll send him to be trained in the Czech Republic but the aim is to run in Italy and France with him. He’s the most expensive horse that we have bought at Arqana, but we have already had a lot of success with our French buys. It is a 13 hour drive between Paris and our training centre, but that doesn’t worry us!
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Daniela Mele's CAPODANNO only made his racecourse debut on November 1 but he made sure it was an eye-catching one, only falling short by a couple of lengths in a hurdle contest at Compiègne. The three-year-old son of Manduro featured high of the list of Hubert Barbe's Horse Racing Advisory, who went to €185,000 to secure him.
He is a lovely big horse who jumps very well, commented Charlie Swan. He is still a maiden which leaves lots of options open. He is a horse for next year, we will take him home and the boss will decide.
GAILLARD DU MESNIL joins Willie Mullins With a late update having recently finished runner-up in the Prix de l'Avenir (Gr.3 APQS), bidding for GAILLARD DU MESNIL reached €250,000. Offered by Haras des Pierres Follets, the Isabelle Gallorini trained gelding was knocked down to Pierre Boulard and Harold Kirk on behalf of the Irish trainer Willie Mullins.
We really like this horse, said Pierre Boulard. Saint des Saints is a very good sire and this horse was very consistent in bumpers. He should go well over jumps. We have been lucky with Isabelle Gallorini, and she recommended him to us. We’re really happy!
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Already lucky at the Autumn Sale last year with CAT TIGER, with whom he won the Gr.3 Prix Morgex just a few days after buying him, David Maxwell was once again made his presence felt during the session. Standing beside agent Guy Petit, the English owner bought STRATAGEM, a three-year-old gelding from Daniela Mele. Offered as a Wild Card, the son of Sunday Break was knocked down for €200,000 having won on his only outing over hurdles at Auteuil last month.
We were very lucky with Cat Tiger last year. We won’t go to Auteuil this time around, but we think we have bought a very good horse, said Guy Petit. For me, he’s the perfect horse. We saw his race and he couldn’t have done it better. We’re delighted!
Present for the first time at the ARQANA Autumn Sale, Alex Elliott struck for GLOIRE D'ATHON, a three-year-old AQPS gelding from Alain Couétil. The winner on his debut at Cholet over 2950m on October 20, the son of Doctor Dino was a Wild Card in the catalogue. After signing the docket at €200,000, the agent said:
I noticed him a few weeks ago, and we’re delighted to get him. He’ll probably go to Ireland where we’ll decide his future. I really like his sire Doctor Dino, and I’ve been lucky with his progeny. It’s the first time I’ve been to the sale and I’m impressed by the quality of the horses-in-training.
Bidding reached €130,000 for FOURBI, a four-year-old AQPS gelding offered as a Wild Card from Fabrice Foucher after winning over 3100m at Le Pin-au-Haras.
Acting on behalf of Luke Comer, Jim Gorman had the final say, commenting,
He’ll go to Ireland, where he’ll run over jumps. He showed lots of quality on his last start and Irish racing should suit him. We hope he does well!
Offered out of training from Guillaume Macaire, the excellent multiple Group winning MASTER DINO was subject to a fierce bidding war in which Hervé Bunel (BHB Agency) came out on top for €420,000.
The Niarchos Family’s MOUNT POPA was subject to a lot of attention around the ring, eventually being knocked down for €200,000. The very consistent colt, that had finished in the first three in all his starts for Pascal Bary, went the way of Stephen Hillen on the telephone. He will now be trained by Michael Hawkes in Australia.
Most recently fourth in the Prix Vulcain (L.) after the catalogue was printed, Siyouni’s son SCARLET TUFTY was bought for €120,000. Bidding from the restaurant, it was agents Hubie de Burgh and Emmanuel de Seroux had the final say for the Christophe Ferland trained colt.
He's been bought for an existing client to go to Australia. He's by Siyouni who is a world-class stallion. He's got tactical racing speed, and he is a great mover. He'll go straight to Australia and be aimed at the 10 furlong Group races down there, which have amazing prize-money.
Bought as a yearling at this sale two years ago by Chris Richner before winning the Polish Derby, PRIDE OF NELSON returned to the ring at Deauville once again today. Third in the Prix Solitude (L.) since the catalogue was published, the three-year-old filly was sold for €125,000 to Lamorlaye based Japanese trainer Satoshi Kobayashi.
I’ve bought her for a new Japanese client, Mr Inutzuka,” said the trainer. “She is only three and has already shown us what she is capable of.
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He’s a good-looking horse that has a good race record and lots of stamina. He’s in good condition and was well presented. I’ve bought him for Ian Williams. He’ll go to England now, and there are several options for his future.
