RUNNER-UP on his latest start in the Group 3 St Leger Italiano, the three-year-old Jukebox Jury colt Valajani was a quality wild card entry for the Arqana Autumn Sale and he proved to be the star turn on the opening day, selling for €265,000 to Hubert Barbe’s Horse Racing Advisory.

Barbe was challenged strongly by Harold Kirk for the colt and it would be no surprise to next see him on a racecourse in Ireland sporting the colours of one of racing’s leading Irish owners.

Jukebox Jury’s son Farclas won the Triumph Hurdle this year at Cheltenham and new connections will surely dream of that race for their new acquisition.

Barbe also signed for Pagero, a three-year-old son of Enable’s sire Nathaniel, at €190,000 and this gelding might also be seen in the same colours as the sale-topper. Winner again since the catalogue was printed, and a fifth in a listed race, Pagero comes from the stables of Henri-François Devin.

Another recruit to jump racing, this time in America, is Francois. The three-year-old son of Muhtathir won on the flat earlier in the year before moving to the stables of François Nicolle and he won over jumps on his first start at Lyon Parilly. He cost agent Hubie de Burgh €210,000. His new owner has switched allegiance from flat racing to jumps.

Guy Petit made a couple of significant purchases, headed by the €180,000 Cat Tiger. Another wild card entry, he is a Grade 3 winner over jumps and the four-year-old son of Diamond Boy will now be partnered by new owner David Maxwell and race from Paul Nicholls’ yard. He is due to race tomorrow (Sunday) at Auteuil.

Petit was acting for Venetia Williams when he paid €80,000 for Enzo D’Airy and this wild card entry by Anzillero has been placed three times over jumps. Also heading to Williams is the €70,000 purchase Royale Pagaille, a hurdle-winning son of Blue Bresil.

Bloodstock agent Toby Jones made a number of important purchases. He gave €105,000 for the Andre Fabre-trained Camelot colt Act Of God. The three-year-old is still a maiden despite making eight starts but his new owner is sending him to Edward O’Grady to train and a hurdling career awaits him. O’Grady also takes over the training of Rasiym, a three-year-old by Reliable Man who was runner-up on his debut at Saint-Cloud.

Jones was buying for Middleham Park Racing when he paid €90,000 for the three-year-old chase winner Dogon, a son of Intello. Out of a half-sister to the speedy Overdose, the gelding moves from François Nicolle’s stables to Paul Nicholls. A third Jones purchase was Frankel’s son Frankelio, a winning three-year-old colt who will be trained by Micky Hammond.

Best of the Aga Khan draft was the Redoute’s Choice three-year-old colt Vadavar. He remains unbeaten in two starts after his latest success at Saint-Cloud last week and was knocked down at €95,000 to Joanna Wong and Chen Hongwei. He is for a Chinese client, though where he will be trained was not revealed.

Day two of the sale was reserved for a selection of two-year-old stores and National Hunt yearlings and while selectivity was the byword, trade was strong for the quality lots.

IN DEMAND

The progeny of Haras de Montaigu’s leading sire Martaline were naturally in demand and none more so than the full-brother to Grade 2-placed My Way.

Sold by Jean-Pierre and Guillaume Garçon through Haras de l’Hotellerie, this half-brother to current star Roi Mage sold to Frederic Sauque who had to fork out €160,000 to outbid Hubert Barbe for the grey.

François Nicolle, who trained My Way (now with Paul Nicholls) and still has Roi Mage in his care commented: “He is a beautiful colt who has been bought for a syndicate involving people from the trotting and thoroughbred world. Lucien Urano, Jean-Pierre Dubois, Philippe Allaire and I have all bought into it. I have already trained two of this colt’s siblings and look forward to training this one.”

Doctor Dino, whose sons Sharjah beat Faugheen to win his first Grade 1 last weekend and Sceau Royal won a Grade 2 at Cheltenham, is the sire of a full-brother to the latter who sold for €125,000. Consigned by Haras de la Haie Neuve on behalf of his breeder Guy Vimont, the colt went the way of Paul Basquin of Haras du Saubouas. “I like the sire very much,” commented Basquin.

“He produces good horses for the flat as well as for the jumps and this horse is a beautiful type who will mature – he was born on May 1st. He will spend the winter on the farm and could go into training with Guillaume Macaire.”

Basquin also paid €75,000 for a son of Martaline, the first foal of the dual winner Best Exit. She is a full-sister to the listed chase winner Amarantine. The colt was sold by Haras de Montaigu where Martaline will cover next season at a fee of €15,000.

Toby Jones bought a March-born son of Balko for €80,000 and this half-brother to four winners is now headed to Ireland, though the agent did not name the new owner. Among the colt’s winning siblings is Tzar’s Dancer, a Grade 3 winner over jumps.

Among the purchases by Highflyer Bloodstock were sons of No Risk At All and Doctor Dino who both cost €70,000. Anthony Bromley and David Minton bought 14 lots in all on the day, many of which were for Dai Walters.

Wednesday saw the sale draw to a close with a day of flat bred yearlings. While the comparative figures showed that the average and median increased, this was a low key affair. It was near the end of the sale when the best price of the day emerged.

Bertrand Le Metayer’s BLM Bloodstock gave €72,000 for Haras de la Perelle’s Authorized half-brother to five winners, the best of which was the Group 3-placed Beaulieu. Their dam is an unraced half-sister Monsun, and a full-sister to the dam of the dual French classic winner Brametot.

The next best price was €52,000 and this was paid by Con Marnane for a No Nay Never colt out of a group-placed half-sister to Irish group winner Nysaean who was placed in the Gold Cup at Ascot.